M-whY

Thanks to the delay the day before, I arrived in Shanghai well past noon. (I was supposed to get here bright and early at 8:00am.) From the train station, I called my aunt, who happened to be in Shanghai and would put me up for the next few days. We agreed to meet at the McDonald's across the street, and about half an hour later, she and her driver showed up to pick me up.

"I almost didn't recognize you!" It's been a while since I last met her - maybe four or five years? - and so it's not unreasonable to expect that I've changed a bit.

As I've moved from west to east in China, cities have gotten more sophisticated and modern. Shanghai, with its skyhigh buildings, would be the culmination of that trend. Her home was located in a convenient part of town, not too far from all the action. Getting there took some time though, as cars finally seemed to outnumber bicycles on the road.

"Just like New York, right?" Also having spent a few years in New Jersey, my aunt could make comparisons with the US. "There are just too many people here in Shanghai. 17 million people, and a lot of people own cars. People who don't can easily afford taxis, which only have a flagfall of ten yuan. Too many people, too many cars. Traffic jams all over the place."

I was in dire need of a proper shower, and that was the first thing I did when we got to my aunt's spacious apartment. Second thing was internet, which I also hadn't had access to in several days and was dying to get at. My aunt had ADSL installed in her home, and due to some username-password problems, I wasted an hour just connecting my laptop. As a freak thunderstorm passed through the city, I slaved over my LCD screen, uploading pictures, checking email, and all that other good stuff.

My cousin and uncle returned from school and work respectively some time later, and it was time to go eat.

"What kind of food do you want? Chinese? American?" I hadn't had any western food in a long time, and a decent burger sounded really good. Shanghai, peppered with international themed restaurants, would be the perfect place to get some. TGIF was just a few blocks away, and with the number of expats dining there, one could be forgiven for forgetting they were in China.

I had a cheeseburger which was just as good as any you'd find in any other TGIF establishment around the world. Afterwards, my aunt wasted no time in taking me to the number one attraction of Shanghai - the Bund. Lined with Neoclassical buildings, including the Peace Hotel which my aunt insists is haunted, it's easily the city's most recognizable landmark. Across the river, bright lights from the Pearl Orient TV Tower exerted a pull on tourists from all over, while river excursions down the Huangpu presented an even different perspective on it all. Shanghai is by far China's most affluent city. All of it is here on display at the Bund.

Despite the flashing lights and upbeat atmosphere, or maybe as a result of, I became really weary. The train rides, the river cruise... they were all catching up to me. At least on this night, Shanghai's greatest attraction to me was the bed in my aunt's spare room.

Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!