It’s difficult to believe a week has passed since our group landed in Shanghai, China. Were it not for lack of computer and up-to-date browser access, this blog would be quite a bit more interesting at this point. That being said, I will do my best to briefly recap our trip.

Though our group is staying in Nanjing during the majority of our time here, we did spend two days in Shanghai, a huge, smog-filled metropolous. Having been sheltered by the quiet and mild city of Florence, AL. my whole life, it is safe for the reader to assume the high level of culture shock that was set in motion as soon as our group emerged from the subway tunnel.

Coincidently, the evening we checked into our hotel room the level of smog was at a height notable enough to be covered in U.S. news reports (so John McGee and I heard from a parential email). I could do without the smog…

The sheer amount of people here in China is awe inducing. The number seems even larger when one looks out over a crowd only to see a sea of dark hair and olive skin repetition. The streets are so crowded, apparantly people will go to any lengths to get where they’re going, even if it means taking bike, moped, or car onto the sidewalk through pedestrians and street vender sqwats. One learns to heed any beeping, honking and horn blowing quickly.This rule even applies to malls, resterants, and anywhere else a wheeled vehicle will fit.

Bikes of some sort are the choice convenience in transportation for many in Shanghai

On the lighter side, there is some beautiful and/or captivating scenery here. I will attempt to attach some photos before I close this post. There is much I need to add to this blog. Hopefully, this can be done sufficiently over the course of this week. Until then, ni hao!

janewton2

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