The last couple of days have been nothing if not an adventure. I arrived in Shanghai last night after the longest flight of my life from Chicago through San Francisco. Somehow, I always get people in front of me who know nothing of airplane etiquette. I don’t exactly fit into an economy seat well in any circumstance, being 6’4, but having the seatback in front of me forced all the down makes the fit impossible and my mood less than pleasant, to say the least. Nevertheless, a few knees to the back, a strategically aimed air vent, and thirteen hours later, I landed in Shanghai. My classes don’t start at Beijing University until September 3, so I’m spending the week with my friend Amanda(who’s also in the program) at her aunt and uncle’s house here in Shanghai.
The first place we went to was the Shanghai Museum. It’s a massive collection of artifacts from five thousand years of Chinese history. It includes the first chinese coins, five thousand year old pottery, jade artwork from every dynasty, ancient Chinese watercolor paintings, and countless other relics. It was a great place to start because it placed everything in the context of China’s ancient civilization and culture, which is easy to forget when you’re in Shanghai–one of the most modern cities I’ve ever seen.
After some amazing steamed dumplings we headed toward the Bund–a riverfront street of European-style buildings from Shanghai’s 1920’s heyday–and crossed the Huangpu River by ferry to Pudong–the ultra modern skyscraper peninsula across from the old downtown.
The thing that’s been most striking about about Shanghai has been how dynamic the city is. Twenty years ago there were no skyscrapers in Shanghai. Today, hundreds of ultra-tall buildings tower over the city and thousands of high rises dot the landscape. In the U.S., we have struggled for years to build the “Chicago Spire” or the “Freedom tower”, with former stuck in limbo and the latter years late and still under construction. It’s also interesting to see the paradox of Shanghai’s ultra-modern style within the context of a developing country. It’s a strange contrast of rich and poor, old and new, high-tech and ancient.
All-in-all its been an amazing first couple of days. I’m still attempting to decide on a new “Chinese name”. Although I like “Grant”, no one outside of English speaking countries can manage to say it without it being utterly butchered. Hopefully I’ll have one before I make it to Beijing.
Muddled 