livejournal isn't in english in china....
My last full day in Shanghai is winding down. I leave tomorrow morning for Changshu where I will finally be able to unpack my massive suitcase. Right now, all the cool kids are partying it up, whereas I am in my hotel room nursing a stomach ache. I feel like I'm being stabbed every half hour.
Shanghai is an interesting city. It amazes me that the people who have lived all their lives here since the 70s have never seen the stars. There's so much air and light pollution, it makes me really miss home. I did see a bit of sky yesterday though. What was supposed to be a brilliant blue was more like muck. But the people have been so nice, I definitely feel better about becoming worldly. We've been on a field trip every day here: Old Shanghai, Jin Mao Tower (the third tallest in the world), some garden or another, boat trip through water town, the Shanghai aquarium (complete with fake aquatic plants), Shanghai Museum, and blah blah blah.
Today, a few of my friends and I went to Xiang Yang Marketplace to buy some cheap shit and practice our bargaining skills. It wasn't the most pleasant of experiences. We were doing fine until one of the stand employees got pissed about something and grabbed my friend. We got between them and he started talking shit. It took so much out of me not to make grapes of his testicles. I was with girls from New York City, Philly, and Oakland. That guy is lucky, as far as I'm concerned. We eventually made our way into a bubble tea shop and cheered ourselves up on the indoor swings.
Other than that, everything has been surprisingly fine. The people in the program bonded really fast (I almost wrote "boned"). Actually, boned isn't too far from the truth. I can still see residual high school hormonal flirting in our interactions; it makes me uncomfortable sometimes. And this one girl and guy totally hooked up on the dance floor of a night club we went to. Pictures were definitely taken.
I've adapted pretty well. Maybe it's because I know the food and most of the language (the people here can understand me!!!). I'm used to strolling through the International District and being surrounded by people with the same hair color as me. And it's pretty nice not being the skinniest person in a crowd.
Things I won't miss about Shanghai: the smell, the pollution, the crowds (it's like walking through Bumbershoot every day), the traffic, and the crazy drivers. Traffic signs, lights, and lane markers are merely for reference only. Living here will seriously change the way you view home.
Goal partially accomplished.
Shanghai is an interesting city. It amazes me that the people who have lived all their lives here since the 70s have never seen the stars. There's so much air and light pollution, it makes me really miss home. I did see a bit of sky yesterday though. What was supposed to be a brilliant blue was more like muck. But the people have been so nice, I definitely feel better about becoming worldly. We've been on a field trip every day here: Old Shanghai, Jin Mao Tower (the third tallest in the world), some garden or another, boat trip through water town, the Shanghai aquarium (complete with fake aquatic plants), Shanghai Museum, and blah blah blah.
Today, a few of my friends and I went to Xiang Yang Marketplace to buy some cheap shit and practice our bargaining skills. It wasn't the most pleasant of experiences. We were doing fine until one of the stand employees got pissed about something and grabbed my friend. We got between them and he started talking shit. It took so much out of me not to make grapes of his testicles. I was with girls from New York City, Philly, and Oakland. That guy is lucky, as far as I'm concerned. We eventually made our way into a bubble tea shop and cheered ourselves up on the indoor swings.
Other than that, everything has been surprisingly fine. The people in the program bonded really fast (I almost wrote "boned"). Actually, boned isn't too far from the truth. I can still see residual high school hormonal flirting in our interactions; it makes me uncomfortable sometimes. And this one girl and guy totally hooked up on the dance floor of a night club we went to. Pictures were definitely taken.
I've adapted pretty well. Maybe it's because I know the food and most of the language (the people here can understand me!!!). I'm used to strolling through the International District and being surrounded by people with the same hair color as me. And it's pretty nice not being the skinniest person in a crowd.
Things I won't miss about Shanghai: the smell, the pollution, the crowds (it's like walking through Bumbershoot every day), the traffic, and the crazy drivers. Traffic signs, lights, and lane markers are merely for reference only. Living here will seriously change the way you view home.
Goal partially accomplished.