China stands for change

So my trip to Shanghai was ultimately successful. While I blogged about all of my personal experiences, the real purpose of my trip was for business, and I accomplished what I was suppose to accomplish. So YAY!!

My experience in Shanghai is one that I will never forget. It was my first taste of China and was just enough of an amuse-bouche so that I want to taste more. I would love to go back to China and visit Beijing or Hong Kong. I would even love to go back to Shanghai and complete my visit.

There are some things I will never forget.

1. Humidity. I know this was a resounding theme but let me tell you, it will take a very, very long time for me to forget just how incredibly humid it was in Shanghai. On those days where I would spend time outside, I was taking showers at least twice a day. There was one point where I was completely soaked with sweat...and I'm not even exaggerating. Thank god I'm married because there is no way I would be able to attract a man with all of that mess that was going on my sweatiness, frizzy hair, and oily skin. I felt like an awkward teenager all over again.

2. Crowds and sense of personal space. I think if I were to live in China, it would take me a while to get use to the lack of personal space. Not only did I experience this in the queue for the ferry while at the Expo, the lack of personal space was also quite evident in elevators. Every single person waiting in line for an elevator would pile in so that the doors would barely shut. I would just think to myself that I hoped the elevator didn't get stuck or else I was going to go into panic mode.

3. The taxi rides. Every taxi ride I took, I was completely astounded by the driving. Very rarely do any cars slow down for pedestrians. The expectation is that the people move out of the way of the cars but the cars do not yield to pedestrians...or anything else on the road for that matter. And all drivers tail gate really bad, leave very little room when maneuvering between lanes and stop quickly and close to other cars. There are lines in the road marking the lanes and yet very few drivers pay attention to them. However the amazing thing is that I did not see one single car which was dented or had any scratches. Despite what seems like crazy driving, there seem to be very little accidents. I think the drivers are more aware of their surroundings and pay closer attention when driving, thus reducing the amount of accidents.

4. Modernness of Shanghai. I'm still amazed at how Shanghai is so modern and new. Much of the city's growth has been realized within the last 10-15 years and you can tell. Many of the buildings and roadways are sleek and streamlined with the bright lights. There are clean public restrooms on the sidewalks that you pay to use. The people are all about the brand names and boast some of the best designers in the world. Shanghai has some of the newest gadgets in the world and are on the cutting edge of innovation in many ways. On the other hand, the people are still rooted in traditional ways. They try not to use air conditioning. Many people ride bikes and transport everything by hand. People sit on the streets making their own handcrafted items.
The people have a deep sense of family and women honor their husbands and obey them. I find the dichotomy fascinating! I think Shanghai is the perfect medley of Chinese tradition and global modernism.

Shanghai is an amazing city with a great mixture of old and new. Anywhere you go, the service is impeccable and the people are nice. I obviously stood out as a tourist or foreigner but by the end of my stay I was starting to feel more comfortable and was getting my bearings. But maybe that's due to the shopping - that can always put a girl at ease. ;-) It is definitely a different culture, a different way of life. You can be sure of that the minute you step off of the plane. But it is refreshing and nice to experience something so different from your normal reality. It is stressful traveling in a foreign place by yourself but there is also a sense of freedom and abandonement which is also prevalent. I'm so thankful my company afforded me the opportunity for such a trip and I look forward to the next one, wherever it may take me.