After a twelve hour flight I landed in Shanghai's Pudong
International Airport on a Wednesday afternoon, very tired and in serious need
of a shower. It had taken three days to get there due to a very long layover in
Vancouver Canada, where I was pleasantly surprised to discover
that Vancouver has a large Chinese population which allowed me to practice
a little more Chinese. I walked in a daze through baggage claim and customs and
met up with my fellow classmates gathered in an island made up of luggage and
sleepy, but enthusiastic introductions. We boarded the bus to Fudan
University and I got my first impression of driving in China. Now I am
from New York and have driven many times in the city, so I have seen my share
of aggressive and crazy driving but none of my past experiences
compare to the level of crazy driving that I have witnessed everyday in
Shanghai. The first taxi ride I took through the streets of Shanghai felt
as if I was an actor in an action movie, swerving in and out of ongoing lanes
of traffic, dogging pedestrians and scooters alike, all the
while a Chinese version of Taylor Swift's "Love Story" blaring
through the taxi's radio acting as theme music to this bizarre voyage
to Héngshān Lù 衡山路 a
popular bar district. Getting around in China is an experience whether one is
trying to cross the street, which is quite harrowing, or in a vehicle.
During the bus
ride to Fudan University I also was astonished by the sheer amount
of construction that was occurring in the city. Everywhere I
looked a building was either being torn down or built up, Shanghai is definitely
a growing city. Anyway on the subject of
construction during my second day in Shanghai I visited the Bund with my
classmates. The Bund is the site of the
former British concession, spheres of influence, in Shanghai and if you have ever seen
a picture of shanghai’s skyline it is most likely the site of that picture. The bund is the background picture of this
blog. The Bund was a nice place to visit
but so far I have found the former French concession to be much more exciting, especially
for night life.
The area where I
am living near Fudan University is very interesting, has great food,
and most importantly easy access to the subway, the subway system in Shanghai
puts the one in New York City to shame.
It has been a very interesting first week. I have a lot to look forward too with classes starting tomorrow and an exciting weekend ahead.
So until next
time
Cheers!
-WW
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