My Shanghai Sabbatical Begins!

My flight from Chicago to Shanghai went well. About 16 1/2 hours in the air... we flew northwest over Canada and Alaska and Russia, arching before we came back down to Shanghai. My apologies to those who I mistakenly told 22 hours. It is my greatest disappointment that we didn't fly over the polar ice cap.

There were a lot of families flying to Shanghai, to my surprise. A fair number of the families were comprised of a Caucasian father and a Chinese mother, however, there were quite a few Caucasian families who appeared to be headed out on vacation... one such family with 6 kids in tow!

The couple sitting next to me was not particularly friendly. The man read his book the whole time and the lady gave me unpleasant looks when our elbows grazed. Quite unfortunate.

No complaints about customs, although when I got my bags, it was clear they were more than just I could handle. Instead of getting a cart however, I just struggled. When I got to the taxi exit, I was greeted by two Chinese men. As I am fighting my luggage, they ask if I need a taxi. I can see the taxis not more than 50 yards away, so I assume, that's where we're going. I told them yes, and one grabs my bag and starts to walk toward the taxis. Then he kept going!

I started telling him that I didn't want to go with him, but he wouldn't give me my bag back. Finally, after arguing with him in the middle of the street, I grabbed my bag and started high-tailing it for the marked taxis. One of the cab drivers got out of his cab and sort of scarred off the two guys, who were at this point following me. Because of his help getting rid of the guys, and because he knew where Shanghai University was, I got a ride with him.

It was about an hour drive to the school. As I am a fan of vegetation, I'll tell you that beyond Shanghai, the farms are divided into much smaller plots. The trees and shrubbery, as one might imagine are distinctly Asian. However, the highway medians are much more ornate in their decoration. We're not talking about mass dumping poppies, as is common in Kentucky. These large, well-groomed trees provide a significant barrier between directions.

I was embarrassed by my near-mishap with the two men at the airport. I checked into my dorm, couldn't figure out how to work my space heater, and went to bed in all my clothes, including my winter coat.

I did not sleep well. Not only was I freezing, but the bed is quite hard and the only covers were too small. I got up around 6 am to find it was cold and raining outside. I read a little of my book, until about 9 am. Then, as my laptop was not set up yet, I went downstairs to the computer lab (consisting of 3 computers) and decided to check my email and facebook. Little did I know, this is the hangout spot for all the American students. I started meeting people left and right, as I sat down there for over an hour and a half... it really picked up after 10:30 am.

I met a guy named Dmitry, who is studying here on a month long program from some university on Staten Island. Dmitry was looking for someone to go grab a bite with and I was very hungry at this point. So I ran upstairs to change and then we met back in the lobby with two girls from his program.

We walked about 3 blocks and then we stopped at a street vendor. I forget the name of what we ate, but it was essentially fried sweetened dough with a beef center. It was delicious, and pleasantly enough did not make me sick. Best of all it was lunch for 1.2 yuan, which converts to about 18 cents. God Bless China.

We took our lunches back to the lounge area. While people were coming and going, I met a few more people from the other program who were going to get massages. It appears to be a life of luxury for Americans in Shanghai. I headed out to get some essentials. For the dollar equivalent of about $40, I got bedding, toilet paper, lotion, slippers, and water. I also got a Chinese Gatorade. The bottles are way cooler. The slippers are so quintessentially Chinese. Red, with some animal, presumably a bear with squinty eyes, and some Chinese cursive. However, they keep my feet warm in this cold, cold room.

As a reader might be able to tell, they formatted my laptop. I also made friends with 2 Aussies. One of which I mistook for a Brit. Classic American. It's fun being in dorms again, constantly meeting new people, and having the supreme flexibility to go when someone suggests a fun activity.

For now, I will nap for a bit. The USAC group flight gets in soon and then we will go out to grab dinner. Shanghai is exciting. While I am nervous about my poor Chinese skills, I can see how I will be quickly carrying on in Mandarin in no time.