In China.

An adventure would maybe be an understatement; this has so far been the craziest ride I have ever been on. Way crazier than any ride at Cedar Point. 12 days in China and I have seen, ate, smelled, heard, and learned something new like every two feet. I have officially been in Shanghai now for about 36 hours and I clearly understand why it is holds the title as the second biggest city in the world. Right now I’m listening to “My Life Be Like” by Grits and wondering if I’m the only American in this hotel. My door is open to listen for English, but that is another story for later. Anyway, to catch us all up on how I got here from there, let’s review.

On August 20, 2009 I departed from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport with a one-way ticket to Shanghai. It was a 6:40am depart time; my family and Jame were there to see me off. I’m not gunna lie, I was a little teary, this is a pretty big step for me. The thought about being that far away from everything that I’m used to is sometimes a little intimidating. Also I’m not a big fan of goodbyes. The connecting flight to Toronto was fine, although my seat was right next to the propeller, but don’t worry it just misses the window. At Toronto I got stuck in a glass room for a bit but someone came and let me out. Then I found the gate for my flight to Shanghai. The flight was 13 hours but I watched the newest Xmen movie, listened to some tunes, and enjoyed Air Canada’s inflight service.

I arrived in Shanghai at 3:20pm local time, August 21st. The time difference is exactly 12 hours behind, so that put Evan Vereb time at 3:20am. However I was not tired, I couldn’t believe that I had just arrived in China. Ran, his friend, and his Uncle met me at the airport to drive me to Hongzhou. Just leaving the airport parking garage was quite the adventure, this is also when I realized that driving in China is a thrill ride in itself. They do drive on the right side of the road here in China, but that is where the similarities end. Some differences that I noticed right away are: Kilometers, dinky scooters on the highways, and all the signs are in Chinese. This little anecdote can be a segment in itself so I can talk more about that later but for now I will continue with the review.

We all arrived at Ran’s grandparent’s house where I stayed until I came to Shanghai. After I put my luggage away I went out to dinner with Ran, his friend, and his Aunt and Uncle. We went to a nice Chinese restaurant. It was pretty interesting, all of the dishes were layed out so you could see them before you buy them. Also all of the food is very fresh, I saw the tanks myself. Also funfact about China, chopsticks are still in and the #1 choice in getting food from the plate to you mouth. The trick is using them correctly, I’m still getting used to them. If you know me you may be aware that I’m pretty passionate about food so it will get it’s own segment too.

Back at the house I was able to learn a little Chinese from Ran’s Grandma. She used to be a Chinese Language teacher for elementary students so she was able to introduce me to the Chinese phonetic alphabet. Ran’s grandpa was a Chinese history and music professor for a university, he still teaches piano for free on the weekends. Being in a city the house is more like an apartment, part of a large residential complex. In cities of China these are the popular dwellings for the people; people move in as soon as a floor is complete, even though the building is still under construction. In other words, Shanghai is a little different from Sharon Center.