Day 1

So today (Wednesday in China, Tuesday in the USA) I just walked around Shanghai. I am staying in the Jing 'An Temple area which is a shopping area. There are even American restaurants: McDonald's, Burger King and KFC. I walked down a road called Beijing Road. The walk to the river was about 2 miles and on the way I met two Chinese students who were learning to speak English. They invited me with them to go to a Tea Shop. At the tea shop we had four different teas. The one I remember is a sweet tea made with dried fruits and flower leaves. This tea was made especially for the 2008 Olympics. The girl I met also told me that a lot of Chinese still call America "Uncle Sam" and said they think America is a great country. After tea, the people I met went to the Bund and I went to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower.

The Tower is the third largest in the world and the largest in Asia. At the tower, I met another student who was learning English. He was an art major at Shanghai University. He took me to his University's art exhibit which was very nice. He did try to get me to buy some of his pieces but I didn't. After that, I was walking to the metro when I found a present for my brother. It cost 1RMB or $0.15. Tonight I am going to go out and find a restaurant for dinner.

Overall my first impression of Shanghai is big. I am pretty sure there are more tall buildings here than in New York City. There are also a ton of people. In Shanghai, cars rule. I almost died about 5 times today. Cars do not stop for pedestrians even if the people are already in the crosswalk. There are also a bazillion bicycles and scooters. Everyone who does not have a car has a bike or scooter. These also will run you over if you don't watch out. Well, that's all for now!