Shanghaied

Touching down in Pudong International Airport in Shanghai did not really make much of an impression on me. It a normal airport, with basic facilities, nothing to grand about it. My impression of Shanghai really started to develop between the airport and the hotel. Arriving smack into rush hour, we had lots of time to experience first hand what a traffic jam is like in a mega city of 17 million citizens. I was to find out later that rush hour would last most of the day. The highways are impressive structures, weaving around the city like giant ribbons, leaving the ground in two or three levels as high as 10 stories. It scares me to think what will happen when even a quarter of Shanghainese own their own cars. They will need highways with their combined levels taller than most buildings.

Despite the traffic, the trip showed me the beauty of Shanghai. The city council has really made a tremendous effort in landscapping the entire highway with lush trees and beautiful flowering plants. I would later discover, much of Shanghai the same. It may be a sprawling concrete jungle, but it is also quite a green one.

The weather was quite wonderful. It is nearing autumn, and we were blessed with sunny and clear blue skies and a nice cool breeze, which made walking about the city a really wonderful experience. Shanghai is actually more European than Chinese, being a port of some importance in the region to the British, French and the Portugese. It actually felt like I was walking down some parts of Sydney, Australia. The only thing that gives it away are the 17 million Chinese citizens! So walking around proved the best way to see the city. The Chinese must also walk a heck of a lot, because I could not find a fat person if my life depended on it. All that walking must do them good.

Women in China are also quite tall. Many I had the pleasure to gawk at were taller than me. SO believe me when I say I had my eyes full.

34

What does it mean to be thirty four? Not much really. Life as I know it has not really changed very much to be honest. The birthday was a really pleasant affair. Chui woke me up... we had a lovely breakfast, and went for a nice walk. We bought grocheries for dinner. Allan, Nigel and Chris came over. They whipped up a sumptious meal, we had good fellowship, my son called from SA, sang me happy birthday, in tune.. so.. despite all the calamities that have befallen me over the past year, life is good, and I thank GOD.