Monday, May 11, 2009

Jacob Snodgrass, Tech Crew

(Journal Entry May 6)

So it begins...14 hours on a plane. It's not totally packed but its crowded enough. I suppose I should get use to it. My calves are like rocks. It'll be great to get some room to stretch them. But white businessmen are blocking up the open spaces.

I'm thinking about my tiny amount of travel experiences. I think my favorite part is seeing people that don't look like me. My preconceived ideas about this trip involve crowds – lots of them. I also anticipate that things will be dirty and grimy, at least in Beijing. But I also expect walls of smiling faces. I fear that the formality of Chinese culture may be a little odd for me, and that it may delay personal connections with individuals. But this is the culture that advanced European learning out of the Dark Ages through one Papal meeting, so I'm fully expecting to be amazed.

(Journal Entry May 8)

Tear down and build new: The Shanghai construction model.

A constant din of jackhammers, cranes, and construction workers yelling over their machines. Something that I can only assume never fully goes away for both geographic and construction unions' sake. I do love the volume of bicycles and motorbikes in use here. There is, however, so much vehicular traffic it makes Chicago rush hour seem like nothing...

But now as I watch dawn break over the Huangpu river there is magic to this place as it comes alive. The lights of the skyline of Pudong were also fairly amazing last night, but in the daylight most of the new buildings are simply skyscrapers like you would see anywhere else.

The sunrise over Shanghai is exactly the way I pictured; a fiery orange ball, rays shrouded by haze. The tankers and freighters lining up on the Huangpu. Wow it gets hot here fast. It's only 7 AM and already its humid and sweaty. The sun turns almost white in the morning haze. I do hope that I wake up early every morning as this by far is my favorite time of the day here. I guess we will see as I enter into our first full day. Site-seeing here we come!

The garden was a wonderful sanctuary. It was so cool and pleasant. The dust of Shanghai stayed outside of its dragon guarded walls. The light plays through wooden panels and bounces off the ponds to create a sense of tranquility. I could have spent the whole day relaxing and exploring the winding pathways...

The silk factory was an interesting and educational experience. I now know that I wish to eat friend silk worm. But where to find it?

(Journal Entry May 8)

Victor and I must make an unusual pair walking amongst the primarily Han population. I believe that as many pictures as we have taken there were at least as many taken of us. I appreciate the mutual fascination.

At night we went out on a boat cruise on the Huangpu. A truly touristy thing to do for sure, but I do love getting out on the water anywhere I go. The Pudong skyline is technologically amazing. the towers and the lights were something not easily put into words or justified by my photos. On the boat I got to talk to a young Chinese woman named "Gracie" who was a middle school English teacher from a smaller town west of Nanjing. She asked me about Chicago and we discussed the differences between Shanghai and the other cities we'll be traveling to. She told me that she was seeing Shanghai for the first time as well.

It's interesting to me how willing the women are to approach me and ask questions. The men seem less bold. Often times it will begin with asking if it is OK to take a photo with me. I really enjoy the fact that as of right now there are at least six photos of me in this country.

No comments:

Post a Comment