Arrival in Shanghai

It's been almost a full day now since I've arrived in Shanghai.  The flight out was smooth for most of the 12.5 hours.  It's amazing that long flights actually end up seeming to go by a lot quicker than their scheduled time compared to shorter flights, which seem to drag on forever.  It helps that I had the Lord of the Rings trilogy with me - that ate up almost the entire time, and between PSP and books, and even a little sleeping it was easy.


I'm always struck by how cities that seem completely exotic and foreign when you haven't been there are so familiar when you arrive.  I don't know what I was expecting - perhaps I wasn't expecting anything particular - but when I arrived most of the scripts and habits I had from the US are consistent.  Restaurants work the same way, checking in to hotels and navigating the hotel is almost exactly the same, even ordering at Subway was easy.  


The major difference, of course, is that I don't know Chinese well enough to use it.  I tried to ask the housekeeper for more drinking water, and she looked at me like I was crazy.  It's likely because I probably tried to ask her something completely random about her husband.  Speaking of which, she was just back, attempting to restock the mini bar with a beer, and all I managed to say that she seemed to understand was "Thank you." 


So, I have the challenge of learning the language.  I can communicate with Rosetta Stone just fine.  According to the software, I'm incredibly good.  According to the housekeeper, I'm obviously found wanting.


Another interesting note on Shanghai is the smell.  It's well known that Shanghai has a smog and pollution problem, but it's hard to describe how prevalent it is.  I'd compare it to a lounge in Las Vegas that used to allow smoking but hasn't in 5 years.  It smells like old, stale smoke.  I haven't developed what some call the Shanghai cough (yet) and after a day of being here I barely notice it now.  


It's a beautiful city from the little I've seen so far.  I'm in a shopping district in Jing'an, (link) until tomorrow (Monday), when I move to my apartment. The shops here are great.  I'm thinking of picking up some pants (裤子).  I admit, I just wrote that to show off that I know the word for pants.  The streets aren't as crowded as I anticipated, though it's been raining since I've gotten here, so perhaps the crowds will pick up.


The 'cultural' shock of Shanghai (admittedly, in one day) hasn't been as great as the shock of not being in the US.  While there are some shocks (what the hell is "Head smoothie"?), I don't have a lot of great stories to tell. I'm sure there will be plenty in the next week or so.  And after I get brave enough to eat at places other then the Italian restaurant in the hotel (best gnocchi I've ever had) and Subway there will be great stories of my floundering around a Chinese menu.


Tonight I'm going to expand my radius and walk just under a mile to an expat sports bar to check it out.  It's called "The Spot" (link).  I'm hoping it can turn in to a hangout.  We'll see.