China: My Shanghai Surprise!
Burning up like neon lights the mega-city of Shanghai, China took me for one hell of a ride during my visit! Serving an almighty culture shock I took every moment as one crazy experience during that weekend. Introducing me to China life this Chinese city presented a serious serving of electric love from the Bund. You know that I was looking for a Shanghai Surprise! Oh, life!
Navigating the side streets from my hostel that was close to People's Square was confusing, I was hungry so sustenance had to be found! Getting acquainted with an unassuming looking noodle cafe I was sold, being the only foreigner in sight I could tell that the food would be a wise choice. My first meal in China ended up being a beef noodle bowl that had been garnished with some leafy vegetables. I wolfed the noodles down without a thought for I only spent £1.50 or something crazy? No western cutlery was in sight, I embraced those chopsticks as I had no other choice. I remember before moving to China I would pretend that I use chopsticks but in that Shanghai moment I had to eat with them for real! I was the only foreigner within that unassuming Shanghainese noodle hangout, I did get a few stares but I didn't feel intimidated by those Far Eastern onlookers. Those first twenty-four hours were so surreal, I honestly couldn't believe all what had happened! Oh, I was living life in China!
I wasn't in the mood for shopping but I did have a look in H&M as for some reason I found it bizarre that they had a store in China? Snatching five days in Shanghai had to be done, I had so far taken two flights from London Heathrow Airport, England to Shanghai Pudong International Airport, China via Colombo Airport, Sri Lanka with the amazing Sri Lankan Airlines, that mammoth two day journey meant that I was so relieved to to have arrived in China. Those first moments didn't feel real, seeing all the road signs in Chinese was mental as the reality hit me that all of those interviews and failed opportunities didn't mean anything bad anymore. As I mentioned before that my hostel was in a questionable state, I made the best of that situation because the area around Yongshou Road had a genuine non-touristy feeling. Flashing back to that Nanjing Road moment, I was truly living in that crazy time because I had waited for awhile for that scene! Shanghai was mad, I loved it so!
Turning my head away from the waters of the Huangpu River I saw a string of regal looking buildings line that Shanghai riverside, resembling the grand port buildings of Liverpool's Mersey front I was sort of taken back to Liverpool for a brief second. Missing my chance for a Bubble Tea from Happy Lemon in London I wasted no time by getting one during that Shanghai night! Nanjing Road and the Bund had showed me enough for one night so I went back to my hostel, well once I found it! Family Mart became my best friend, I never knew how that place would be such a big part of my first two weeks in China. Getting to grips with the streets of Shanghai wasn't bad, revisiting the same street when the darkness of the night faded I automatically knew where I'd previously been. Shanghai threw shade on me in other departments but those factors really didn't matter, it added to the major culture shock I was being exposed to. Shanghai's nonstop persona had me crazy!
Shanghai was teaching me that when the heavens open in China, the rain just keeps on pouring until its good and ready to stop! After revisiting Family Mart for the umpteenth time I found a street side cake stall, that was selling all manner of cakes and bakes I bought a Durian fruit cake and some other strange Chinese sweet treats. My final afternoon and evening in Shanghai panned out really nicely, taking it easy I stayed at my hostel with a few beers from Family Mart. As my time in good old Shanghai drew to a close I decided to ditch the hostel for a budget business hotel that was one stop on the metro away from Shanghai Pudong International Airport, I would be meeting with my prospective English teaching company so I wanted to recharge my batteries before getting to Suzhou for training. Shanghai had shown me something different, I had never before been to a place so berserk or captivating before! You haven't seen the last of me Shanghai! Another surprise, please? Oh, yes!
Marry The Night!
Joseph Harrison
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