Ni hao from Shanghai

Ni hao from Shanghai

3 September 2010

Shanghai, China

Ni hao from Shanghai!

All went so smoothly getting here that I'm almost afraid to leave the hotel as something bad is bound to happen! On the flight, after being very cold and fitfully dozing up until the fascinating Sichuan meal, I took an Ambien and didn't wake up until we were landing. I looked out and saw a large brown plain with two black figures on it I, at first thinking they were huge tractors. There were very low white clouds in a lovely light blue sky.

After reaching for my glasses, I turned back around to find this light brown plain was the Long River (Yangtze) delta, and the tractors were boats.

Now I'm at the hotel - it even had a plug converter for me to borrow. The lobby of the Rayfont was promising, the hallway a bit worrisome, and the room totally fine, as meets the uncritical eye. Basically the rug and the wallpaper look well overdue for replacement (held together by tape or awkward patching in some places) but the rest - most importantly the bed, desk, tv, etc, are great, as is the view of Shanghai, though it could be New York or any big city but for a few buildings with red Chinese characters down the side.

The only slight complication has been the realization that my blog is blocked in China. That’s right, folks, I’m important enough to be blocked in China! …Just kidding! The service itself is blocked… but for the one to two readers out there, who are no doubt very closely related to me, I will find a way.

In the meantime, here is my to-do list:

Priority Level Uno:

- Meet up with Xiaomei (friend of my cousin, Wen Nance, who went to Gail’s alma mater, the MUW, in Columbus, Mississippi, and then to MSU!)

- Call Hardy (my friend from Groton who lives in Beijing)

- Get cell phone (or break my Blackberry and get a new SIM card)

- Find a rental agent

Priority Level Dos:

- Buy plug adapter (currently borrowing one from hotel, so not urgent)

- Buy hairdryer and straightener (currently borrowing hairdryer from hotel)

- Find out where best exchange rates are and change Euros

- Find Mandarin classes or someone to teach me Mandarin

- Call Tai Chi place (get phone number from Autumn)

- Zacks Investment Research – do some work!! (my remote part-time job)

- Get a VPN so I can blog or change my blog to Typepad

- Find a gym (Paul Harvin gave me a suggestion)

- Look into Shanghai half-marathon

- Set dates and begin job applications (only banking and consulting applications are due soon)

Stay tuned for first impressions of China.

NB: Pictures show me leaving Barcelona, a welcome sign to Shanghai, and the view from my hotel room at the Rayfont at 1066 Yan’an Xi Lu.