"Paris of the East?" a Shanghai Travel Page by konniemario

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The Bund at night

5th year and counting....

My first time I set foot in this land was in a hot and humid afternoon 5 years ago. It's funny how I'd be trying to write about it, 5 years later, in the same season.
Shanghai has been my home for the past few years. Most of the time, I was too busy with the taking care of the daily errands of life that I forget to appreciate or observe what's Shanghai like. Being a resident here myself, it's probably not fair for me write about it anymore. But maybe reflecting on how did I find it when I first arrived and how am I adapting 5 years later could be a start ;-)
The first culture shock I encountered was when the person who came after me while I was lining up in the subway counter, just pushed me over, and went straight to the counter. Apparently, he didn't have the concept of queueing! Then of course, there's the frequent sound of spitting on the road, or rushing to the opened elevator instead of letting the people inside come out first...The list could go on and on but I guess these are some of the Shanghai (or China) experience that makes it so special and memorable! ha..ha..

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look of fall...taken from our balcony

Shanghai does have its charms though...like how vibrant and lively the city is, every minute of the day. You can try doing this --- just sit by the street or in Starbucks and observe the passers-by...you can see how much 'life' goes by in front of you. Things happen and change at a very fast pace...like buidlings can be finished in a year's time. Did I say it's a 30-storey high one? There's so much going on day in and day out that you'll never get bored.

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Winter Wonderland...view from our bedroom

If you're a tourist in the city, I guess the must-see places would have to be The Bund, Pudong (Pearl Tower and Jinmao Tower), Yu Garden, French Concession Area and the endless shopping options. Even if the list looks a bit small, but SH is not really a touristy place indeed. It's more like a city that you should live in to fully appreciate it.