On the Road: If It’s Raining in Shanghai, What Time Is It in Toronto?
Source: lee_blake_somerset at flickr
Today is Day 3 of my visit to Shanghai. And it’s raining. It rains every day here for a little bit, or so it seems. And it’s not a light sprinkle rain either. Thunder, lightening, and the heavens above open completely and release a torrent of water upon the city.
Shanghai has not been cooler unfortunately. It seems to have the same ability to soak through t-shirts as Beijing did. The heat itself has not been difficult for me to stand, but going through 3 t-shirts a day has been tough on my laundry situation. So I think I packed enough clothes, and then it turns out I had no idea how fast I actually use them up.
In each city (Beijing, Xian and now Shanghai) I have been sending my laundry out to be done to replenish my supply of fresh clothes. That was always part of the plan anyways, but I had no idea I had to do it 3 times. There’s an irony, I suppose, in that I’ve probably spent $100 in getting my laundry done in China. Ancient Chinese secret, huh? Sounds like someone is making a lot of profit to me.
Shanghai itself is wonderfully modern. The hotel is, as I hoped, in a very good area. It is within walking distance to the major shopping street here, and steps from the subway. In fact, I surprised myself and took the Maglev train and subway from the airport to my hotel with no map and no idea how to get there ahead of time. I probably saved myself 150 Yuan on the cab fare (about $24). Not sure why the Maglev train excites me, but it does. I wish Toronto had one. It reached speeds of 300 kph (180 mph) when I took it here. And the ticket only cost $8.
I wish the rain would let up soon. It’s 1pm, and I’m anxious to go out today and do something. I was thinking of going to the Expo, maybe go visit, take a walk around with no expectation of seeing the inside of any of the Pavilions, and just take some pictures. If the rain stops and the skies look like they’re clearing, I’m going to do that.
I am getting some long-sleeve shirts made – custom tailored. I am excited about that. For about $125, I am getting 3 shirts made here. I was tempted to get some suits done too, but I don’t have a lot of opportunities to wear suits.
That’s all for now. The rain doesn’t seem to be letting up, but I am still really enjoying my time in Shanghai. I have lots of pictures to share once I get back.
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