Arriving on a sunny Shanghai Sunday..

After a 4 hour delay, a 6am departure, and a 15 hour flight, I arrived into Pudong airport at 9:30 am (9:30 pm US time, there is a 12 hour time difference), and quickly jumped in a taxi to my temporary "home away from home" in the French Concession Area.

Already it is clear to me Shanghai is an architectural zoo. After driving through modern Pudong juxtaposed with patches of untouched farmland and mixed with the absolute density and the collage-city that is central Shanghai, I ended up in the French Concession-- one of the more tranquil moments in Shanghai. With tree-lined streets, bicyclists everywhere (not to mention crazy drivers-- this city is a free-for-all), cute cafes, lively alleys, and the occasional fruit vendor, I arrived at my residence for the next 7 weeks-- a craigslist gem.



Upon my arrival, a mutual friend came to show me how to use the gate, and give me a quick logistical tour of the apartment, etc. Opening the gate turned into a neighborhood production-- as a mei guo ren (American), I suppose I became of interest to the long-standing residents of the building. Namely, a small, feisty older-Chinese lady with a shock of dyed red hair decided to get very excited at my arrival, and continued to punch in her number to the gate rather than let my new friend show me the actual code I would be using. Suddenly the gate decided not to work, leaving us all in a tizzy.

After about 15 minutes of the faulty gate not opening, including a lot of Shanghainese (the Shanghai dialect) shrieking from my neighbor to anyone with an open window to let us in, we ascended to my apartment on the third floor.



I was in heaven-- the place is quiet, light-filled, airy, and beautifully decorated. What a find! I'm tempted to just stay and relax in the apartment, but know that my true mission at this point is simply to explore Shanghai as much as possible, even if it means lots of motioning and awkward interactions as I am reminded how little Mandarin I know and how, regardless of how "global" Shanghai is becoming, it is still a city very much rooted in its own traditions and language.

Before even settling in, I was taken on a quick tour of the neighborhood and then left me to run some errands. Within the hour I received help from a local that translated my need for new SIM card, and had collected some basic provisions from the local City Supermarket-- a place where expats can go for a range of groceries/Western sundries, etc.



My reasoning for going to a more commercial supermarket was recommended to me as a means of gauging prices-- it seems that regardless of the helping, friendly, and kind spirit that prevails, some people will overcharge a non-native speaker (especially because most commerce is done through bargaining unless at a commercial store).

After purchasing milk tea, delicious lychees, and some watermelon, I returned to my apartment to unpack. Unfortunately my walk took over 2 hours-- apparently it's really easy to get lost here, as the streets are winding (off-grid) and the little side street I live on became somewhat elusive to me.

At 6 I fell fast asleep, and after waking up at 3 am this morning, I'm hoping that my jet lag will subside and I can adjust to the local time...

As I don't start work until Wednesday, my plan for the next two days is to become oriented to the city, etc., including a long walk to the Bund, a visit to my thesis-site (Pudong). Other than that, I'll see where the wind blows me...