Shanghai-an intro

For two weeks at the end of June, I travelled from Madrid to Shanghai via Helsinki. It was the first time I had flown to Asia from Europe, and the thought of doing that really excited me. I had took a morning flight on Finnair with a connecting flight in Helsinki. When I checked in for my flight, I was quite surprised at first how many Chinese were on the same flight. But considering the large Chinese population in Spain (much more on that in a future blog), it really wasn't much of a surprise. Finnair markets itself as the "fastest way to Asia from Europe," but after the 10 hour flight from Helsinki to Shanghai, I begged to differ.

On the morning of July 25th, I finally arrived in Shanghai. Peering outside my window before landing, I was greeted by a milky white haze over the water, and within that haze was the city. China's urban pollution has unfortunately gained world renown, and they weren't kidding-it is dirty. Despite that, I was excited. It was the first time for me in mainland China, and not only was I looking forward to visiting former classmates from Spain, but being of partially Chinese descent, it was great chance for me to reexplore my roots.

A sidenote: As most of my friends know, I am a huge airplane and airport geek. Whenever I travel by plane, a good chunk of my photos are of the interiors of airports, planes taking off and landing, and planes parked at the gate. But more of that maniacal obsession in a later blog.... Anyways, as a airplane and airport freak I was more than impressed with Shanghai's Pudong International Airport. The design vaguely reminded me of Madrid-Barajas' T4 with all its curves and overall hugeness. Following advice by my friend Cristina, I decided to ride the Maglev. Short for "Magnetic Levitated," it is the first of its kind in commercial use, and is FAST! Floating above tracks at up to 430 kmh, it only takes seven minutes to get from the airport to central Shanghai.

At the risk of sounding cliché, Shanghai is an eclectic mix of old and new. The city has had a quite cosmopolitan if not tumultuous history as an international city divided into different French, British, American, and Japanese concessions. Despite the negative effects of colonialism on China, it had left a great architectural legacy markedly European. Yet, at the same time, Shanghai is still decidedly Chinese and traditional. There are Buddhist temples scattered throughout the city, and between the modern skyscrapers and French-designed building are small, disheveled houses, late-night markets selling all kinds of wares among the chaos of screaming Chinese vendors, scooters and bicycles. The other face of Shanghai is ultra-modern, with a skyline reminiscient more of the Jetsons than of New York. Being from the city that invented the skyscraper, Shanghai definitely has taken its place among the world's great skylines.

I can go on and on...and I will, but not in one entry. I will let you digest everything I said, but please log back on soon, I will write more about this city and many more.

Tsaichien/Hasta luego!