Always thinking

Visiting Shanghai June 27 to July 14, 2008

Ah Shanghai, 3.5 years from last visit, I am here again. First time in 11 years I am not celebrating July 4th independence day in the States: to be honest, I have been a bit of tired of seeing homogeneous celebrating fireworks, BBQ, traffic reports everywhere and it's time to do something different. And different it is, that will be China.

For 10 years, my summer days in the states have been mild and comfortable, at times even cold, like now that I live in San Francisco. Shanghai's summer is unbearable, it's simply the baking time in oven. Every time I come back home, I have to take a shower to wash off all the salty sweat and cool off. That means a couple of time's showers every day. When day becomes this hot, it's simply impossible to do anything outside if you don't want to sweat. Exploring the city becomes a daunting mission.

However, I am happy just staying home with my parents, I have not spent too much time with them in the past 11 years and it's time for me to be their company, and I feel content to do so. Parents live a typical normal Chinese people's life, everything seems to be exactly like 20 years ago, how they shop, cook, wash etc. except now the apt is nicer, it's more convenient to shop and more options. The city gets a lot busier with cars/scooters everywhere. I wonder how they cope, sometime I worry those horrible traffic and countless people on the street, but my parents are already used to everything that are estranged to me.

Shanghai is an exciting city, I finally met Rabea who I knew and last saw when she was 15 years old. She has all grown into a beautiful woman, tall, slim, graceful and tender. I looked into her eyes and wonder, how many things have happened to her, to me, to everyone in these 4000 days.

posted by Road less travelled @ 7:38 PM