I really like how my Chinese language brain centers are reactivating after a very long sleep. Folks actually seem to understand me. Then again I shouldn't count the street vendors who would probably keep talking to a brightly colored signpost.
We had a worry on the eleven hour flight to Seoul, our airline's hub airport. Our plane was about fifty minutes late into Seattle. We left maybe forty minutes late. That eventually put us into Seoul an hour late. Our flight to shanghai was leaving in thirty mins. We were seated in row 50 out of 53 rows on the 777.
Plus, We had to go rough transit security station that another agent in Seattle had Told us we wouldn't have to go through. That added another line for a security check. Then it was a mad dash through the interesting malls of incheon airport! We saw several marketing booths filled with sales women hawking their product. Some had spin the wheel games, it felt like a Vegas trade show.
We did make it into the plane. Even more amazing. Our checkin luggage did too as we discovered when we got to shanghai.
Immediately after baggage claim, we had to orient ourselves with the airport layout and find the maglev train. I feared it would be a labyrinthian undertaking as I read of taxi drivers trying to tell you the train was broken, tring to lead you away from that. But I found it was like any train at an international airport. We just missed one. But even at this late hour (last before shut down), Another came in fifteen minutes. Don't forget to show your airplane boarding pas for a 15 yuan discount. At night they slow the mag lev to only 301 kph, but the scenery was mostly dark outside anyway. At the end of the maglev line we transferred to the metro just down the stairs. Boy if we knew how easy this all was back in 2006, we could have done this with our big luggage! Our hotel was very conveniently located just next to a station off the 2 line.
Sofitel was easy to find off Nanjing Lu. I left dad at the hotel as I hunted for a snack. I was hoping for shao long bao or better, shengzhen bao at a chain I had mapped out a few blocks away. But they were almost closed, and didn't have anything appetizing. I ended up next door at a bubble tea and crepe vendor. Yum! Note to self Next time buy only one thing to eat while walking....
Walking around the heart of shopping shanghai at ten thirty at night felt safe because there were citizens matching they number of hawkers. I noticed the bikers, motorized and not, were never using their headlights. It was good practice for me to increase my city presence senses. You know, knowing when a pedestrian is walking up behind you, or a cyclist is about to zip around the corner u just crossed....
Yay the hotel lobby has free wifi! I got skype working and called Susan and the kids just as they were going to get ready for school. Email seems flaky, failure mags.... Facebook appears broken, possibly by the great firewall.
Now to try to adjust to the new timezone. Good night!
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