Spinning in shanghai

Hi, I'm still alive. ;) Over the last 2 weeks I've experienced so much that it's kinda hard to express everything in a blog, but I guess this is my best attempt. First of all, I'm sorry but my english is fast deteriorating. See what I mean? :) So now I'm in Shanghai and it's changed so much in 10 years. Pudong area is similar to silicon valley, with corporate campuses, the 2nd tallest building in the world, and a convenient subway and suburb like communities. Puxi, which is like Old Shanghai, is also improved. There are places like XinTianDi that if you go on a saturday nite, looking around at all the bars, nice restaurants, and people with money walking around, in enough to convince you that Shanghai is fast becoming one of the world's most metropolitan city. I see z8's driving past old men on bicycles. Nice design furniture stores at the French Concession area, and man, the food. I have been to 3 xiaolongbao places, and the best xiaolongbao (little buns with meat and soup inside) is actually in hole in the wall places and a dozen of them costs 3 yuan, which is like, less than 50 cents. Can't beat that. Other great shanghainese food can only be had here, like a dish called KorFu. There are also nice Hunan cuisine, and a taiwanese restaurant called Bellagio. All really good food for less than 10 bucks per person. This ain't no Chinese food from the states. I've also met a lot of expats here, and it's interesting to understand their take on the development. Things are definitely changing here, and changing fast. I think US is pretty much developed, but here, maps and guidebooks have to be updated constantly because things are going up all the time.

We also did a spur of the moment excursion to nearby Hangzhou, and tomorrow we leave for Xian. But the experience I've had here in Shanghai is definitely beyond my expectations. The people I met, the food, being to hang out with my relatives and the locals, eating what the locals eat. Much better than being herded to all the touristy places and take pictures, even though I did some of that too. Anyway, I can't upload the pictures but I think I'm at 2 gigs worth of pictures and videos.

Gotta go, will try to get on internet in Xian also. I hope I can at least catch a nba game sometime, but probably unlikely. Ok, take care.