First Impressions on Shanghai (Written on June 7)

So here i sit in Shanghai. Writing this blog sitting at a 15 foot wood table, that appears to be all one large piece of wood. The people around me all seem to be in good spirits, some appear getting ready to go out for the night. My travel day was long and the previous nights excursions out did not help my situation.  I had to walk to the train station from Tim’s, catch the subway to one station and transfer to another one that took me to the Incheon international airport outside of Seoul. Getting through the airport was easy. Upon arriving in Shanghai I took the Maglev train from the airport to a train station. It is a magnetic train and seems to be the way of the future. We were able to get up to around 300 km/h, which is impressive. I can only image being able to take the train from Toronto to Halifax or to Montreal with these, would surely help. Getting from the train station to my specific line was a bit of a hassle  but with the help of some local I was able to get my ticket and get on the right train. The instructions but online by my hostel were spot on and got me t the hostel without any trouble.

I have only been in at this hostel for an hour but is legit. Anyone going to Shanghai should hit up Rock and Wood International Youth Hostel. The lobby is reminiscent of an upscale coffee shop. Just wanted to put a quick shout out for that. But be warned about the 8 am wake up call from the school next door.

I think the best thing about traveling is being helpless. I forgot what that is like when I lived in Halifax for 9 years. I became very comfortable and knew everything I needed to know. I was able to get around very easy and had a great support network. Traveling makes me helpless, not knowing the language, where to go, whats in the food, any of the cultural norms. It forces you to rely on the people around you, most of whom you can not verbally communicate with. It forces you to examine how you portray yourself to others and how they interact with you. I have found my experiences to be very positive. It is refreshing to get help from people and realize that a basic level everyone is good. Whether it is being offered a second bottle of water on the plane when the attendant watches me chug the first bottle as soon as he handed to me or getting help from some teenagers getting my subway ticket. Going to a restaurant and the cashier willing to come outside and see what picture it was that led me in. Being in Canada and being able to always communicate does not force you to rely on people. Sometimes relying on people is the best way to renew your faith in the people around you.