Beginning of January, 2012: Happy Western New Year! Trip to Shanghai and visit to the Shanghai Rotary Club: My trip to Shanghai came at a perfect time. Having just spent a ferociously cold and dry Christmas in Beijing, I was more than ready for another travel adventure. Learning how to get by in a new environment always gives me a huge burst of confidence and adrenaline that leads to meeting new people and exploring as much as I can. The hostel I stayed at was really ideal. Besides being very cheap (about 8 USD a night), it was in a central location next to a subway stop, had large, clean dorm rooms, and I met some really nice people. The weather was really beautiful, too, and clear! I spent the first two days walking around. This
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