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Published: July 29th 2010
Shanghai is a beautiful city. Sometimes dubbed the "Paris of the East," it is one of China's primer destinations and host to this year's World Expo.
While in Shanghai, I stayed with my friend Gail and her family. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them, and I thank them for being such gracious hosts.
My first night, Gail's younger brother Ingmar took me and a couple of his cousins to the Shanghai Zoo, where he gave us special access for a night tour on our own. Being able to soak in the Zoo's nighttime atmosphere without anyone else was a superb experience. We saw a lot of great animals, including a couple of bears, a wolf, and a giant panda. I particularly enjoyed seeing a group of three tiger cubs. The tiger and I have a special relationship according to the Chinese Zodiac calendar. Most restaurant placemats describe the tiger as sensitive yet fierce and courageous. I think that just about sums me up so those restaurant placemats must be on the something... Also, the hat I've been wearing in all the pictures shows the Chinese character for tiger in the colors of my alma mater -
maize and blue. Go Blue!
The following day I was able to stroll "The Bund," a riverfront boardwalk adorned with an interesting mix of western architecture stemming from European colonization. It also offered fantastic views of Shanghai's emblematic skyline, the recent result of only 10 years of furious construction.
Before leaving, I was able to hit the World Expo. The Expo was totally gigantic and I was only able to see a fraction of it. Truly, it would have taken a week or more to see everything it had to offer. Nonetheless, I was able to stroll around and take a look at a lot of pavilions from the outside.
I was able to visit inside several pavilions, including North Korea's, Iran's and Argentina's. Then suddenly, I was trapped in Luxembourg by heavy rain! But it was getting late and before leaving I wanted to make my way to see the USA pavilion. I was interested in what our message was and the image we were presenting. So I told myself it was time to brave the storm and find my way to America!
USA's pavilion was aesthetically pleasing while avoiding excessive grandeur. Inside was a
video introduction offering many Americans' warm greetings in Chinese. The main focus of the presentations that followed included emphasizing American diversity and sustainable eco-friendly living. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and President Obama also made strong appearances in the videos.
Honestly, I was very excited to get to the USA pavilion, and was not disappointed. During my time in China, I've learned a lot about an eastern culture that is in many ways part of my own. However, I've also developed an increasing awareness of what I love about the United States. I was very proud of what we had to say and truly, the experience brought tears to my eyes.
As a interesting aside, people really like Obama here.
Tomorrow, I make my way to the motherland, Taiwan! I am extremely excited and can't wait to see what I will discover.
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anonymous
non-member comment
Jason, following your adventures has been amazing! I am glad I got to share this journey with you. Say hi to auntie and uncle for me!