Xie Xie Shanghai

There are so many reasons why this particular post is special. First of all, I was always told that everything I do is special, and I shouldn't let anyone try to tell me any different. So I got that going for me, which is nice. This will be my 50th post coming at the halfway mark of my year long contract. If I continue at this pace, the math wizards out there may tell you that I'll have 100 posts by the time I'm out of this lovely metropolis. Today was also my debut on Korean television. I'm a huge star in Seoul now. Unfortunately, I haven't made it into any over-dramatized soaps yet; I was just interviewed at a restaurant for a show on SBS. I'm going to try to get a copy of it somehow. It was done at a place called Taco Chile Chile, a decent Taqueria around Noksapyeong. One of the receptionists at school, my boss, and some students have already commented on my stellar performance. I'll let you all know about my next feature.

I just got back from Shanghai last night. It is, to say the least, an impressive city, and a city filled with countless touristy options. It's like an enormous amusement park catering primarily to its tourists. I managed to wonder outside of the beaten path for a while and saw how a lot of the people there live. It is not pretty. In a country so heavily populated, it has to be so difficult to even compete for jobs or any opportunity to make a living. It was apparent when I was walking through some of the neighborhoods that the standard of living is low.

Another thing I noticed almost as soon as I got off the plane was the way the Chinese people look. They're not pretty. At least, compared to Koreans, they are not nearly as beautiful. I'm not saying I didn't see any good looking people, I just didn't see many. The women who massaged my feet and back, however, were absolutely beautiful--at least, they were by the time they were done with me (no happy endings; get your heads out of the gutter).

One of the highlights of the trip was the Maglev train that reaches speeds of 431 k/hr and above. It runs on magnets; therefore, it hovers over a magnetic platform. Very cool and very fast. The psychedelic tunnel that runs under the Huangpu River isn't nearly impressive, but is worth doing. It's a bizarre ride that seems more like an acid flashback than anything else.

I didn't make it up any of the skyscrapers because of the low visibility from the fog, but I got a good look at them from a boatride along the Huangpu. One side of the river is packed with skyscrapers and towers and the other side looks more like a modest European city with a modern flare.

I visited a bazaar, but chose not to haggle because I'm just not into that. Spending my day arguing over the price of a silk print doesn't spell out vacation to me. The sight of it is quite overwhelming. The streets are flooded with shoppers and tourist making it difficult to even see the ground on which you walk. I found a tea house in the middle of all this and bought some great jasmin tea that blooms into a flower when submerged in boiling water. Sweet.

I don't feel like talking about any of the other details of the trip, but I will comment on one issue. Traveling with a large group can be nice, but can also be quite the headache. This is not at all a shot at the people I was with. I like all of them and hold no animosity or negative feelings towards them. I just think it is best to travel in small groups to avoid conflict, clusterfucks, and general stress brought on by the need to try to please everyone in the group. As I told some of the people I was with, I could be with four other Dave Bricks (that's me) and still want to be alone. It's just easier to mobilize and get shit done with little or no stress when you're alone or with one other person. That's just how I roll...