Blog It Up
Hey Everyone,
I made it to Shanghai safe and sound. I can’t really comment much about the train ride, because there is nothing to comment about. It’s pretty much what you would expect it to be: little compartments where you can fit four people, a table for your snacks, a nice window view of the country, and elevator music playing randomly. I thought it was going to have a Darjeeling Limited vibe to it, but it felt too modern, which is probably for the best anyways. Wouldn’t want a train to get lost.. Though how could a train get lost? Right?
The last day in Beijing was quite possibly the worst day to check out the two coolest tourist attractions in the city. As one may not know, Beijing is an interesting city when it comes to pollution. Some days it can be as sunny as can be, and the next it will be nothing but haze caused by pollution. It looked like Seattle, except in Seattle, the stuff that is actually fog doesn’t take a year or two of your life. We had the worst haze you can imagine. Even Alan, our leader on this trip, said it was the worst weather that he had seen in China. Luckily, I try to keep an optimistic view on things so I went ahead and had a good time.
I visited the Bird’s Next and the Water Cube. Out of the two, I liked the Water Cube the best. The design and structure of it is surreal. It reminds me of something from a science fiction movie. Even the music had a X-Files style to it. I was close to the pool that Michael Phelps swam in, which was a nice feeling. I then found out that a few days after we leave to head back to the states that people could swim in the Water Cube for 50rmb for two hours. I was ticked off. Rain check!
We then visited the 798 Art District, which was really nice. It seemed like my kind of place. It reminded me of the Paseo, if the Paseo were more daring and not incredibly hippie. There isn’t much else to say about it, except their basketball court is very futuristic looking. I’m sure anyone who is a fan of basketball would cry at the site of it. If not, then shame on you. After that, we went on our train, and to Shanghai we go.
We’re stuck at a nice hotel with free internet, so no more internet cafes thankfully. They were fun the first week, but the second hand smoke got to me after awhile. On our first day, we went and visited the Longhua Temple. I don’t know if Atkinson’s words got to me or what, but I didn’t take many pictures. It just seemed wrong to me to be taking pictures of something that people are worshipping to. My one bone to pick with Christianity in America is how commercialized we make it when it’s sacred. I remember going to youth group many moons ago and there were always pictures taken of all the kids praising and praying to fill up Sunday morning bulletins. When I look back on it, it seems wrong and dirty, that something so sacred to me has gone this route. Obviously Buddism and Christianity are different from one another, but at this point in the trip, I don’t want to make something that is sacred to someone else into just another tourist attraction.
The next day we went to the Oriental Peal TV Tower. Now that was way cool. To be up that high walking on glass and looking below at the little ants known as people.. Pretty sweet. I don’t think I’ll have a high like that for awhile. We then went on a boat ride that viewed most of downtown Shanghai. We went in the evening. It was grand. It’s really pretty at night.
Today we explored the site of the CCP First Meeting. It was cool, I suppose. It was funny seeing some communist merch for sale between 50-300rmb. Later in the evening we saw a chinese acrobatics show, which was fun. Not much to comment about it, but I had a fun time participating with clapping and what not.
In four days, I’ll be heading back to the states. A part of me doesn’t want to go back so soon, but I am so tired.. Physically and emotionally, and I just need some rest.
Sincerely,
Tim
