More Random Thoughts

I needed to use the bathroom yesterday. Not to sound too personal, but it was more than a quick moment. I found a restroom in one of the buildings at the university. Based on the picture above, can you just imagine the look on my face when I walked in? I wouldn't even know how to use whatever that was. At the least, I think I could figure out which direction I should sit. It gives a whole new meaning to sitting down.

So, I waited until I boarded the bus that takes me to the suburban campus. Once I arrived, I found a new bathroom. Great. It had a traditional toilet.

No toilet paper.

It seems as though you need to bring your own at this campus when it is a public restroom. It was a long day.

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Naps are very important to the Chinese. When I say important, I mean REALLY important. There is a guy selling goods at a store I pass EVERYDAY. I have yet to see him awake.

My guide and I saw a man sleeping on his bicycle. Standing up. In traffic.

I saw a man leaning against a wall. In a subway station. He was wearing a nice suit. Snoring.

I hate to say it's a guy thing, but I have not seen a woman nap. Except in my classes.

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I have had more tea in the past nine days than I ever have in my life. It is sold everywhere. If there is a flavor you could imagine, hot or cold, it has been created. My favorite tea from the store is Peach Ice Tea. My favorite fresh tea is Xihu Longjing Tea. It is almost entirely clear and has a very delicate flavor. I am having some right now.

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Cartoons are HUGE here. I don't mean like high-level cartoons or animation like Pixar or Dreamworks. I mean the most basic cartoons where nothing looks real. Actually, I think the more cartoonish something looks, the better. I was watching the news yesterday (yes, I watch a lot of news in Chinese--thank goodness for pictures), and we were expecting storms. During the weather report, there was a video explaining how to be safe in an electrical storm. As you can guess, it was a cartoon. The little boy (maybe it is a man--can't tell) is walking in the woods (there are very few woods in Shanghai--many parks, but few woods) when lightning hits him. SPLAT! He didn't heed the warnings. I'm not sure I was supposed to laugh. It was funny.

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The first case of Swine Flu has hit the mainland. I know it is not called Swine Flu anymore, but that is what they say in China. And since it has not done a thing to stop people from eating pigs, it doesn't matter. Nothing has changed as far as I can tell.

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The traffic signals in Shanghai are very helpful, more helpful than in the U.S. Not only do they have the typical red, yellow and green, some of the intersections have digital countdown clocks for the vehicles. Before the light turns yellow, the green begins to blink. I like it.

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Two quick bits that show how considerate the Chinese are for each other: 1. All buildings under construction are wrapped in green cloth to keep dust from getting out; 2. The trains that go above ground stop relatively early, maybe about 10:30 or 11:00 p.m. This is to allow people to sleep.

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Speaking of construction, there are so many people here that any construction job finishes almost overnight. That is only a slight exaggeration. On my street, there must be 30 workers rebuilding the road. 24 hours a day, seven days a week, they are working. The progress is impressive.

It doesn't just happen on street and building construction. A store right next to my apartment was gutted and completely rebuilt (from the electrical to drywall to finishing) over the span of two days. The entire extended family, as I could tell, was helping. It was clear the store was the source of income for the family. In two days, they were selling again.

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Everything I am experiencing, and therefore, everything in this blog, is told from a Shanghai perspective. I am looking forward to seeing other parts of the country to learn everything new.

I need to go now. It's time for my nap.