If you were to take Disneyland’s original Tomorrowland combine it with The Jetson’s and scale it up to slightly larger than life – you might have a product that resembles Shanghai’s skyline. In all honesty, the only skyline I’ve seen that’s more unique than Shanghai is Dubai, and I will admit knowing that I’ve seen both and am able to make the comparison is somewhat amazing, and definitely not something I would have ever thought I would be able to claim.
Shanghai, at least the main part of the city, retains little in the way of old-world charm, if anything its cosmopolitan meets futuristic. But it’s got its own peculiar kind of charm. For example, instead of merely providing a traditional transport tunnel under the Bund to get from one side of the city to the other – Shanghai created the “Shanghai Sightseeing Tunnel”, a bizarre lightshow that plies you with over the top electronic sounds, and flickering disco lights and…inflatable clowns? (no I’m not kidding), before you emerge in the parklike futuristic setting of the other side.
Personally, since I was sightseeing alone (see previous reference to how out of place I tend to feel in Asia) , I preferred to simply meander down the more traditional walk way alongside the Bund, snapping the occasional photograph and enjoying the fact that it was a lovely sun-drenched day while we were here. Since I speak not a word of Chinese, I’ve had to learn to let the local conversation just wash over me instead. I honestly can’t even pick out individual words, and I marvel at the fact that they can speak so quickly and still understand what’s being said!
Despite the intrigue presented by the culture and the city itself, I still found myself heading back to the ship early. The disregard for personal space (and in many cases just plain rudeness) that is present throughout Asia is something I have a great deal of difficulty adjusting to. I know it’s a cultural difference, a simple case of what’s considered impolite at home isn’t even thought about here – you can’t have much regard for personal space in a country that is so densely populated. But when I can’t sit on a park bench without total strangers standing within a foot of me staring over my shoulder? That’s usually when I head for the hills.
The city becomes truly breathtaking at night though, all multicolored lights and shining reflections. Much like Hong Kong, though I actually found I liked Shanghai’s skyline by night better. In a city that’s so crowded with people, they’ve managed to make beauty wherever they can find it – a skill that a lot of people I know could do with a lesson in…