I first went to China in 2010 and stayed in Shanghai with the goal of learning some culture and some of the language. When I left, I spoke very little Chinese even though I had taken a year long introductory class at University. I could say hello, thank you, and ask for a few food items, but I could not use it to get by. I used a visa service company to get my tourist visa (and I used one again on my second trip) as it is the easiest and fastest way to get a visa. The company I used is called Oasis China Visa (www.oasischinavisa.com), and they got the job done at a reasonable price, but keep in mind I used them seven years ago, so I am unsure of how they hold up today.
I had already been to Asia when I was a child to visit my grandparents in Japan. They were teaching at Kansai Gaidai, a University in Hirakata, Osaka, Japan and my mother and I stayed with them for about ten days.
So with some international travel to Asia already under my belt and my visa in my passport (which I had to mail to the visa company), I hopped on a flight that cost about $2000 and was on my way to a new adventure!
I don’t remember much about my flight other than working on some Chinese terms with the man sitting next to me and accidentally spilling my drink on him as we were about to land O.O, fortunately, he was very forgiving.
While I don’t remember much about my flight, I do remember the next four-five hours of trying to find my hotel. I copied down the wrong name of the hotel I booked, and it was oriented in such a way that it looked like it was part of the bank next door. I wandered all around the area with my heavy suitcase in tow, getting to know it quite well, trying to find my hotel with no luck for the next four hours. During that time I got to meet many Chinese people who didn’t speak English and many expats who didn’t either. The expats I talked to mostly spoke French, so I was on my own trying to find my hotel with my heavy luggage in tow. I was able to see many places that sold scooters, scooter parts, building materials, and a shopping center that only sold electronics. But, one of the most unique things I witnessed was a child with the back of his pants split open, squatting in the middle of a main walking area, taking a shit, something that is quite common all over China.
After finally finding the hotel, checking in, and doing a check around the hotel room to make sure everything was in working order, I flopped on the bed and passed out at 6:30 PM. I slept for a solid twelve hours and woke up early at around 6 or 7 AM and walked around the surrounding area in a more rested and relaxed state.
During my first week, I explored the part of Shanghai I was staying in and got to know the area and a number of different restaurants and shopping centers nearby. I was a few blocks away from Nanjing Road (East), a pedestrian only street in the Bund (a riverfront area) that was lined with shopping centers and restaurants where I spent much of my time. Besides Chinese stores, the area had Haagen Daas, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, a Lego store, and various other western shops. Now I went over to China thinking that I could buy some clothes and such for a lower price than in the West. Well, I was wrong, sorta. You can find cheaper clothes from Chinese companies, but clothes from western companies were actually more expensive, presumably due to import tariffs even if it was made in the next city. In fact, one of my friends I met up with said that when she is in the U.S., she buys a laptop for her or one of her family members because it is significantly cheaper than buying on in China.
The second week I met up with a friend who had previously worked for my uncle, and she showed me around Shanghai and got me situated with a subway card and a mobile phone. She showed me around the area she lives, and introduced to her parents who invited me to dinner where I had a lot of traditional Chinese food. After dinner, I passed out on a bed that had a wooden cover, which was highly uncomfortable. After my nap my friend took me to a house party where I was thought to be Austrian a few times, followed by some exploring Chinese nightlife. Afterwards, I was invited to play soccer with some of the people I met which I ended up doing later in the week.
Later on, I visited an American friend who had lived in China for about a decade and who had started a mobile game company in Shanghai. He gave me a tour of his office, and I was able to discuss his newest game for the iPhone and about importing and playing games with some of his employees. Just as an aside, my friend got his degree in something like 19th Century Russian Literature, went to work for the New York Times as their lead programmer (he took a class in university for fun), and then went to China and started his own mobile gaming company. When we went out with another western friend of his, I was able to try a unique and delicious combo of green tea and whiskey.
The rest of my time in Shanghai was spent wandering around and enjoying the views, I particularly enjoyed the Bund which is a very beautiful tourist area that has many colorful lights at night.
I really enjoyed my trip, but I did not learn a lot of Chinese when I was there. Fortunately, I spoke decent Chinese my second trip and was at an advanced level by the time I left.
I may have gotten some of the details mixed up, but in general, this was my adventure! I will be writing a post on my second and much longer trip in the future.
