Shanghai rocks my world.

Loved Shanghai. LOVED. I couldn't help myself from listing the ways I prefer it to Beijing (I wrote the list while I was there):

1. Less pollution, wow! What a difference.

2. Where is the traffic?! Amazed at the lack of traffic here. In Beijing, at any given time of the day, anywhere in the city, you are stuck sitting in terrible traffic.

3. Better food! Sure Beijing has good Chinese food, but I'm talking Western food.... Shanghai has much more options. I've eaten the better this week than I have in the entire 7 months I've been in China.

4. The subway is more efficient and way less crowded. You can actually take the subway at rush hour here without wanting to cry. It also goes all over the place! There are a lot of places in BJ you just can't get to from the subway, or you have a long walk from the nearest station.

5. Shanghai has real bagels! WHAT?!

6. Shanghai is cleaner than BJ.

7. Really pretty architecture, much is European influenced, in some parts of the city you can imagine you are in Paris and in others NYC.




8. Every taxi driver we came across was so nice! And in some subway stations they actually STOOD IN LINE! My friend said it was due to all the World Expo behavioral training the city's residents were recently exposed to.

OK OK I'm ragging on Beijing a little. Beijing is awesome, too. In fact, if you are a tourist, you'd probably be better of coming to Beijing if you can only see one... Beijing does have all the history! But if you were going to choose to live in one of these two cities, in my opinion, the quality of life in Shanghai is better. Just sayin'.


We had a fantastic time! Now we are back in Beijing, which is super cold right now, by the way! Today it was 15 degrees. You shouldn't have to wear 3 shirts, a sweater and a coat just to go outside... and talk about a pain in the butt - gloves and scarves and hats, and then bending down to put on boots.... such a pain! But the sky has been blue so I shouldn't really complain :) I just wish it would snow! I hate being so cold with no reward (i.e.: snow). I don't know what I am going to wear when we go to the Ice Festival in Ha'erbin this January.

Well, that's all I got. I have an apple pie baking in the oven... I highly underestimated the difficulty of making a pie crust. Betty Crocker would cry if she saw what is in my oven right now. LOL. Hopefully it tastes good.

Steph

P.S. Can you believe I only have 5 months left here?! And still don't know where we are going to end up!

P.S.x2. Check out what is waiting for me in the U.S! My new car! I debated getting such a small car but I decided it is the perfect time in my life to go for it.


I'm already picturing cruising down Pacific Coast Highway with the top down. :)

Where Should We Go for Our First Trip in China? Help me decide!

So, hubby and I are planning our first trip within China! We have a few choices we are choosing between for our first trip.. and I'd love your help in deciding where our first trip should be to! Now its important to remember we will eventually see ALL of these places, its just a matter of "when." All of these choices are extremely different, too, so its a hard decision. They each offer a completely different experience.

Choice # 1: Pingyao (平遥）
Pingyao is one of China's many UNESCO World Heritage sites. It is located in Central Shanxi Province. The city is really unique because it is still surrounded by an ancient wall that was built in 1370 during the third year of the Hongwu Emperor (thank you Chinese class... and Wiki!) Its also really unique because its a blend of the ancient and modern. The city right outside the ancient city walls is extremely modern, whereas inside the walls is a completely preserved ancient city.






As you can tell, there would be a lot of great history to learn & amazing historical sites to see.

Choice # 2: Shanghai （上海）
Everyone has heard of Shanghai. Its China's most populated and most modern city. Its a very cosmopolitan city and much of the old has been replaced with the new. Its the hub of fashion in China! There are endless choices for shopping and amazing and unique culinary experiences, and countless opportunities to mingle with Shanghai's young & elite. Think of Shanghai as China's New York City, except more rapidly developing at this point.




The 2010 World Expo is taking place in Shanghai and will be going on when we visit. Over 190 countries are joining this year's World Expo, and there are a ton of amazing events & shows to see. If you don't know what the World Expo is, you can find information about it here. Its pretty amazing!

Choice # 3: Hainan （海南）
Hainan is a totally different experience because its an island in the South of China. Its known as "The Hawaii of China." It has gorgeous beaches & beautiful ocean! Great hotels! At a 5 star Sofitel you can expect to pay just $95 USD a night. There are also ethnic minorities exclusive to Hainan, so those who want a cultural experience can definitely still find one! The Li minority group compromise about 91% of Hainan Island.





In Hainan, you can enjoy the tropical beaches, read in the sun, relax, get a massage (my personal favorite!), visit the authentic Li minority villages, or hike in the tropical rain forests.

This trip will be taken around my husband's birthday, and he IS partial to history and anything old (we like to joke about the fact that while in Ireland, we stopped every single time there was "something old and stone and decrepit" along the side of the road... yeah, in Ireland, we were stopping quite often!)

So, what do you think? What are your first and second choices for my first trip within China? Thanks for the help!

Remember, even if we don't go right away, these places are on our short list of must-see places.

Thanks for the perspective!

Steph

P.S. ...when I type in Chinese characters, can you see them?

Disclaimer: the pictures in these posts are NOT mine & I am not claiming then as such! They are courtesy of "Google Image."