Slowing it down in Shanghai ?

Waiting as the train pulls into the station 

Some things you just have to accept

I was ready for a nice relaxing train ride back after such a busy time over the past few days and it was.   I enjoyed my lunch even more since I learned I could open up the bottom to get the rice   Also the views were great. 

This is why I love the water. You can be offshore of millions of people and be in such a peaceful place. So many people in China’s society would look down upon a fisherman’s life but I think it’s something to be jealous of.

 

 A national holiday, called Golden week designed to allow everyone to get seven days off is starting soon. It’s good in theory but in practice the streets are still being swept, the cabs are still running, the restaurants still serve but a portion of the population get to go visit family which makes moving about Shanghai a little bit more challenging.  

There are lots of small shops to stop in and get a quick breakfast of a steam bun made fresh

Breakfast of a steamed bun headed to the park

This building is recognized as the place where the words to the Chinese national anthem were written. In the strange history of China, the man that wrote the words was dragged from his Beijing home in 1966 at the start of the cultural revolution by thugs, beaten, tortured and died in jail two years later.
Now you can get three years in prison for booing the national anthem. Look up Tian Han.

The first day back we went to Xujiahui Park so that Sophia could play on the slide. This is a big beautiful park with waterfalls, music and history.  A lot of the parks were designed for the elderly to have someplace to go and something to do, but it seemed most every generation was enjoying their time there. A lot of tai chi groups as well.

Playing with Sophia in a fountain 

 The 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China took place during this holiday week as well .   All the public spaces were decorated (think forth of July). 

 We stopped on the way home to get specialty coffee.   There are thousands of coffee shops in Shanghai with many right next to each other. 

  Shanghai has one of the the few Maglev trains in the world and we were going for a ride this afternoon. First we have to learn the metro and with Zongda’s assistance we take line 9 to 2 and make our way to the maglev platform. The metro is clean and orderly but lacks the odor I associate with the Boston T. 

   The maglev quickly reaches top speed of 301k per hour.  We cover the 19 miles to the airport in minutes. It’s wild to feel the train go up on the 20° bank at 200 miles a hour.  There are lots of hurdles for this type of transportation to succeed globally but it was enjoyable.

Every coffee shop needs to have their angle 

I thought it was just gonna be relaxation when we get back to Shanghai…