Well this will be a short post because we’re all dead tired after the trip! The flight to Japan from O’Hare went very smooth…well, mostly smooth. There was some turbulence, but not much. The flight was packed though so none of us slept much, so we were all pretty tired by the time we hit Tokyo.
Speaking of Tokyo! Here’s a couple of pics of us all looking very tired and waiting for Scott to get our boarding passes sorted out. We were almost unable to get checked in, so we almost missed our flight, but thankfully we made it just in time!
And then…on to Shanghai! This is my first time in the East, and it’s amazing to me how there is such a difference between the Japanese and Chinese cultures. The flight attendants on the planes (I might as well just say stewardesses, since they were all female) were all very polite on JAL (Japanese Airlines). The passengers were almost as polite, with everyone bowing and smiling if they thought they might have offended you. Before you knew it, they had you smiling and bowing instead of saying thank you.
Then as soon as you China everyone’s yelling and running and pushing and cutting line. It’s very chaotic. This isn’t to say anything for or against either the Japanese or the Chinese. Kerrie and I were just talking about how it is so interesting that the countries are so close to each other yet their cultures and social norms are completely different.
Anyway! Enough of my insights into culture. Here’s a few pics of us at the airport…
And then at the hotel…
… we finally winded down the night with a meal at a Chinese restaurant by the hotel. I was a little bummed that I couldn’t find a single thing that’s on the menu at American Chinese restaurants, including egg rolls. I wanted to know where all the real Chinese food was (just kidding). I was thinking about going a little wild and trying out the fried squid or pig’s intestines, but my roommate (Chris Arnold) talked me out of it for some strange reason. Anyway, here’s a few pics of us at the restaurant, and with that I’ll call it a night!
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Category: Photos, Shanghai 2008, Travel |
Tags: China, pictures, Shanghai
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This entry was posted on Sunday, March 30th, 2008 at 11:41 am and is filed under Photos, Shanghai 2008, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
I can send some recipes for egg rolls if you want… Amazingly, my Chinese neighbors don’t eat “real” Chinese food either, though I think I may take them to a “real” Chinese restaurant soon. (you know, the kind run by a Filipino, with Vietnamese waiters and Mexican cooks!”
Good luck on your trip!
JS