Enter the Dragon

The Eastern China Airlines flight touched down early in the afternoon and I passed through the non-descript Pudong airport without a second thought. It felt more like a terminal in Milwaukee than one of the major ports of entry for the most populated country on the planet. An interesting signal. A lot can be learned about a city by the feel of its airport.

Clearing customs and loading up, we quickly arrived downtown. Chae Nam and I settled into our new digs at the “fashion-savvy” Rhea Hotel. Compared with the resourcefulness of our Chinese hosts (buying subway cards, getting haircuts, etc.) we spent the hour and a half doing relatively nothing (Fortunately, someone told me long ago a cardinal rule of travel. Don’t compare. Appreciate.). We made coffee and weighed ourselves on the scale (haven’t seen one in months, other than at the airport) – that was about it. When I travel in hotels, I relish the first hour of a new room. It’s feels clean and I unpack at a relaxed pace.

In a surprise break from the normally cold weather of March, we arrived on a day that leaned towards springtime. Despite the heavy and humid air, we enjoyed a subtly warm evening, cruising downtown to see the skyline at the Bund. We passed through the commercial hub of Shanghai on the way, decked to the hilt with lights. It didn’t match the obsession of Hong Kong and I was glad for that. It seemed a bit looser and dirtier. Delightful.

After some dumplings for dinner, we ended up on the river, looking at the increasingly well-known Shanghai skyline. It’s a good one. Not overwhelming, but still the Pearl Tower stands. There is an absolutely compelling LCD display on the side of one building. It projects motion pictures over 40 or 50 stories. It’s modern China and its stunning sharp.

Walking the promenade, I soaked it in alone. I’ve spent a lot of time with my team these past five weeks. I enjoyed taking the space to relax amidst the people. People covered the walkway. Shanghai, they say: “People mountains People sea”. Still, I feel alone. It’s easier amidst so many people than with two or three.

As I walked down, I made friends with a couple of young guys from Hunan Province. They were on holiday and in Shanghai to see the sights and take in China’s #1 metropolis. We chatted for 15 minutes (their English was good enough and they were kind to enjoy what little I know in Mandarin). A pair of old friends from the neighborhood. One helps his Dad run the family mop factory. The other is a liberal arts student at university. I couldn’t help but be warmed by their spirit. I had to admit my own prejudgment: that the Chinese people might be a bit colder on the mainland than they were in Taiwan or Hong Kong. On this occasion, I was happy to feel so wrong and thus, so welcomed.

The guys made me smile. It’s not necessary to go out of one’s way to make a friend or even to say hello to a stranger. If anyone, I’m naturally happy to keep to myself. I rarely extend a warm hand to a random walking down the street. Still, it made all the difference to me tonight. I told them that they were true ambassadors; Not only for China, but for all people and the human-quality of friendliness.

It didn’t take long for me to get home at night though the trains were still buzzing after 9. The whole way home I couldn’t shake off the smile I received from my new friends, nor my disbelief that damn! I’m in China! Enter the Dragon.