The Shanghai Experience

I was in Shanghai China the last 5 days for some business meetings. Just got back yesterday and here are the notables:

1. One of the most if not the most progressive city in China. Somebody said to me that it can rival New York for the number of skyscrapers. Has the 4th highest building in the world in the JINGMAO Tower. Worth a trip to view the city from the highest floor.

2. Taxis have small LCD TVs installed. Be wary as the taxi drivers drive like crazy so accidents are common. Traffic is also quite bad especially in the Puxi area.

3. Center is highly polluted. There is a perennial smog that is present. You can look up in the sky and not see any blue even if its supposed to be sunny. Just a grayish haze.

4. Nanjing Road - a wide shopping road that is closed to traffic and is exclusively used by pedestrians. Somewhat similar to streets in causeway bay in hongkong except on a bigger scale. Tons of shops from the designer brands to the local unknowns. (see pic)

5. Eton Hotel - hotel where I stayed in the Pudong district. Owned by Filipino tycoon Lucio Tan of Asia Brewery and Fortune Tobacco fame. Walls of the bathroom were made of transparent glass. Heheh ... pretty nice if you're staying with your gf or wife.

6. Have dinner in one of the restaurants in the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Located at the 56th floor of the jingmao tower. It offers you a breathtaking view of the city lights and the river while you're dining. Awesome food.

7. Maglev Train - travels at more than 500km per hour.

Didn't really have time to go around so that's pretty much all I can think of. Shanghai is nice for a 2 to 3 day trip like Hongkong. There are expats and foreigners all over the pace so English is understood in most areas. It's not a place for a relaxing vacation as the pace is too hectic and I certainly wouldn't want to live there. But it's worth a visit for the experience, chinese food and the shopping. You will also tend to realize that China has really become quite the economic superpower as you see the infrastructure and the huge buildings & factories that have sprouted up. All the top brands from cars to shoes have an office in Shanghai and it really is an exciting city to see.

Out on the poker front, haven't really had a chance to play since I got back. Looking forward to the long weekend to play in some tourneys and hopefully do well. =)