Shanghai Day 1 – 14June2010(Mon)

Slept at around 12.30am last night. Didn’t have problems sleeping. Off the lights but the curtains were drawn to have enough street and city lights illuminating the room.

Wanted to wake up at 8am, ended up waking up at 9am. Had a quick breakfast with Aunt and then she brought me down for a brief orientation. Where are the club house, gym, swimming pool and the garden.

After the orientation, I went for my own walk around the garden and then when I made a round back, I started jogging on the same route. Along the way, I saw a big pond with ducks and swans. I believe they are swans because of their long necks. They looked like black swans that look so much larger than those white water ducks.

I slept alot today. After having the green bean dumpling (“lok dao zhong”), I was sleepy and went to bed. I think I slept for about 2 hours and it was 5pm. I feel my stomach was uncomfortable, probably because of my sleep after eating a hard-to-digest dumpling (its ingredients).

Anyway, my cousin Wenxing and her mum (Don’t know how to address her traditionally) came at about 2pm today. I heard about their trip to Shanghai Expo and got some tips and advice. Not all countries are worth the wait. You only need to pay one-time entrance fee for the day and you have to queue at various country’s exhibition “house”. I heard Germany was worthwhile for its technology and Belgium for their Mermaid story and chocolates?

I will most likely visit Shanghai Expo, Oriental Pearl Tower (Dong Fang Ming Zhu Ta) next week as this Monday to Wednesday are public holidays for Duan Wu festival. I might go around taking Shanghai’s Subway and visit places of interest.

If I am ever lost, just cab back as I have my “taxi-card” stating the place I am staying. I believe this is similar to all hotels will providing these kind of cards.

As China banned Facebook and the Internet connection was slower, I will only upload photos and give a description of them when I get home.

Today’s weather is foggy and hard to take aerial-view pictures. Comparatively speaking, Shanghai is much cooler than Singapore’s weather.