I'm Back: May 20~

A year and a week later, I have returned to one of my many homes, Shanghai, China.

I feel that though much has stayed the same, much has also changed. As I walk through the now semi-familiar streets, I can't help but find small differences. For instance, last year on the metro, the loud speaker would say in English, "Please get ready to alight from the left/right side." I was always confused as to what that meant until one day a friend from Scotland told me it meant "to exit." This year, all metros have changed it to "Please get ready to exit from the left/right side." I guess I wasn't the only person who was confused?

While buses no doubt have changed little, and are still as crowded as ever, the stops have definitely changed. Instead of an old, dirty sign, stops have been replaced with a nice seating area, easy to read bus routes, and sometimes even a television that constantly play advertisements. In the more crowded areas, there are even security officers who will help you find your way (and tell you to move your backpack to the front).

Another tiny change? Nicer trash cans on the streets. However, the trash and recycle sign is hard to tell apart. They are both triangular shaped...

A few years ago when I was in Paris for two days, I remember seeing bikes you could "rent" on the street, ride around the city, and return anywhere a return stand was. They would just be lined up on a part of the street. Now in Shanghai, I'm seeing the same thing. Labeled "the Charming Green Community," it seems as though these bright orange bikes are slowly making their way on the streets of Shanghai. However, with all the empty stands/locks I see, I've only seen one or two people actually ride them. It makes wonder, in such a big city, how does one ensure that people don't take the bikes for themselves? Do you have to give some identification in order to take a bike from the street stands? It seems like such an advanced (?) system for a city that seems already has an overload of bikes.

- Christine Hsieh