Creativity is great, but plagiarism is faster

I’m not sure if “Shanghai” translates into English, but if I had to guess, I think it would mean, “the city of 10,000 taxis.” 10,000 sounds like a good, strong Chinese number, but I’m afraid this a gross underestimation. The city of Shanghai alone, has over 40,000 taxis! With anywhere between 15 and 20 million people, Shanghai is the third largest city in the world. But everything is packed air tight, and the omnipresence of taxis is nearly stifling.

There are few rules of the road, and even fewer of these rules are enforced. Taxis routinely swerve in and out of lanes with no warning and the only punishment they receive is the endless honking from the cars, buses and taxis they cut off. Though this reckless driving would seem to cause unending terror for passengers, I find myself strangely at peace whenever I hop in a taxi. Despite the chaos outside, I tell myself the driver knows what he/she is doing and is in control.

Riding in a taxi can be a frightening experience, but being a pedestrian in Shanghai strikes fear into the hearts of even the most experienced j-walkers. In the states, it’s generally acknowledged that the pedestrian has the right of way, and even in big cities, people are generally courteous enough to allow the pedestrian right of way. Not so in Shanghai. The signs indicating the appropriate time to cross mean almost nothing. Cars will run red lights, and they won’t slow down to let you finish crossing.

As if all these things weren’t enough to stop you from ever coming to Shanghai, there are the bikes. If there are 40,000 taxis in Shanghai, there must be 400,000 bikes/scooters on the road. They are everywhere, and they will run you over just as mercilessly as the nefarious taxi drivers.

I know there are a lot of negative things here, but take heart people, there is a glimmer of hope left. Discouraged and downtrodden after dealing with transportation issues and jetlag, I pondered if there were any redeeming qualities to be found in Shanghai. I glanced woefully out the window of my cramped, stuffy taxi and there it was! A heavenly ray of light burst through the clouds and rested on the single most beautiful sight my eyes had witnessed since I had left the states. My heart leapt and my spirits soared as the big green letters confirmed my perceived vision of a mirage. Yes, even here Starbucks flourishes as a reminder that now matter where you go, even to the ends of the earth, you’ll always be drinking great coffee.

Joking aside, I’ve enjoyed almost every minute of my time here so far. The transportation system is chaos at best, but it’s entertaining chaos. I’m thriving on the unpredictability of getting from point A to point B.

It’s funny because everywhere I go, people are always staring. They don’t even try to conceal their interest with westerners. If you catch people staring in the States, invariably they will look away quickly, but here, they just keep on boring holes through your body with their stares. I’ve caught myself thinking too highly of myself over the last several days because of all the attention I’m receiving. It’s easy to walk down the streets thinking everyone is looking at you. So, if you’re feeling insecure about yourself, come to Shanghai, it will do wonders for your self-esteem.

One thing that caused Luke and I to stare, and then quickly turn away was a ferry worker relieving himself off the dock, in plain sight of everyone boarding the ferry. The man evidently needed to go, and he didn’t think he’d have time to make it to the bathroom before the ferry left, so he thought the river would be the next best thing. Thankfully for us, we don’t have to eat any fish coming from that river.