Day 17 (Hk-Shanghai-Vancouver)

Today's flight:
So our connecting flight had problems today and they had to drive us off to a sketchy hotel 20 minutes away to feed us and allow us to rest. I was watching some local Shanghainese show when someone knocked on the door to tell me the plane is ready for us. After another 20 minute ride, filling out another departure card, and going through inspection and security yet another time, we finally boarded the plane. I wonder whether my random power naps today will help with or worsen my jetlag when I get home.

Trip summary:
Culture shock - yes but not unbearable because I mentally prepared for it before I came here. Am I able to cope? Yes. Can I fully blend in? No. I've become more agressive and hard-headed over the trip. I'll switch to my more polite side when I get back to Canada :) Guys behind me on the plane right now are awfully noisy but I'm not going to bother asking them to quiet down because I don't want a 飛機阿叔 incident.

Weather - hot and muggy but again not unbearable as I had a/c breaks in buildings and buses. The umbrella is your friend here. It's a mobile shade.

Language - Glad to know enough Mandarin and Cantonese to get by. Except for the times where the locals speed through their speech, I can, for the most part, understand.

Food - delicious and not expensive!
Top picks: (in no particular order)

1. 楊枝甘露 at 池記
2. Coconut milk tea at Modern Toilet
3. 東坡肉 in Hangzhou
4. Some mango drink at 許留山
5. Ngo luack at the 潮洲 restaurant in Shenzhen
6. 2 layered milk curd in Macao

Shopping: didn't do enough on this trip probably because

1. Some of the styles were not for Canada
2. Didn't have enough time
3. Scared to be ripped off because of all this haggling business

Prettiest sights:

• Suzhou
• Harbour of HK
• Musical in Hangzhou

Most memorable sights:

• Water rave in Hengdian
• Crowds at the Expo
• Local kid doing his homework in his pjs in one of the gardens we visited in Wuxi

Firsts:

1. First time in Asia.
2. First time boarding the plane via a shuttle and not directly from the terminal.
3. First time using a squattie.
4. First time eating out of a miniature toilet bowl and drinking from a miniature urinal.
5. First time using an umbrella for shade.
6. First time having to really use Mandarin.

Overall: Awesome trip