Apartments Shanghai: View from the Top

From December of 2009....

I went to check out boxing with Paul (ringwise boxing) at a new gym. Turns out the boxing gym is on the 28th floor of a building and it has an amazing view of millions of buildings and roads.

The view from the top gives you a great idea of what shanghai is really like. Bulidings, buildings, and more buildings. There are parks, but I am just amazed at how much space is filled with concrete and buildings. Buildings and old buildings. You get the picture . . . .

I took this video of Shanghai on a cold day in early December. I remember the sky was cloudy, but don't get me wrong--a really polluted day in Shanghai looks like that too. . (Ps. if you move here, find out what Neil Med is because you will need it and they don't sell it here!)

Almost any open space here, because they are rare in the city center, costs money to use. If you want to play basketball or use a track outside, you have to pay. So, most people just don't workout besides walking a lot.

I decided to push my luck yesterday. I jogged over to an elementary school and just went right over to the track. It was dark--around 5:30, but kids were still going home. The cool thing was . . . no one stopped me! It's so nice to be the foreigner.

No matter what happens as the resident foreigner in Shanghai, I just act like I don't understand what the Chinese are doing, and then whatever I'm doing suddenly becomes okay. (Seriously though . . . what country will kick you off the school track but let you pee openly in the street? I never said anything about Chinese logic . . .later though . . )

Being on the track at night was the most alone I have felt since I came to China, and it was so nice to be away from the crowds. It was dark and it was just me, the track, and the field. . . .that is until one of the students decided to see if I was a real, live, white person sitting on their field stretching. . .

The kid came within inches of my face before running away in shock. I think his friends dared him to see what I was doing. People must not spend much time exercising outdoors. Actually . . . I was told the women avoid it at all costs because they don't want their skin to darken! No wonder there are so few Chinese women in Pro Tennis....its all making sense now. Ha!

Are you brave enough to bike around Shanghai, China?

From Left to Right: Lorie, Aiduku, and Marla

Before I moved to Shanghai, everyone said there were too many bicyclers and people on mopeds and it was pretty dangerous to ride around on a bike. After being here for close to 4 months, I disagree. Walking is definitely more dangerous. At least on a bike I can choose to hit other pedestrians and mopeders, livening up the accident instead of just getting run over myself--that's no fun.

I have been hit by bicyclers riding on the sidewalk a couple times. What they do is peddle really slow and then run over your heel. Its like getting hit by a shopping cart at the grocery store except you are out walking on the sidewalk. It really takes talent on a bike.

I decided to rent a bike to see how bad it really was. I've been thinking about buying one because they have special bike lanes on all the roads and you can ride places quicker than taking a taxi when traffic is bad. Brent and I joined a group of three for some dangerous play last Saturday, the 14th of November.


I called a local bike shop (just googled "rent bikes Shanghai") and was able to rent 5 bikes and have them delivered for about $12 a person for the day. You can rent trucks here just like taxis. The bike company had a truck deliver our bikes to Century park for just a few dollars. We didn't find out until we got to the park with our bikes that you have to pay to visit the park and you can't ride bikes there! Looks like Century park is an adventure for another day . . . .

As for the bike ride, mine fell over twice (mostly from trying to film while riding-not recommended). Lorie (the blondie) also had a crash. Hers was from trying to crack nuts for a snack to eat while riding at the same time.Wow. I'm seeing a pattern here. hmmmm....

We biked on the new side of Shanghai called Pudong. It's much quieter than where Brent and I live in Puxi-the original Shanghai. We live in a very buy commercial area that is more the combat biking scene.

Our bike ride was great. Quiet and peaceful. I raced a few delivery drivers from Sherpas on there little electric bikes (they weren't as into as I was).

I apologize now for the movies. Biking and filming is a bad combo (for you and for me). The weather was a little cold, about 45 Fahrenheit with a little wind. The temperature in November was hot for the first week and now we are into winter weather. Usually around 35 - 45 and with rains every other day or so. Not bad when your coming from Alaska.

We put our new Chinese law-aversion skills into practice. We are getting accustomed to Chinese ways quickly. They post many signs for rules like "don't bike here," but we know better. We followed the other bikes across all the areas with "no biking" signs. We even rode and waved to the cops and security guards as we went by. Its a bit like Singapore here when it comes to crime, homeless people, and disturbances. They happen. All the time. The government just hushes them up or covers them up. (I also cannot read the newspaper so I hear about these things even less).

I just found info online that says Shanghai is starting a bike sharing program where you can rent a bike for $1 yuan an hour through a company called forever bicycles. I also found a cool website that lists bike sharing across the globe for all you travelers. Check it out here. Sounds good to me!