First post. Again.

It's been a while since I last blogged. I reckon that now I'll have the time to actually write something about my little adventures (or misadventures) in a foreign land. It actually feels great to be blogging again since I'm assured that some, if not all, of the things, I post here would not fall upon deaf ears.

This is basically where I live now -- the majestic, scenic, internationally-acclaimed, super-fast Shanghai (中国上海市). Here is Nanjing East Road smacked right in the middle of Shanghai's bustling commercial district (黄浦区), and on one side of People's Square (人民广场).



While Nanjing Road reflects the multi-century entrepreneurial spirit of China, Shanghai has always been a fast-changing and dynamic city. While hustles and bustles loom this side of the city, there are serious businesses going on on the other side of the Huang Pu River (黄浦江). It doesn't take a genius to notice the stark contrast between the elder side of Shanghai called Puxi (浦西 -- west of the Huang Pu River), and Pudong (浦东 -- east of the Huang Pu River).

The most defining of all would be the Bund (外滩) facing Lujiazui (陆家嘴), Shanghai's current financial center. The Bund is a stretch of old buildings bearing pre-WWII architecture, whereas Lujiazui is a high-rise zone. With 88 floors and measuring 421 meters, Jing Mao Tower (金茂大厦), the tallest tower in China and 5th tallest in the world, is located in Lujiazui. Interestingly, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, the architectural firm commissioned for the tower, designed it in such a way that it looks like a pagoda.

Scatterred in Lujiazui are the Pudong Shangri-La (上海浦东香格里拉大酒店), Citigroup Tower (花旗银行), HSBC Tower (汇丰银行), Superbrand Mall (正大广场), among others. The list just goes on and on and on.





Indeed, I continue to hope and pray that I must be somewhere right.