Shanghai

Ah Shanghai... Now THIS is China! By contrast to Hong Kong, few people speak English and the weather was quite a bit cooler (OK, freezing!). We had made it almost all the way around the world without needing cold-weather clothes – until Shanghai. While Hong Kong was 80% West and 20% East – Shanghai was 100% Eastern Asia. We explored the city’s museums and galleries and were extremely impressed by the vibrant art scene. One of the neighborhoods we visited had a block of lofts all showcasing young and up-and-coming Chinese contemporary artists. We found one gallery that stood out from the others and purchased a beautiful Miro-esque oil painting by an extremely talented local artist. We loved the food as well. One thing I’ll take with me is that it’s so easy to overlook the rich Chinese culture we have in our America-based Chinatowns. We wish we had more time to explore some of the other cities in China, but it’s time to keep moving around the globe. Perhaps we’ll head to Beijing for the next Olympics. Next stop, down under!