I meet up with my mom again in Shanghai where we were staying with some close family friends who own an apartment in the vibrant city. It?s always nice visiting someone living abroad 1) because hotels are so impersonal and 2) BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE PLACE IN AND OUT. There were so many good restaurants, shops, and markets that we simply would not have wondered to without our friend?s help.
Anyway, I was happy because I was able to pickup a high speed wi-fi connection in the building but otherwise Shanghai was one of China?s more modern cities. Like many of China?s cities there are sprawls of high rise apartment buildings. However unlike other parts of China, Shanghai was extremely diverse. It wasn?t uncommon to run into Americans, Europeans, and other Asians from around the continent.