5 Senses Review: SHANGHAI

So it has occurred to me (Jennifer) over the past few days that this blog truly is not capable of expressing everything I have experienced over here, even thus far. Seven days into the journey and I have already seen, heard, felt, smelled and tasted hundreds of new things. I have decided that after each city I am going to go through the five senses and pick one thing that stood out to me, as a way of reflecting and in an attempt to paint a picture of each city for all of those reading this...

SIGHT: Nanjing Road (I don't have a picture handy, you can google it if you want)... It is one of the most crowded spots in Shanghai, but at night this place turns into a sea of lights. The view down this walking street is so uniquely Shanghai. The foreign signs made me realize how far away from home I really was, but the crowds made me feel somewhat at home. The street came alive and the view of the lights glowing through the thick smog was one of my favorite sights in Shanghai.

TOUCH: The food has been wonderful so far, but more than that was the touch of those smooth wooden chop sticks. Each meal is unique, but they are all accompanied by those foreign eating utensils. At first a little awkward but they are already becoming a normality.

SMELL: This I must say will probably not be a positive category of the "5 Senses Review" posts. In Shanghai the smell that you cannot avoid is the whiffs of trash and rotten food throughout the streets and marketplaces. One bad incident included a trash truck, which I am still trying to clear my nostrils from.

TASTE: In order to give you an accurate portrayal of my time in Shanghai, I would love to tell about the fun and exotic cuisines we have eaten so far, but that is not what came first to my mind. The 'taste' pick has to be the McDonalds ice cream cones. At only 2.5 rmb a piece, the 40 cent snack has become a part of our routine. Yet at the same time it doesn't taste exactly like it would back home- slightly foreign but wonderfully familiar.

SOUNDS: Many sounds come to mind from Shanghai, but undoubtedly the strangest to get used to is the language. The constant murmur of unfamiliar words is still just setting in. I love how different it is than American though, and look forward to picking up other small sayings along the way.

That's all folks. Another update with pictures and all from Beijing coming soon.
Love you and Miss you all :)
Jenn