First Day in Shanghai

Huge was the proper word to describe Pudong International Airport. One has to walk a long distance before reaching the immigration section, and be prepared for the long queue. I was amazed by the way they conduct luggage screening, which uses dog to sniff every single luggage on the conveyor belt!

I have heard a lot about the impressive Shanghai’s Maglev, but riding it is a total whole different story. The train travels at speed of 430km/hr, taking only 7mins 30secs to clear 30km journey. It ends at Long Yang Rd, so one has to take other transport to go to their desired destination. The Maglev was pretty clean and empty, perhaps due to the expensive fare of RMB 50. But I think it’s good to ride it at least once, for experience sake ;)

The train station has NO elevator going down, so you only have the option of stairs. During peak hours, the station is so packed that it’s almost impossible to protect yourself from pushing, squeezing etc. The positive thing is that you don’t need a pole since you will never lose your balance as there are so many people squeezing around you.

I was stunned by the attitude of the locals – once they see the train coming, they’d rush to the door, cross the yellow line, stand in front of the door, and push their way in when the door is opened. Here, you’re allowed to consume food/drink in the train, only smoking is forbidden. However, I don’t think you can eat/drink in a packed train where you can’t even move..

The traffic in Shanghai reminded me of Jakarta’s traffic, worse as there are more bicycles and buses here. It seems that there’s no distinct traffic rule. Zebra cross seems to lose its purpose, people are seen jaywalking freely. The pollution is kinda terrible, both ar and noise – cutting each other and honking are common practice here. You can, too, stop taxi anywhere on the road.

I haven’t tried the bus yet, and don’t think that I’d give it a chance after seeing the traffic here. I actually saw people standing at the top level of double deck bus, and the driver was literally speeding! Err…

Weather was hot and humid, even at night. I kept on sweating even though I had showered. I guess summer’s still here. Oh well, the next few days should be better.

Xu Jia Hui's Train Station