My time in Shanghai has come to an end and one of the signs of that is that there is only one granola bar left in my drawer. I brought over a stash to have one for breakfast each morning in my room and this morning I closed the drawer on a lone bar.
It has been an interesting experience and a learning one. As in any culture, the extremes are evidenced here, too. I visited the more posh areas of the city, but lived in a more humble part. I had my choice of eating any part of the animal or aquatic I wanted, or visiting a McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut, or Starbucks (coffee consumption has increased 75 percent in the last five years in China). I saw the elegance of their design and the 'more is better' aspect of their design. I could shop in designer stores or at the copy mall. I had an opportunity to appreciate the antiquities dating back 10,000 years and see the challenges of a culture trying to move at lightning speed into modern and futuristic times.
One of the highlights was spending a day with the International General Manager of the Best Buy stores in Shanghai. I was at the first store that they opened (they currently have three and will be opening more in the next year) and was able to dialogue throughout the day about strategy. I will be anxious to bring all that back into the classroom.
One of the things that I will not miss in the least is the noise level. Interestingly, China has a law that fines people 200 yuan for honking their horns. This is part of their environmental initiative to combat the noise level. The law was a surprise to me as this is a constant on the streets. In fact, one time my taxi driver laid on his horn for an entire block! People, whether on bicycles or on foot, are constantly on the streets and North Dakota prairies look pretty appealing right now. It is time to get back home so I am off to get out the suitcases, pack, and then arise in the morning to eat my last granola bar...and then there was none.
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