Nanjing

Are you reading this? Then we have rejoined the ranks on the democratic side of the Great Firewall of China. Many thanks to a sweet girl from the couchsurfer network that clued us in to a proxy site. How I managed to decipher the instructions in Chinese....I'll never know. But here we are.

We are finally starting to groove into a Chinese rhythm; it has taken a few days. The differences between China and Japan are incredible: Japan is more focused on etiquette and manners and the formalities of life. China is bustle and fewer pleasantries and less reserved. Mind you, these judgments come from a girl that neither speaks nor reads either Chinese or Japanese.

On Sunday we managed to tear ourselves away from the sweet situation in Shanghai with our new friends Nan and Benson, and took a train to Nanjing amid a snow flurry. The train ride was fascinating: mile after mile after mile of construction. Everywhere you look, China is tearing something down and building a newer, taller, bigger version in its place. I know we keep mentioning this, but it is a constant wonder for us.

I love Nanjing. With a population that is about 10 million less than Shanghai, we are finding Nanjing much easier to navigate and explore. The city involves a bit more walking, as it only has ONE subway line, as compared to eleven in Shanghai. Yesterday we wandered all around the city, reaching lofty heights atop the 600 year old remnants of the Nanjing city wall. We explored the medical university area, gearing up for a similar experience in Changsha, and snacked on plenty of street food.

The last several nights we have spent at a basic hotel called the "Home Inn." It has a feature that we have experienced several times already in east asia: the electronic door card also activates the electricity in the room. When you enter the room, there is a small slot immediately located on the wall, where the card must be inserted before the lights, television, heat, etc can be turned on. Smart? I think so. Are you as careful to turn out the hotel lights when you leave as you are in your own house? I doubt it. The idea of energy conservation kinda falls down the tubes when someone else is cleaning your sleeping space and the hot water never runs out.

And speaking of energy awareness and conservation, we were delighted to look out over nanjing yesterday onto a sea of solar panels. Atop each 7 story apartment building were ginormous solar panels. And mind you, we weren't in a hoity-toity neighborhood, but rather, a lower-middle class neighborhood. Yeah China!! Show us how it's done!

lots of love to our readers, leave us a comment and let us know you are reading! Check out shutterfly account for photos, as this proxy site doesn't allow for uploads.

xoxoxo
brittany