cheongsams, chopsticks, and xiaolongbao!

i have recovered from my deliciously cold river cruise by taking an hour-long very hot shower in yichang. i then had the luck to be stuck at the frigid yichang airport for a few extra hours because of foggy conditions. thankfully i ran into the super sweet scharenbroich family, so that we could while the hours away together...again!

i arrived in shanghai ...or as i like to call it...civilization soon after where i have now spent about 2 days under the care of family friends. if beijing seemed cold, dirty, and industrial, then shanghai is definitely more cosmopolitan, clean, and cheerier (even though it has been cloudy), especially at night where the city lights put vegas to shame. i didn't plan on seeing many sights, except the Bund and the Oriental Pearl, but i did plan on shopping and eating. i will say, there are more KFC stores than McDonald's, Burger King, Dairy Queen, and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf stores combined. i think just Starbucks and Häagen-Dazs can give KFC a run for its money in terms of the number of shops i've seen. and boy was i in heaven eating those delicious xiaolongbao, which i'm sure my boston friends remember eating at Taiwan Cafe in chinatown. i even found a "new" version that is pan-fried...mmmm, yummy. now i just need to find a swimming pool or a jogging path to shed those xiaolongbao pounds. i also discovered the chinese blackmarket dvds, which cost 5rmb (~$0.65) each! very tantalizing, especially since i'll be meeting up with jenn soon in australia where we'll be doing some serious driving.

i'm off to hong kong next...yeah, i didn't realize that's where those cheesy Kowloon restaurants gets their name (you know the one...nashua has one)...