Public Transportation

Living in Shanghai means relying on public transportation. I had a bicycle in Vietnam, which allowed me to roam freely around the small town where I lived. But here in Shanghai, a bicycle is impractical. The city is just too huge to try to bike from one place to another.

A car - or even a scooter - is also out of the question, since I won't be here long enough to make the investment worthwhile. Besides, I don't know how to drive here. Good thing my apartment is a five-minute walk from my school.

On my days off I use the bus & subway to get to the center of the city where all the interesting things are: museums, monuments, bars, & bookstores. Most trips downtown take about an hour one way, sometimes longer depending on how many transfers I make.

So I struggle with this conflict: On the one hand, I want to go out & see this city, take in all it has to offer, experience it to the fullest. On the other hand, I don't look forward to dealing with the journey, the pushing & shoving, trying to ask for directions when I don't speak the language. Besides, I've been working all week & I'm tired. It would be so much easier just to stay home & watch a DVD that I bought from a street vendor.

Luckily, I have so far been able to push through my laziness & go out anyway. I start to think of all the things out there that I could be missing, & I grab my transportation card & go. & it's almost always worth it.