Little Ramblings From Shanghai

Between the overcrowded bus rides and quaint noodle shops, these last two weeks in Shanghai has been more than amazing. It’s been a lot to take in and my mind has been all over the place, so here are just a few thoughts I’d like to share.

Quel est le World Exposition?

Shanghai has gone gaga over hosting the World Expo. There’s not a street corner in the city without bulletins or mansion-sized posters illustrating the event. The theme of this year’s Expo (it happens once every five years, and various nations compete to host the five-month-long display) is “Better City. Better Life.” Different countries come together with pavilions, showcasing their idea of the theme. Some of the structures are absolutely breath-taking!

Unfortunately, the average wait to see the inside of these buildings is about two to three hours in line. The Japanese Pavilion even boasts a six-hour wait! Daily admittance into the Chinese Pavilion is closed by 9am, as people are already lined up by 7am. Thus, you can really only see about four pavilions on any given day.

Here are some photos to show why anyone would want to wait so long.

Rule #1 to Becoming A Professional Photographer: Pretend To Be One

About a week ago, I, along with some family members, took a couple day-trips to nearby cities of Wuxi and Suzhou. I brought a camera along to shoot a few photos of us and the gorgeous landscapes to show my friends where I had gone for the summer. Needless to say, that didn’t go as planned. It wasn’t long before I started crouching and shifting angles to capture various lights and objects in one single moment.

Photography had never been a hobby of mine, but I must say the experience was fun and very enjoyable. Now I can add a DSLR to my list to items to purchase when I become a millionaire.

Here are few of my attempts to portray art within a frame.

Extended Family Members Will Make You Overweight

“Here, eat this plate of Xialongbao! And have some Shengjianbao too! And don’t forget the Zhongzi!”

Okay, grandma, thanks! Don’t worry, I’ll help myself!

“No, have all of it! You don’t have to be polite!”

Oh, really, I’m not being polite. I just can’t finish all-

“I said, you don’t have to be polite!”

(I then proceed to stuff every food into my mouth, and my grandma nods and smiles)

The World Cup and Stuff

Today’s top headlines: Spain improbably hands victory to Switzerland. Serbia stuns soccer world with upset over Germany. The Jabulani deemed worst soccer ball ever designed. Lebron James and his Cavaliers finally win the NBA championship. Blake Lively tweets that she enjoys reading my blog!

Okay, so maybe those last two stories aren’t entirely true…

More pictures, with no relation to the World Cup whatsoever.

So how are your June days unfolding? Are you following the soccer matches? (Any team in particular?) Anyone out there willing to donate a spare DSLR?