Shanghai, China

Looking down Nanjing Road

I spent this past week in Shanghai for three days. I have to admit this is the very least favorite of the places I have seen thus far.
I was in a great location at the end of Nanjing Road, a world famous street known for shopping. 
I found the area to be crowded and unfriendly.
I had realized shortly before leaving for my trip that it was going to be cold and did not have a winter coat.  When I arrived I took a brief trip out to the shops to look for a winter coat.  I quickly discovered that no English is almost non-existent and most of the signs are not readable.  I did wander into a department type store at one point only to be shooed out by the women working there. Apparently, foreigners were not welcome.
The city itself is dirty and the city is so crowded there is literally no green anywhere.  No trees, no grass.  Just skyscraper after skyscraper. 
To give you an idea of how overpopulated the city is, the lobby of my hotel was on the 38th floor!  My room was on the 54th floor! 
As usual though, it doesn't really matter what the city is like as I spent my time working.

Lotus Root Stuffed with Sticky Rice

Mandarin Fish

The office did take me out for a traditional Chinese meal one evening and it was an enjoyable experience.  I am not the biggest fan of Chinese food, but I can say that I tried some dishes that I have never had before.  My favorites were Mandarin Fish (served as a full fish with sweet and sour sauce, the cheeks were the most delicious part) and Lotus Root stuffed with sticky rice. The lotus root was interesting as it was slightly sweet but had a gummy texture as it is a root vegetable.
Off this week for a full week of travel with South Korea until Wednesday and then Taiwan on Thursday and Friday.