!NIHAO ZHONGGUO!

I live in China now! First few days have been interesting to say the least, lots of being sweaty and tired and frustrated, realising we can't actually speak chinese very well thus can't easily get around/make friends/eat... but when was anything ever easy! However, i'm also in one of the most amazing cities in the world, meeting people from all over the world, being constantly amazed/amused by everything, drinking 20p beer, smoking £1 a packet marlborough, going out for meals which cost £1 a head, eating lots of delicious food (including big macs delivered straight to your door....) and enjoying OPEN BARS! Here's some snaps of the first few experiences, more to come when i learn some camera courtesy...

the executive suite just off Nanjing Lu (main shopping street in Shanghai) we stayed in on the first night, dressing up and heading to the 65th floor of the royal meridian for cocktails followed our arrival, and then days and days of jetlag!

my palace of a bedroom! made for two people so has double everything, including a nice big wardrobe for the 48 kilos of clothes i bought out with me and a spare bed where i can just leave stuff....

 probably one of the best views from a bedroom window of all time, the masses and masses of trees are all on my university campus, and so is the big lake running down the middle! It's like a little natural paradise in the middle of the mental city so is brilliant

look at these tourists! pippa and me wanted to take a lovely tourist shot of use getting on the Maglev but doug not only refused to point, but also stood in front of the sign and ruined the picture

apparently the maglev is the fastest train in the world, it was so fast i couldn't take a decent picture of the speedometer but it was AMAZING, like being on a rollercoaster!

the money is really fun, although very dangerous because you constantly have loads of notes in your possession so think you're super rich and just buy lots of bottle of pop and packets of crisps!

the engrish/chinglish is incredible. here is an excellent example on the big metal doors of the metro which i am certain would do more than let on....

these are the kind of night i like, and also an excellent attitude for a club to have! sorry for the blur, the open bar was to blame.

More to come soon, with more/better quality photographs!

xxxx