Shanghai

... needs to be seen to be believed. The infrastructure is mind blowing. A couple of leaps ahead of the US. Up to 16 lane roads... for once it seemed like my vision of a first floor India. Huge sky-scrapers.

The eastern provinces of China are far richer that the rest. An interesting observation made by one of my Chinese friends: In India, even the richest city has poverty. There is a vast disparity in living standards, income etc. within the city. In China, however, the disparity is not as stark within a region. This disparity is visible across regions.

Shanghai was built in the last 10 years. The government spent over $30bn to rebuild the city prior to this; it was a fisherman's enclave (or something to that effect). The five year plans here are region focused, rather than agenda focused. For example, the Government decided to develop the eastern province for this five year plan. And the result is there for all to see.

Some observations about China:

1. all land is owned by the Government. One can only own apartments, or lease land from the Government. Therefore, the Government can ask you to vacate any place on its discretion.

2. I got to try a variety of Chinese cuisines. Interesting to note was that meals are like a group affair, and dishes are common served. People access the dish directly. And there is no concept of tips. Meals are had early… lunch around noon, and dinner by 6.

All in all, China is a different experience.