33

I thank the Lord for this unique birthday experience

12-1am- I welcomed the Chinese new year and my 33rd birthday on top of the Bund overlooking Shanghai's signature skyline. Caught in the middle of a conversation ( I didn't understand unless translated) with a few couchsurfers, two Americans, a Brit, a German and a Chinese guy. where everyone was speaking Chinese except the Chinese guy

1am-130am-Walked the streets of Shanghai, hanging out in convenience stores

130-2am-Ended up sharing a cab with a German guy (working in the aerospace industry-sounds like a rocket scientist) who lived two stations away from our hostel

2am-My heart skipped a beat when the taxi dropped me off in a street corner that was totally unfamiliar (the German guy supposed to have told him where to go), several scary moments later, we managed to figure out where we I need to go with the help of a map on my pocket. The driver turned out to be a nice guy who said ba-bay when I got off in front of my hostel.

2:30am-4am REM

4am-woke up

10am-got up
1030am- Got locked inside a toilet with a broken knob. The door ended up being opened by a guy (after my noisy pounding on the door) with only a towel wrapped around him

11am-spent our coldest day in Shanghai walking around the french concession looking for a park and what-nots

4pm-tasted my best Xiao Long Bao I tasted so far; my travel buddies treat for me

6pm-Went back to the hostel and packed. Said bye to Rock and Wood and the Uighurs in a restaurant down the street

820pm-took the maglev train for 8mins which covered 19 miles (biting pieces of a hard uighur bread I have grown to like)

9pm-Got approached by a bunch of guys to carry a letter to the Philippines (a most bizarre experience which capped this extraordinary day)

11pm-waiting for my flight to Pinas with only three Pinoys and the rest are Chinese in an ongoing diaspora during the Spring festival

Phew!