It just occured to me that I hadn't introduced myself yet.
I'm a 41 year old, married with toddler, Java Developer from San Jose, CA. I started smoking cloves occasionally when I was 18. My frequency increased drastically after 21, since smokes and alcohol go so well together. I eventually switched to regular cigarettes when I realized a pack a day clove habit was way harsh on the throat and lungs. I've tried quitting several times since then without success until I tried
vaping last April. The switch was easy and my health dramatically improved (I was going through a cough and heavy lung congestion that prompted my switch). I know I'll never have to deal with a yearly bout of bronchitis again and I can hold my breath under water for the whole length of swimming pool or sing really long notes.
I'm here because I like deejStuff. I saw a review of Sybil's Obsession on JuiceDB which spurred my first order. It exceeded my expectations and is my EDV. Both deej & Sybil are top-notch mixologists who offer super-premium
e-liquid at a price that makes me feel like I am actually saving money as a non-smoker. I'm glad to be here.
Anyways, Shanghai/Songjiang update/observations:
My flight path was pretty much always in sight of the shore instead going due west across the Pacific. What I mean is that on a flat map it looks like we went northwest up the coast of California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska then finally west along the Arctic Circle then southwest along Russia's coast to get to China. Surprisingly, we were just continuing the same angle we started with. This is a straight line on a globe and by far the fastest route. Check out
Polar route - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
My hotel room's shower door is missing. Apparently this is an issue because the door isn't available to order anymore. I'm guessing that there is a culture of producing modular parts but not as many craftsmen? It wouldn't be a problem to change rooms, but I'm settled in, don't want to move my stuff, and kinda like the challenge of seeing how dry I can keep the rest of the bathroom when I shower. I'm weird.
Based on my extra long dinner alone last night, I think I've figured out that the bill will never come until you explicitly say "Check please." You can refuse dessert or extra beverages, but they will not make an assumption or ask if you would like your check. After thinking about it for a bit, I realized American restaurants are rude.
Outside of my e-liquid, all of my vaping hardware is made in China. However, in one of the most crowded cities I've ever been to, one that has many smokers, I've yet to see anyone else vaping. Some have asked about it and sounded intrigued by the flavor aspect.
The time zone is 15 hours ahead of my home time zone (Pacific Standard Time). It took me a while to think about what time it is at home until I realized I could just subtract three hours from China time and then switch the AM/PM. For example, it is 2:20PM in China. I subtract three hours for 11:20AM. Then I switch AM to an PM. Thus, 2:20PM is 11:20PM back home.
Driving is pretty similar to the USA. I assumed the cars would be narrow, but I realize I must have been thinking of Japan. The key difference is large bike lanes with a multitude of e-bikes, scooters, and mopeds.
The currency is pretty easy to mentally calculate since there are about 6 Yuan per US Dollar, but there are specifics about tipping and what-not that need to be figured out.
The hotel breakfast buffet is like dinner and I LOVE it. You get can get eggs and potatoes, but you can also get steamed pork buns, chicken, chow mein, fried rice, garlic pumpkin... just amazing stuff for the most important meal of the day. The coffee was fresh ground and delicious, probably in large part due to the fact that the milk was extra creamy.
I've eaten some interesting things, but I do not recommend duck tongue, although you should take a small bite just so you can say you've had it.
The Great Firewall of China blocks a surprising amount of the internet. No Facebook, Google (even my gmail account), YouTube, etc. I'll probably set up a VPN for next time I come here.
Tomorrow I'll be checking out downtown. I'm pretty excited.