apart from all the Expo Hype and talk of modernization and westernization, which is surely happening there, Shanghai, being the most western city in mainland China (Hong Kong is something different) is for me still a quite unique place, made of diversity and the contrast between the clichés old an new, rich and poor, singing and mahjong playing elderly in the parks and shopping teenagers constantly texting on their smartphones. I lived there some years and it's funny how newspaper articles about spitting and pushing people bring back sweet memories.
