I flew on Wednesday from Cleveland, to Chicago, to Shanghai, to Shenzhen. I arrived a day later, that night. My first impressions here: things seem huge: cities are huge, buildings are huge, airports are huge. Both cities a quite Westernized in that, for example, you see hugh billboards selling upscale clothes and the models are your typical chiseled chin blond man and pouty lip long-legged female. Very few images of Chinese people. The cities seem clean, at least what I have seen so far. Very modern. Tons of skyscrapers. Lots of new, foreign cars (haven't seen one SUV) -- Toyotas, Volkswagons, Mercedes, and the like. The people are very friendly and helpful except for some of the Chinese businessmen. They remind me of some of the corporate types you encounter when traveling -- pushy and arrogant. But everyone else is nice. The young people love the Western look. Many girls have dyed their hair with red, and they have the big shiney purses with tons of jingly things dangling from them, tight jeans, the whold works. Shenzhen feels almost tropical. In fact, it has palm trees!!
I am staying at the Sheraton in Shenzhen. Tomorrow it's off to the big medical trade show nearby. I got a real kick out of opening the desk drawer in my room. In it was everything you are likely to need: a small stapler, a container of lead replacements for a lead pencil, staples, staple remover, eraser, large clip, and highlighter pen.
More tomorrow...