Favorite Phrase: "Nagoya to Chicago"

I'm finally sitting in the lounge at the brand new airport in Nagoya, Japan and able to get at my digital photos. Only 4 more hours and I'll be on the plane (a 12 hour plane) to Chicago. Our last day in Shanghai was one of the most interesting and hands down the best part of the trip. It's what I hoped each day would be like, but if it's best to end on a good note, we certainly did.

The picture above is a narrow street leading up to one of the homes we visited. We wound our way through narrower and narrower gaps, twisting and turning, pushing soggy underpants and rain-soaked clothelines aside. We avoided puddles of urine and shan-goo, and finally came to a small doorway that barely fit me with my backpack on. Note the giant skyscraper in the background. Housing is so all over the place in terms of class structure, and there's no zoning laws. These homes were slightly lower middle class, but then the apartments in the background were million dollar homes.

I figured small at the outset, but was completely floored when we walked into a room half the size of my own bedroom... Only problem - it was their ENTIRE HOUSE. Toilets? Nope. Sink? Nope. Floors? Nope! High-speed internet and really fast computer? Of course! It was the oddest thing, and you could see them completely lose their surroundings as they logged in, on, and out. The internet has awarded them freedoms we cannot begin to understand.

So many things to remember... More to come soon. Before I forget, ask me about the kid peeing outside the door on my audio cables in the rain.