Once more I stepped out of an airconditioned room and had my glasses instantly steam up. There is a possibility that this'll happen for the rest of the trip...
We spent the morning wandering Zitang again before catching a bus back to Shanghai. It is an impressive city and I like it considerably more than Beijing. I still find the lack of what I consider common courtesy (as well as the homicidal nature of the drivers; pedestrian crossings are merely targets) odd. People can collide with you, hit you with bags or umbrellas without saying a work or even look apologetic. I watched dozens of people pass a woman struggling to get her luggage up some stairs before I reached her and helped out. People will force their way past without saying "excuse me" or the equivalent and you can forget about queueing.
They are nice enough people when you talk to them though, and I am enjoying my time here. It is just the most different place I've been culture wise.
On a lighter note, we were walking down a busy street when a few drops of water hit the ground. Anyone familiar with the game "the floor is lava!" will have an idea of what the next part looked like. Suddenly people were screaming and there was a mass exodus towards shop doorways (which I of course followed). A few seconds later and some of the heaviest rain I've ever seen started falling. Even with our umbrellas up in testudo formation the rain splashing from the pavement drenched us up to our knees. Salespeople appeared with umbrellas of course.
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