I feel Kanye West would definitely appreciate this place- people at the airport in leather pants (a lot of them, too!), the otp extravagance of the neighbours...
Shanghai airport seems to operate on a basis of over-trustworthiness as I strolled under the massive NOTHING TO DECLARE sign in the fading bright green, where an airport guard dressed in a monochrome uniform and an official looking cap scowled at all who dare declare nothing, and I know Sydney airport operates similarly yet we have a declaration card. But then again China has seen just about every microbe under the Earth's sun and beyond, so I suppose there really is nothing left that would possibly trigger a surprise zombie apocalypse.
Continuing my journey through baggage claim and declarations, I came out to the general pickup area, looking for the round face with glasses that belonged to my eldest uncle- he drew the short straw and was assigned the benign duty of airport pickup. I followed the long and winding path through the pickup area, scanning and passing by all the other Asian uncles but had reached the end without seeing him.
Dammit, I thought, while reaching for my phone to send him a wechat when lo and behold he coughed loudly behind me. I turned around and was ready to smack that giant grin off his face but he started laughing and animatedly recalled how he spent the last 5 mins walking behind me and was wondering when I would turn around. Note to self: revenge.
Even in the airport, you could feel the heat of the night. It's less Sydney-heat, where the sun beats down and stings the skin, but rather summer in Shanghai tends to smoudler you giant hot moist blanket. A gross analogy yes, but there really isn't another way to describe it. Maybe stifling, sweating humidity.
Watch this space for 9 more days of stifling sweating humid days to come!
