23. Making contacts

Shanghai is an incredible city. Its at the pinnacle of innovation and many ambitious, burgeoning industries. Things are happening and you can feel it, you can see it. This city waits for no man. Skyscrapers are growing faster than trees.

Contacts are everything. There is a huge contact card culture. You meet someone they give you their contact card, I really should get some.

However, at the moment I'm doing just fine as recently I've got a job tutoring a kid who is after just someone to talk to in English. Its quite phenomenal to think that you have this sensationally precious skill of being a native fluent English speaker and until you come and teach abroad you would have never given it a second thought. I'm meeting the family tomorrow who live quite close. I've been growing a beard so far this December and I'm not sure if I should shave for the first meeting. Ah decisions.

Sport clubs are also a great source of contacts. I'm a member of a rugby team, full of people in lots of different industries, and as of Thursday night a football team, who all seem like they are doing alright for themselves. As of now though, nothing major has come from these two. In time things may develop.

Just now though, I was texting someone whose bike I liked on craigs list. They were selling it, and I have really wanted a bike. I know it is dangerous but there is no better way to see this city and I have felt frustrated that I only really know the city through the tube stops and their surrounding areas.

I met the seller just now by the look of the bike. i thought it'd be a Western guy leaving but 'Mr Bike'(the name I had put in my contact list) turned out to be a mid twenties Chinese girl. Respect. She gave it to me for 300 yuan chucking in a sturdy lock I bought her a coffee.

We started talking and she is part of a business who import international goods, mainly everyday things in the house, healthcare, healthy foods, face care, kind of a P&G style company. There is a company similar in China called Taobo and they were in the news recently for making $ 1 billion in a day or something ridiculous. The money is big that's a certainty.

Suddenly I knew everything there was to know about British manufacturers. As mentioned before, I told her that China was crying out for some decent moisturizer. I'm meeting her boss in the next two weeks.

In return I invited her to our flat party on Monday.

The bike itself, well as you can see its a BMX. Something I would never go for, its fun to ride, you can move about so well on it. They tyres are rock solid aswell. In the background is the music player I bought today, the sound is alright and it was only £8.

Mum, I promise I'll buy a helmut.

This may just be like most things, a road that leads to nowhere. But who knows. There is something going on here and thats what I love about this city.