‘Different but intriguing’

I’ve struggled with my diet pop addiction for more that 10 years and across three continents, so I can tell a lot about a country simply by its soda products.

Within an hour of landing in Shanghai, I knew China was going to be an interesting place. It’s not possible to find “diet” soda outside of U.S. soil. It’s “light” every place else. Every place I’ve been to, at least. But some countries are less apt to help Coke and Pepsi Light addicts feed their addiction, and China seems to be one such country. I was finally able to find a Pepsi Light that I refuse to share how much I paid for, but once in hand I had trouble opening the can. I pulled the tab and it didn’t budge. I looked sheepishly at my tour guide and asked for her help. She took the can from my hands and instead of pushing the tab down, the only way I know how to open pop cans, she simply pulled it off, similar to a can of V-8.

As crazy as it sounds, my experience with this simple can of Pepsi Light represents the Shanghai I saw Saturday—a little off, a little different, but very intriguing nonetheless.

The day started with a trip to the Shanghai Museum, which, thanks to a recent move by the Chinese government, has no entry fee. Another different but intriguing moment came before I, along with my travel companion, KSPN2 TV reporter Lannie Walker, and tour guide, Wonder, finished going through security. We each had at least two bottles of liquids in our bags. Lannie and I were prepared to throw them away, but instead they told me to take a sip. Simply following orders, I drank from both bottles. Lannie was a little more hesitant, but nonetheless obliged.

“I thought he just thought I was dehydrated or thirsty,” she said afterward.

Once the liquid safety questions were out of the way, we walked through the many floors of the museum, viewing the ceramics, seals, paintings, calligraphy, currency and jades of China. Some of the jades are so expensive, I learn, that back when China was divided into several countries, a jade could cover the cost to buy one of those mini countries.

The four-story building is set in a square shape with a round ceiling, representing the Chinese belief that the earth is square and the sky is round.

Another intriguing moment came as we prepared to leave the building and Lannie was stopped. A woman asked if she could take her picture with Lannie. Maybe I was wrong before. I really did sit next to and am traveling with a celebrity!

Next up was the People’s Square—one of the many places in the People’s Republic of China that shows it belongs to the citizens. Underneath the square is an underground market with more shops than on all of Saipan, selling fairly reasonably-prices clothes.

The Path to World Expo is nearby in the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center. Visitors can learn all about the Expo’s history and learn about Shanghai’s plans for next year, as the city prepares for the May 1 to Oct. 31, 2010, event.

As our tour guide said, you can’t say you’ve seen Shanghai without seeing Nanjing Road. No, the store-lined street wasn’t much different than other streets in big cities, but there was a certain level of relaxation in the air that is often missing on similar metropolitan streets.

Although in China, it doesn’t mean we don’t love our Western ways, so we decided on Western food for the night and headed to a jazz bar for some familiar food and familiar music.

The day ends like it begins, with a calorie-free beverage. Only this time it’s a Coke Light in a bottle. As I unscrew the familiar cap, I realize I could get used to this place.