the big city

I made it home, greeted by my four girls - tackled with kisses & love. It is amazing to be a daddy. I missed them a ton...and Ali did a great job of holding down the fort without me (a large task with our three energetic ones). She is amazing. I had a great trip, and was amazed by the sights of yet another massive Chinese metropolis. Shanghai dwarfs our 3+million populated city, with over 22 million people and incredible skyscrapers, beautiful architecture & modern cosmopolitan bustle. It was also quite crowded, expensive & buzzing with energy. I got to see some of the major sites in this romantic city {without Ali, so sad!}, attended the Trade Expo & the US Embassy, and visited with a great friend.
Here I am posing near "The Bund" - an old promenade on the Huang Pu (the Yellow River) lit up by the dazzling Shanghai nightlife.
Here are some TALL towers - the one on the left was the tallest building in all of mainland China - the Jin Mao, at 1381ft with 88 stories (the 6th tallest in the world), until the one on the right was built alongside. The Shanghai World Financial Center, 1614ft, 101 stories (which will be the 2nd tallest in the world), is still under construction. Either way - they are tall. ...up in the clouds!!

All in all, it was a productive trip: I took care of my passport issues and learned even more about the ice cream business at the Trade Expo (and made some good contacts). And of course it was great to see our friend again and spend some quality time with him! Here I am with him - saying goodbye at the train station.