Changsha

Wednesday, March 18th, 2009
4:33pm
Sheraton Changsha, Room 2515
Hah! Just got back from the fitness floor. SO NICE!! Love shiny machines with built-in cable television and heartrate monitors. Hurrah! Endorphins!
I'm a fan of hotels. That I am. I'm also definitely a fan of Sheratons. I just imprinted well with them, that's all. Though... they're also just really nice @_@ Good god, the privilage I get. It's sickening.
Well, in other news, Changsha is AWESOME! Don't get me wrong- I think Beijing is very impressive, but Changsha has so much more color, space, variation, and aesthetic differentiation. Some of the areas we drove by on the way to the hotel almost remind me of Las Vegas, actually. There is a wonderful juxtaposition of old and new, upscale and grimy... things feel at once to be institutionalized and grassroots. From our window on the 25th floor, we can see a wonderful mixture of things.

There are rides around a nearby lake, a soccer field, designer clothing stores, hotels, office buildings, and even apartments. I can see all sorts of things happening on buildings' roofs too: there are people walking around, garments hanging out to dry, and even full gardens. It's fascinating to look at it all! The city really feels vibrant.
The flight here was uneventful and calm. Beijing Airport is amazing, and I LOVE all of the smart advertisement placement. For example, the bag inspection bins are lined with adverts, which is brilliant, because EVERYONE who passes through is exposed to them. They might not directly notice the ads, or think about the product being promoted, but it's great for building brand recognition. I also noticed adverts in the little sanitary sheets that cover the headrests of the airplane seats. Smart, huh? I mean, you're GOING to be staring at the back of the seat in front of you, so there's no way you can really miss the ad. Oh, marketing is so much fun!

Crap. Better shower so I can meet up with Steve and maybe Nathan. Hopefully we can explore! Whee!

9:00pm
Whoah- went wandering and found this place called Martyr Park. Just wandered in, and there's a lake, paths, gardens, and even an amusement park!
It kind of felt like an old, broken down carnivals. There were rides, animal attractions, and paddle boats to take out on the lake.
I wandered around until Steve called, then made my way back to the hotel. Changsha sure is an interesting, colorful place!