RETURNING

These first days back in Shanghai have felt almost like a return home, certainly a return to a place that feels familiar.   And yet the changes that I have noted in previous years continue to accrue.  Shanghai Jiao Tong University celebrated its 120th anniversary the weekend before I arrived and signs of the celebration are still on the walls and shining at night in special spotlighted areas.

The campus itself has changed in its atmosphere because of one simple change.   Last year, the western edge of the campus was grimy, muddy, and alternately dusty and gritty because of the heavy machinery digging out and removing what was the campus track so that an underground parking garage could be built.   On my return, I find that the job has been completed.  The cavity filled, underground parking for the campus now exists, and the result is that cars appear to be banned from the rest of the campus, so the newly black-topped streets from last spring now are open to safe pedestrian traffic.   No longer are both edges of the road filled with parked cars with the people forced to weave through two-way traffic in a one-way space;

instead for once in China, pedestrians reign supreme on the streets (except when a lone motorbike or scooter comes honking down the middle of the road.  Even on one way streets, a pedestrian has to remember that motor scooters and bikes do not appear to have any rules attached to their behavior.)

Not only is the parking garage complete, but the field and track have been reinstalled but with new material.  The grass is synthetic, perfectly green and perfectly trimmed.   The track is also made of synthetic material, well-cushioned to protect the feet, knees, and hips of those who use it.   Adult sized playground units are placed on the southeast edge of the track.

  A new basketball court sits on the west side of the track, but the former tennis court sits unfinished on the eastern edge of the track.  Friday morning, when I first walked the track, students were playing soccer in the middle of the field where there are four soccer goals set up.   Middle aged men were doing body damaging gymnastics on the playground units, and a number of people were walking, jogging or running on the track.   Sunday morning, the middle of the track was clear, except for a group of four who were practicing a sword form.

It's May, as I insert this paragraph,  the 16th, and last weekend the tennis court finally opened.  Since I arrived I have watched the sand (literally) the cement base of the court until it was smooth, add paint to the floor of the court, stripe it, stretch the net, re-install the fencing and put in the overhead lights.   And last weekend I saw two men hitting balls to each other.

The Economics building was finished last year but still undergoing finishing touches.   This year it is fully functional, housing offices and classes.   That's the building on right edge of the empty street in the first photo.   In the entry, stands a large carved mastodon tusk.

Back outside the campus, on the other side of Huashan road, construction continues on a project that has been at least two years in the making.  Last year, they were digging out a pit, much as they did for the underground parking garage for the campus.  This year there are buildings showing above ground rising several stories, but not of skyscraper height.  Not yet, anyway.  We understand there may be stores here and offices for business.   It's a big project, but likely to be done within the next year or two.  Imagine, more shopping in a four block radius that contains at least four department stores and a grand mall and innumerable smaller ones.  Judging by the people out last Friday, there is indeed room for more places to shop and eating.

There are two of these buildings side-by-side.   And around the corner on the same block it looks as if a huge parking garage is coming up.