My first day in Shanghai

“A place shapes its people.” I felt the force of that saying on arriving in Shanghai. Parts of the city struck me as clean and orderly in a way that reminded me of Japan. That is only what I observed today in a few suburban and central locations, not a sweeping judgment. I came once before, early last year, but arrived after dark and saw little. In daylight I can take in more.

People are shaped by their surroundings. An environment can affect attitudes, ideas, and actions. That matters especially when someone is still forming their values. People with little spare mental room may be too busy making a living to reflect and can be carried along without choosing where they are going. A place that encourages growth can help; a place that invites passivity may quietly hold people back.

What makes a place good for me? Perhaps it is the immediate lift I feel on arriving. I often feel it in a large city, where the energy around me encourages me. A beautiful landscape can do the same. City or countryside, made by people or by nature, it leaves me glad to be there. That is what I mean by a good environment.

My Shanghai trip has only begun. I am still finding out what I think of this place…