Are We There Yet?

Hello from Shanghai. I am here attending the Intel Developers Conference and managing a photoshoot of mobile internet devices(MIDs) that will be launched later this year. This is my first time visiting China and my first time blogging. I am excited to see Shanghai but not sure about the blogging. Based on how my trip started here I know it all will be a great adventure.

It began with a crazy cab ride from the airport to my hotel. The hotel driver didn’t meet me so I had to get my own taxi. Usually no big deal but I didn’t have the hotel information in Chinese. A local contact for IDF helped me by providing instructions to the cab driver and I was off to the Eton Hotel. An hour and half later and several u-turns I knew my cabby was lost. Yes, not asking for directions is a universal affliction. And unfortunately I only know how to say “Are we there yet” in English and broken Spanish. Anyway my kindly cab driver finally stopped and asked for directions to the hotel. Meanwhile, I am sitting in the backseat feeling really foolish. I started thinking about the info I had in my laptop. I remembered the hotel website with driving directions and the IDF website with a map. Helpful stuff, I hadn’t printed out and didn’t have access to it when I needed it. Which leads me to why I am here at IDF–To learn more about the cool mobile internet devices available to buy later this year. Will these devices allow me to quickly pull up websites, get directions and help stubborn cab drivers? And most importantly, can they tell me where I can find designer handbags and shoes while I am here. Stay tuned.