Dublin? Thanks for that happy thought, but no …

I’ve spent the last few days here in Shanghai China.

The city’s architecture is beautiful and skyscrapers dominate the landscape, springing up faster than in any other place on the globe. Still, despite its mammoth size, Shanghai has only about half the traffic congestion of Milwaukee during rush hour.

They’ve just increased taxes here but no one appears to be complaining. Unfortunately, Watchdog Milwaukee is banned here so you can’t get our pearls of wisdom posted straight from the city. (please see “note” below - ed.)

That being said, I can’t say enough good things about Shanghai; it is an urban center offering the opportunity for people from poor rural backgrounds to come to the city with hope for a better life. Consequently, the population shift has required a dramatic increase in demand for housing, and the powers that be appear to have addressed the problems head on. Most of the new architecture is beautiful and has added a sense of place to peoples lives.

Evening here changes things dramatically. The atmosphere in the streets is electrified in neon and other lighting so dramatic it rivals our own Las Vegas — Shanghai is a hot place to be and this is a hot time. Street vendors come out and lay out their wares for all to see.

Buses are used by a large amount of people but the primary mode of transportation appears to be bicycles, mopeds and hybrids with a smattering of aggressive taxi drivers careening around for good measure.

If you have a chance, Shanghai is the place to be.

Tomorrow: They say this city will tell you the history of this country back 100 years. Where will I be?

Note: You may have noticed that “Where in the World” is being posted under the “John-david Morgan” tag, but also in the “Jim McGuigan” category. The author of “Where in the World” is indeed our globetrotting publisher, Jim McGuigan. Because WatchdogMilwaukee.com is banned online content in China (quite an honor to be sure, although it is — like most censorship — downright impractical), editor Morgan is posting on Jim’s behalf from home base.