SHANGHAI: HONORING THE PAST, LIVING IN THE FUTURE

Arriving by bullet train from Xi’an, we were greeted by the vibrant energy of Shanghai, epitomized by its transport hub, home of the super-fast Maglev which has set world speed records.

- RICKY TOLEDO & CHITO VIJANDRE

Former Senator Nikki Coseteng flanked by the authors Ricky Toledo and Chito Vijandre at Shanghai's financial district

There’s a futuristic vibe, from advanced face recognition scanners everywhere, to the skyscrapers that dot the cityscape and robots securing the corridors of our hotel.

The phenomenal rise of this city and the country itself can be attributed to the balance of capitalism and communism and the constant drive for excellence which our guide, Sue, attested to in her own home where her son in primary school hurdles a tough atmosphere of competition that is inculcated from an early age. One of the highlights of this tour is interacting with locals like Sue who gives her country a human face, making us realize how discipline and the enforcement of law and order is so important in governance and the progress of a nation — something that hits hard considering recent events in our political scene. At the same time, she marvels at how Filipinos are so “chill,” finding time to slow down to become more effective in one’s work and improve the quality of living.

It’s amazing, though, how driven they are, with even the head of police approaching one of the media members in a previous “China Experience” group as related by former Senator Nikki Coseteng: “He actually made an effort to ask if everything was all right and if there was anything she observed that needed improvement.” We witnessed such concern ourselves on the train dining car when security officers noticed that we had no place to sit while there were some video-playing youths hogging tables. The teenagers were ordered to share the table with us hapless tourists.