Some Observations

You cannot record your thoughts unless a writing implement or recording device is right at hand.  Which never seem to be.
Shanghai is the exact opposite of my little cottage and idyllic spot in Sooke.  Never quiet.  There is always, I mean always, noise.  I suppose there is in Sooke too; however, that is more often the sound of nature.  Here there are car, motorbike, bicycle horns; sirens; people yelling - that seems to be a constant; dogs barking; children playing; loudspeakers blaring; music; bells; whistles; birds - yes, there are birds; wind.  A cacophony of un-orchestrated sound.
People yell to be heard.  On their cell phones they try to be heard over the noise of traffic and everyone else who are also trying to be heard over the same distractions.  They yell from the ground to people on the 20 something floor of apartment buildings - why they don't just go up or call and then yell less boistriously is beyond me.  (and I have a spelling block - must check later).  They yell for children to "lai.le" (come); or to "zuo ba" (hurry up), to get off the road, to pee over there - young children are still encouraged to urinate wherever it is handy, although a bit more discreetly since I was last here.  Perhaps that is more my not seeing many children out during the day.  (Must get back to that)  One little boy at a shop near my friends, where I was attempting to deal with finding the right adapter for plugging in my computer here with no luck, was given the instruction to pee on the concrete floor close to the counter.  Was this an indication of how desperate he was, a way to show the foreigner there was a son in the family, or indifference - perhaps all three?
There are fewer children around.  Things must be going well in China because they only come out of the brickwork when school is over.  This means that more and more children are attending preschool than ever.  Yes, grandparents still seem to be fetching them after classes because parents work - the difference is that there is spare income to send children off, thus lifting the burden off grandparents to care for grandchildren.  I am not sure this is good or bad - it certainly changes the cultural norm of society again.
Dogs.  As my family is aware, I am not a fan of dogs - especially big dogs.  When I left China I had only seen two big dogs - St. Bernard's, and they were in a car.  Now there are all sorts of mid-size and larger dogs.  It is like when people in China were finding they could afford to purchase cars.  China is not a car culture.  Nor is it a dog culture.  I am sure people do care about their pets, make no mistake - these are pets, not guard dogs; I hope.  The problem is that most people live in apartments, and they work all day.  So now, instead of looking after young grandchildren I can't help but wonder if grandparents are now looking after pets.  I have seen young and old alike walking these animals.  Small yappy dogs, larger - and calmer, big dogs.  Where once a woman pushing a shopping cart and talking to herself would not have gained even a first glance, now I have seen a woman pushing a shopping cart with her dog in it, talking to the dog.  That still does seem to get at least a couple of stares.  I was in a taxi, stopped for traffic, which gave me this study of people in China and their dogs.  Because they, the dogs that, are very much treated like children.
A final observation.  I am rather spoiled right now.  Still in the metropolis of Shanghai, not a whole lot to do, staying with a very gracious friend makes it seem as though I am on holiday as well as in a holding pattern.  A life like this would be very nice - food is always available, clean apartment, kind words, lots of personal space - she works, go out when I want to...now if I had this at home would I go for it?  I am inclined to say only if it did not mean I had to do all the shopping, cleaning and earning - which is not possible there or here.
So, I will enjoy this respite while I can.  Off to the office this morning to drop off photos for my visa - 16 of them!  Cannot imagine why they need so many.  Like one of the staff said, perhaps they have a personal album.  I could add to that by wondering if they have two albums, the ones they approve and the ones they don't - just because.  I doubt I will ever be able to figure out the legalities of the foreigner policies here - which makes sense from the Chinese standpoint.