I always looked forward to traveling to Shanghai because it is, and always will be, my home. There are many things that I enjoy doing. Whether it be staying in the house doing nothing, or going out to eat in restaurants, I love them all. However, not every place is perfect. I am willing to admit that there is some things about Shanghai that I dislike, and would rather they be gone. These things are common annoyances, or just something that could be a bit more structured.

The first annoyance is the mosquitoes that come out during summer. No matter where you go, these pests seem to manifest in any manner. You could be in a closed off apartment, and somehow these things will appear. I'm often awoken by their buzzing during the night, and I have a suspicion that they seem to know that I dislike that. Another thing that I dislike about them, which also takes the number one thing I hate, is that they bite. Now, everyone reading this should know that they bite; I am more than willing to bet that those who have been bitten by them can agree that their bites are more frustration than terror. When they bite, it is itchy, with a mild burn, depending on how bad it is. We call the mosquitoes whose bites sting as "poison mosquitoes," though I think they are any less dangerous than normal mosquitoes. Sometimes, you get a bite that swells up, meaning you'll have to apply ice. When I was young, I would always be called a "red bean paste" due to the bites that riddled my body.

Another thing quite common in Shanghai, and maybe other parts of the world, are smokers. Shanghai is notorious for people who partake in smoking, especially on the dinner table. People usually like to smoke socially, so dinners are a perfect time for that. Not everyone smokes, however. It is often that kids are present when they do. Even if no kids are present, smoking is detrimental to both the smoker and the other people sitting around him. I feel like it also dilutes the cleanliness of the food on the table, and is overall an unpleasant experience. Once, I joked to myself that I have a smoker's lung for the unusual amount of secondhand smoking. Now, I feel like this could almost be true. Not only are smokers present at the dinner table, but they are also present everywhere else. Last night, I was unfortunately caught in the middle of three smokers who didn't smoke one cigarette, but an entire pack. I kept placing my hand over my nose and mouth, and though I really wanted to, I couldn't ask them to stop smoking. That would be considered rude, since one of the men was the host family and another was my uncle.

The last thing isn't technically an annoyance. I think it is both a good and bad thing, so to speak. Everyday in Shanghai, I don't really get a schedule, neither do I know what will be happening. I never ask nor do I think much about it, and sometimes I like for it to come as a surprise. However, certain things pop up so randomly, that I kind of feel it is too fast in pace. I like things that are slow and steady, so these things often make me a little anxious, no matter how fun they are. I am also not good at accepting change, as I prefer a life that is constant. Which is why I often pester mom about what we are doing tomorrow, the day after, three days after, the next week, etc. I like to know beforehand, so that I can prepare myself mentally. This is actually a very small thing I have about Shanghai. Actually, even the city itself is constantly changing, so some things are never the same.