China is developing at an astonishing rate. The first time I went to Shanghai, I remember looking at a map before the trip to figure out which bank of the Huangpu I should stay on. Mission Impossible 5, the movie partially shot in Shanghai was releasing that month, and if you have seen the movie, you know the Shanghai footage in it and will understand my interest at the time. I picked the Puxi side and every time I have gone since, I look around to see what new skyscrapers are changing the skyline. And the development has been consistently sight numbing.
This time walking into the just opened brand new Terminal 3 at Beijing International Capital Airport was entirely jaw dropping. As airports go (second home for me), this one is at an entirely new level - in size, scale, layout, planning, and service. Similarly the fast changing skyline of the (new) financial district or the brand new Singapore style Airport Expressway was new this time from before. The Olympic Games are coming and boy will China be ready. All in all, around the world, I have never seen development of this scale at this pace (I haven't been to Dubai, though cant imagine it coming close).
That said, there is the darker ecological impact side of this development. I remember musing over the hazy skies in the Bay Area over a weekend a few years ago when the dust storms were blowing sand off the Gobi clear across the Pacific and into the Bay Area, thanks to the severe deforestation around Mongolia. This time I got to experience the sandstorm up close - standing in it, small particles of dust or sand hit your face (or other exposed parts of your body) and prick where they land. Its a unique experience - standing in a strong winds while having hundreds of sharp pings all over your face.
The world is getting to be a small place. As Tom Cruise makes the jump in the movie, its easy for the Shanghai skyline to fill up your family room screen in THX. Unfortunately its just as easy for the sands of Gobi to show up right at your doorstep.
