Friendly Cab Drivers

So, if there's one thing that I really love about traveling in China, it's definitely the cheap cab rates, and the generally friendly drivers. In Shanghai, the flag falls at 11RMB, which is the equivalent of approximately 1.75$ CAD. The first 2KM is 11RMB, and subsequent distance is something like 1RMB/KM, which is ridiculously cheap. On those lazy early mornings in Toronto, trying to get to SFUX for 5:15am, a three minute cab ride sets me back 8 bad boys, so I'm savouring the distance my dollar takes me here.Cab drivers in China have been hit and miss in the past, but these last few days, I've had a string of good luck with very talkative men who seem to relish the idea of teaching a young "lao wei" (Chinese for "foreigner") some local talk. They're so impressed with my pathetic mandarin language skills, it's pretty ridiculous. I've had a cab driver try to teach me all of the key phrases for bargaining at the market ("too expensive!" "are you trying to make me laugh??" "that's my last offer!"...), another talk to me about the politics of living in Shanghai, but not being from Shanghai, and another one tell me all about his new grandson. Hopefully I'll have similarly friendly cab drivers outside of Shanghai. I'm leaving Shanghai tonight, but first, I'm off to get a massage and do some walking and shopping around some of the back alleys of Shanghai. I still haven't figured out how to take the photos off of my camera and put them on the computer, so....this may be a non-illustrated blog......if any one of you can tell me how to do the transfer thing, that would be fantastic, because I, as most of you already know, am a total luddite.