yes apparently it is from shanghai. i've got fedex tracking already, and apple did choose the fastest international shipping.
but, this on the other hand, indicates that apple is not 'ready' for the launch. there must be a production issue, so they can only ship a very limited quantity to us ahead just for display. since normally if they have 1 whole month preparation time, they should be able to ship supplies to US and other countries ahead. it saves time and money.