I join the party

Am I becoming Shanghainese?
That is the question.

May be not actually became one, but becoming one?
At least I come to term that I can get everything I need to survive on. May not be the same as back home, but all human had the basic needs and back home we are just a little more picky.

An example for toothpaste and tooth brushes; they have it. It is just basic right? I can get the easily at “7-Eleven”, yes, the Expat survival outpost. You look for “Crest toothpaste, sorry P&G, not here, but there are alternative like “Colgate”. So what is the big deal? The fact it is may look the same price the same, but it is not taste as sweet and fresh as it is back home and it is not so thick either, but it is after all toothpaste.

I also get use to the fact the if you really need something badly, you will spend a little more time and go an extra miles to get it, no need to bend all out of shape, if you can get that tuna in a local grocery store, you can always get it at the expat store, and prepare to get ripe off. Still, watch that blood pressure, before it got so high.

The reason I say that I may be fast becoming local is that on this very morning as I cross the same avenue; yes (It is call Park Avenue, and it does have flowers on the middle of the street). On route to work, as cross many times in the last five months, same routine everyday, say hit to the concierge, and the doorman, say thanks for opening the gate, and they never say hello or acknowledge my existence. Then on to the street corner waiting for the light to turn green, so I can cross, and watch the kamikaze driver run the red light in front the traffic cops. Remember I told you before they are there to regulate you, not traffics. Look and make sure there is no on coming traffic, then cross.

But this morning, it will forever change my life here. The light turn green, and I cross, the buzzing traffic still trying to cross in front of me, I just stood my group and they crash, I close my eye and walk straight thru, and left them on the road just like everyone else does. Wow, that felt great. I am not longer this foreigner, just waiting politely for my turn that using the entire duration of the green light and never have a moment I can actually cross in safety, not in the morning anyway, so if you can’t beat them, join them. Even old ladies cross the road fast than I am. But did it, I do not know why now or why is it this morning, I am not in a rage, am I becoming local, or just a little bold?

My friend told me I should be careful. It is about power play, and sees who get scare first, and give the right of way to the other, supposedly being a little stronger and stand the ground. You know what will happen if two hard head met one day. I may end up getting flatten like as a pancake. He is quite right, but it is just too tempting, for once I had the upper hand, they crashed. (This is where you scream Bravo Eduard).

It is all about power play, I do know what people gain by practicing that, for me they are just annoying, so I am not taking the back seat, or left holding the stick. I did my leap forward this morning.

In China most of the under class are not very well educated, perhaps it is a way they wanted you to know that they are a force to be reckon with, they challenge your courage in every ways, like child play. It happens everywhere, Taxi ride before rush hours. It is more than a thrill. In line at the convenience store I can guarantee, every time some short, tiny Chinese usually girls will in front of you. At he beginning, I usually let them get away with it, lately I just yell at them. Some try to ignore me, and keep on going, other time, people in line behind me will say the same thing to them as well, then they pretend that they do not know there is a line, get real people.

By the way, My friend as me, how is my first birthday like in Asia I told them I don’t know, I was in dapper, hopefully did not wet one at the same time while Mommy is blowing out the candle. If you ask me about my recent birthday here, then there is another story.

My team gave me a huge surprise party, which is really a surprise, because I thought Chinese do not do birthdays.
Never the less, it was three cakes, one from each department. I was actually in a meet, they came in to tell me my boss wanted to see me, and there he was in the conference with everyone there, it was a lot of noisy fun, and lots of candles for an old man.

The whole birthday weekend was like a three days celebrations. I do not know how everyone found out. I am getting tons of email from around the world, most surprising, I even get two real paper cards, one from an old friend in Chicago, the other from my new friend from China. I also received foreign gifts, a Thai dinner, an American style steak dinner, and an authentic French dinner, with the collection of international friends. A visit to the spa top the weekend. Best of all, drinking is optional. I am blessed to have some real friendship in Shanghai. Thanks.

So here is the week

Another week, another thought

Another week in Shanghai burning candles on both end. Working for 12 hours and entertain another 6, and then back to the grinder the next day. If you already tire reading about this, you know how I feel.

Yet there are times this kind of entertainment is unavoidable. For starter, I have a houseguest, together with my other expat friends we decided that we could ignore the downpour to patron one of the more famous Mexican restaurant. Yes, Mexican.

Believe me, I try all day couldn’t get thru the line for reservation. My friend told me not to worry it is a big place, and how wrong was he, even though it is a huge place and a weeknight, and pouring rain on the outside. We were denied entrance for no reservation. A little disappointed on the other hand I am not kin on spending 600-700rmb for Mexican dinner anyway. With my luck we decided to go to another place, and it turn out to be a very decent dinner. An A+ since the dishes tasted nothing out of ordinary. If it is not because all the chefs in the kitchen were Chinese, I will not noticing any difference between Mexican restaurants back home.

Thursday night I went to the only Vodka bar in Shanghai. My first in four month to wander out on a school night, because I had no choice but to entertain one of my new found friend here in the city. The décor is nothing fancy, but the price was. The bar got pack at 11PM, like everywhere else in the world; needless to say, I stayed a little too long, and broke the bank along the way. Does it worth it? I suppose so.

That bought me to the point of my blog this week. A lot of you had been following my adventure since I got here, you also saw the changes on subjects from culture shock, to making fun of the experience, to a little more of my own opinion recently. I am hoping that everyone reading this blog and my encounter with a little humor, and not take it so seriously. After all this is only my personal encounter, your experience may not be the same as mine.

What worry me is that I am starting to get email from friends saying that they have not desire to live or visit china after reading what I encounter. In the contrary, I wanted you to come visit and see for yourself. We cannot always use the standard in US to judge other culture. European cultures are not Eastern culture. You wanted to expand your horizon, go south or East.

I hope I did not paint a negative picture for you on China. A lot of the articles that you read in some odd ways were true, but yet it is far from the experience I had here. Just like most people from Far East we are all over weight pigs, ate steak every night. Most of us wear boots and cowboy hats. Do we?

Yes culture different is expected isn’t that make the world interesting? How would you like it if I fed you just your favorite dish repeatedly, without changes for the rest of your live. In a way we are living in a monoculture, every cities and towns you can find the same thing. We can call it unification of a culture; others may consider it as boring.

In a city like Shanghai, it is actually not really China. Just like visiting Hong Kong is not really visiting the orient, it is just big shopping trip to the mall.

This is just my opinion.

Chance Encounter Shanghai.