Another summer week in the city

Another two weeks since I updated my blog been busy working, not much exciting news going on, except visiting a lot of amazing Shanghai clubs, (wait a minute, I may be old, but not restrained yet, I still got a few move left.) ha ha. I also made a bundle of really amazing international friends and established my own united nations.

I went to a comedy club recently, it reminded me of the second city comedy club in Chicago. For 50rmb, being entertained by a group of young comedians for three hours was a steal. Although they are all amateurs, they are very professional and funny. It is kind of a breath of fresh air to found a piece of American apple pie in China. However a lot of the topic were inside jokes, basically is a bunch of Americans, making fun of the French expats and the Chinese live in Shanghai in an
American own bar. Their subjects were daily life that we all find interesting including the price for the maid. I am no kidding, so me of the expat life here for too long they want to bargain with the old maid for a mere 50rmb while they only pay about 300-500 a month for these poor folks to clean the house, buy grocery, cook their meal, walk their dogs, do laundry, and everything else in between. You know they are not slaves you know. The price they got equalvilent to one day worth of work for their maid back home.

Let’s just move on to another subjects. I am sure you all saw the see thru dress shot on the young girls in Shanghai from you tub? I already wrote about the inappropriate dress code when I first got here on the same subject, so that was old news isn’t it. You know I do not miss a beat.

However, summer brought out the worst, I do not know if I should call that sexy or silly. Everyday in the office is like dressing up to go the beach everyday, it progressively going downhill as it approaching the weekend. You will see the conservatively dressed Married female with wraps that looks like a rage wrapping around their shoulder, and colors were not matching anything. For god sake we are in Shanghai, the city where silk merchandizing were everywhere, isn’t it time to get ride of the baby security blanket?

The underwear showing younger sets should really consider wearing something more than swimwear, or belly dancing outfit to the office. Thank God Ballet tutus were out of fashion for the season.

As for the boys, it is almost exclusively shorts and T-shirts. I try to enforce dress code for a while before they show up with thongs, but then after a while I just gave up, since deodarant is not a product widely adopted, plus most Chinese do not believe in washing their hair everyday. It is perhaps the best way to let everyone wear something more airy, while all the foreigners were wearing long pants in this sizzling heat. See, I am rather flexible, and go with the flow. After a while I just got use to it, nothing surprising any more.

Last week, I did a walking tour to some of the lesser know gallery districts and the four grand historic hotels that anchor the Bund. I had to tell you that it was worth all the sweat and burns in the middle of a Saturday afternoon. The amazing architecture from the by gone era were all so lovingly restored. As much as shanghai is famous for tearing down old buildings, around the Bund and some of the historical neighborhoods scattering around town retain a lot of the historic charms.

The expat community over here is so active which is beyond my expectation. Everyone were in their 30’s including myself of course, after many face lift  : ).  Not a word please.  What amazes me is a lot of them came from Europe without the language skill nor and job offer, and yet they keep coming. Every other week at the expat parties, I met new arrivals. In just a few short months, my circle of friends grew from a few close associates to more than 30 souls. I meant these are friends, we call each other on the mobile, we go out to do thing together as a group. Perhaps just a coffee in the afternoon, a very civilize afternoon tea, a walk at the park, a picnic to rowdy evening in the club. We had fun, and the phone keep ringing.  I even have a few friends like to go swim and work out together.

A lot of them even admitted they had never experience this kind of friendship in the home country ever. I suppose everyone here is on the same boat, we are alone, and a strong sense of belongings, a common bond of English as the common languages, gave us the longing of belonging. My experience with all of them some time is funny especially when expressions were lost in translation. We all burst out in laughers at time.

In conclusion of all that,

So far I found the French are really OK, the Germans are not as headstrong as I thought they would be, they are actually very low key. The Italian however were a little dominating, especially the girls, so they are kind of funny, they had no sense of time, if there is a party they will go even if it starts at 2AM on a week night. As for the British they were rather easy going with the stiff upper lips, and a smoke in their hands. The Canadians are surprisingly loud and party monsters as well. They love organizing group outings. Then all the South American and the Spaniards fill in all the gaps. The American except me is basically no existed. But no worry. You are well represented by me alone. I walk in any party I will be sported right away. I am not kidding.

That is why the boys knew if they hang around me they would eventually meet the girls they wanted to talk to because I am a magnet for girls, and they just came out from everywhere. Unfortunately for the girls I am off the market, it is a well knows fact, more opportunities for my other friends. Ha ha.

Funny one of my friend in NY just asked me how could I meet all these girls. I simple do not know, come find out in Shanghai.

But shanghai is not all about parties, there are so much stuff to do here, the venues are different than the life I had in NY, no politics for a change, although I still debate with friends from our northern neighbors, and what in the world they care about out politics any way? Aren’t they too large to be Annex anyway, and I thought the British already try unsuccessfully in the past, sorry.

OK, that is all for this week. I just wanted to provide a little peek into my life here besides getting all those fabulous party pictures from me wonder if I download it from the web and retouch myself in it. Oh boy that could be fun.

Chance Encounter, Shanghai again.