In the Suburb of Shanghai. It is a different world.

There are many time I wrote on the blog that shanghai is not China, when you visit you see this sparling metropolis, and thinking wow chain is really the future of the Eastern country, really think about, this country only been developing for about 25 years. There are anything on the surface seemingly sophosicated, like many of the upscale restaurant or hotel, especially in the tourist district. However take a spin on the metro on different lines you will see the immediate different even for the riders, the behavior and their attitude.

Last weekend the first time one and a half year after I move to China, was the first time I saw all the security guards in action in the metro station. For the longest times I though they were just being there to be seen, just figurehead served no purpose. I had never seen them stop any one or search anyone. How wrong was I.

On this rainy cold mid Sunday afternoon, I pass by one of the business metro exchange station. There it was right in front of me, 5-armed securities surrounded 6 passengers with light luggage search and asking for ID. That coincidentally reminded me that I really should carry some kind of ID while in China. What ever they doing and why investigating, I do not know. But that just one thing reminds me that we are being watched at all time. My friend told me later that they might be from the border provinces. My response is that I thought citizen of China are allow to move freely within the country. They only require visa, if they wanted to go to Hong Kong. Besides how can the securities knew they were from the border provinces and restricted to travel here. The answer was, “ How they dressed”.

So when I get on the exchanged metro toward my suburban destination. I can immediately see the different on the way the rider where dresses. I saw no designer bags, no expensive clothes. If they wear knock off, they were the worst kind, because it is so fake that you immediately that could not be the real thing.

No one will ever wear a peacock color tights with short booth with fake fur lined rings and a bright color short jackets that is too light for the weather and yet carrying a huge Gucci bag; if it is the real deal will cost an upward thousands in dollars. Some man were earing sunglasses in a dark rainy day in the metro.

Young on the train all had the reddish brown hair color by the low quality dye their head looks like cover by haystacks. Fake color rubber shoes in bright colors, and tight jeans on the skeleton legs. I hate to be stereotyping, but it is all so true, they do not know what fashion means, they just try to copy of “the copy” that people wear in the center city.

I also beginning to see a lot more traditional clothing from the bygone era that I usually do not see people wear on the metro that is going around more on the shopping and business district. As soon as the train came to a major stop, the entire cart is almost empty. What is left there are all looking like factory workers and farmers.

I may be a little over reacting, until another encounter later that same day.

After a out of the was amazing museum visits, there is no way getting back to the metro but to get a Taxi. While we were waiting on the sidewalk, a woman in her 40’s dress in the communist era cloth started screaming at my friends and me in Chinese.

We have no idea what she was talking about. My friend thought she was trying to give us direction of the bus stop. I thought that it is kind of strange that suburban people be so friendly and enthusiastic trying to help us waving hands high and screaming on top of her lung, pointing finger at all directions, I started paying a little more attention, came to realize that she was actually cursing us. May be directing to me since my two other friends are obviously foreigners.

This is not the first time I encounter hostile attitude toward foreigners. I recall I mention one time one late evening when two of my female companion and myself wave down a taxi to take up to a private club, since they were all in 6” heals that made it difficult to walk on un even ground. The driver refuses to take us, and we refuse to get off the Taxi, in the end he just scream as us saying that he hate foreigners. I scream back at him in Chinese that to him tell him stop driving if he does not like us, because foreigners are the only one taking late night taxi home, the majority of the Chinese when the metro stop running, they stay home. If they wanted our cash, then don’t give us attitude.

Never the less, back to the crazy lady, I finally can make out some word she said. She was curing us that we Americans are here to take advantage of the country, driving the price high, and make them had a hard living. We should all pack our bag and go home. She blames the American invading China during the revolution and helping Republic of China. My God isn’t that really old history? I am not sure what American really did back in those days. I thought the world were involved. Plus my poor friends they are Europeans.

When I told her I do not understand Chinese hoping to shut her up, she scream louder that when we are in her country we should learn Chinese, so she can give us a lesson of what kind of evil our country did to her. My friends all thing it was so funny and looking at her. I told the to ignore even though there was no end in sight.

Finally a flash of green light a Taxi going to the opposite direction saw us, dis regarding all road regulations, she mad a U turn in the traffic to pick us up. We all jump in thought we were finally saved.

Not that fast, nothing is that B&W in China. The Tax driver had no idea where we are going, and my other friends had no idea the name of the Metro station is, she he just stop there without moving. Provided a perfect opportunity for the fierce crazy woman came up to the window of the car and continue to yell at us. That was a totally hopeless situation.

I finally with my less than efficient Chinese to tell the driver go the nearest metro station, he pretended that he does not understand, and I knew dame well he does, because I knew with may days and hour spend on metro riding back and forth practice my metro announcer Chinese. I knew my “Chinglish” is pronounced perfectly. But he still refuses to drive on; until I finally told him to go to the nearest line number 3 then he realized that I am not a totally infantile in the matter of directions.

Just when we thought we were getting out of the whole crazy encounter the final episode still awaits, when we came to the metro stop, and everyone were happy that we did not get lost, I paid the fare, and say thanks to be polite, the Taxi driver gave me an insulting hand gesture that I finally confirm that it was an insult because they look down on you and wanted dismiss you like a servant. I told me friend that at the station, they told me it was my overactive imagination. But I had it confirm what it meant in the morning with my Chinese friends.

Does this worthy of a blog? How many of you have ever encounter crazy thing Like did all the time. If you think Shanghai, and every one is nice, and everyone seems to understand you. I will take you to the suburbs leave you there, see if you can find your way home. I may even film you for the amazing race. Happy exploring.

Chance Encounter Shanghai