So I’ve finally returned from a huge bout of traveling…and also, with the help of my expat friend, overcome the block on the blogs here (for now). Here is a little blurb..

Shanghai

I began my travels in Shanghai, a major city filled with throngs of people and flashing lights. The mixture between Eastern and Western architecture was quite interesting, as I soon learned of the city’s colonial history. Tree-lined streets and European-esque buildings contrasted by shingled Asian-style roofs…often within same neighborhoods. Staying near the French Concession the first couple nights with my cousin and his girlfriend, I discovered a large expat community, where I didn’t even have to speak a word of (broken and poor) Mandarin. The rest of the trip, I had to learn some Mandarin phrases, and fast—no one spoke Cantonese as they do in Guangdong…I have been spoiled.

The first day included explorations of crowded artist alleyways mixed with wine bars and bistros. The days after, I began to stay near the north of the Bund River, which featured a fantastical skyline of 50’s-flavoured Jetson’s buildings, the lights of which would flash ostentatiously. Well-lit tour boats traversing up and down the river meant the waters were also illuminated…straight until midnight, when the show for tourists shut down.

Of course, exploring across the river on the Pudong side proved lovely too. It was far away from the thousands of tourists flooding the riverview on Zhongshan Lu. I did find masses of boisterous tourists from other parts of China who moved quickly to elbow you out of the way, and spat emphatically on streets (more on ‘manners in China’ later). These tourists greatly contrasted the streets lined with Chanel and Cartier, Giorgio Armani, and other prestigious brands. To me, it felt like the city was trying to harbour a lot of class, but the people did not reflect it, locals or visitors alike. That’s not meant to sound elitist…more on that in the ‘manners’ post.

The rest of my time in Shanghai encompassed lots of art! I explored a series of abandoned warehouses that had been converted into art galleries and studios at Monganshan Art District. It was a comprehensive array of contemporary artists representing every movement of art, with a very Asian twist. I was very intrigued. Street art, life-sized sculptures, paintings, photography…the list goes on. It was very easily one of the best parts of the trip.

Of course, went to the “must-visits,” the Shanghai Museum, and then the Indonesian gallery of contemporary art (all situated smack downtown) and the Great Walled City for old Chinese architecture and again, more crowds. I rode the new high-speed Shanghai-Nanjing railroad (at 350km/hr) to Suzhou, a beautiful ancient city filled with old forts, pagodas, temples, gardens and rivers. It was quite calming to visit these places, especially with the sound of live Chinese lutes in the background.

All that to say, the mad rush back to make the last train while not understanding a word of what anyone was saying gave way to an awesome night of dancing til around 3am at an obscure alt-scene club called Logo..nightlife in Shanghai is amazing. The last evening was spent at Bar Rouge, with a spectacular city-scape view and a somewhat more posh crowd.

I would say, despite noticing a major cultural difference between large Chinese cities, such as Guangzhou to Shanghai, my experience there was positive. Would I travel there again? In a heartbeat. I feel artistically deprived in my city--Shanghai is very diverse and definitely has a more urban feel.

So there it is...my thoughts on Shanghai...and more on other cities as I travel there...

I quickly learned one thing about the Chinese culture. And that is the love of food. Food in any form, of any delicacy, done in the most lovely ways: spicy, salty, hot, cold, stir fried, pan fried, simmered in a hot pot, steamed, boiled, braised...so many ways to do food, and yet, I've experienced so little. I had the opportunity to try such interesting delicacies as silkworms and earthworms...I also tried frog. It sounds so exotic, but really, it is everyday fare in this province. The other thing I quickly learned, on my company trip to the volcanic island last weekend--Chinese people are usually doing one of two things. They are either sleeping or eating. The entire trip, though very picturesque and beautiful, consisted primarily of eating fancy meals, or sleeping post-meal. Which sounds great in theory--but then the concept of sightseeing and *activity* are completely butchered. Moving on, I wanted to know what the Chinese did for fun on a weekend night, besides the aforementioned. "QQ (the equivalent of MSN chat), or computer games..." they said. "I meant, involving human interaction?" I asked, perplexed. "The internet IS interaction..."
Oh my. I did not understand. And I couldn't tell if it was cultural or personal differences that caused my lack of understanding..I quickly took a poll within my coworkers and local friends to see what they did for fun. I even asked my hairdresser, taxi driver, and fruitstand lady. The response was overwhelmingly the above, with a sprinkle of television or video games thrown into the mix. Clearly I have not yet experienced the stimulating effect of a local Saturday night here....I must embark on this cultural journey....

Often, when I go around town to a restaurant, a store, the cafe, or to buy my groceries, to get a woman's attention I will say "Miss!" in Chinese, thinking nothing of it. Well I had been wondering why as of late I had been getting some rather distasteful responses to me hailing the waitress, storeowner, or hairdresser. My friend and colleague kindly informed me that to address someone here as "Miss" is the equivalent of calling them a prostitute, because those women of the night prefer not to be called by their names, whereas women who are not in that profession have names and are not addressed as "Miss." I learn something new each day.

The one thing I think I'll be much more appreciative of when I return home is the hours! People here work damn hard...and I'm not just talking about overtime hours at the office. Those are a given for any job. I'm talking about getting on the back of a motorcycle taxi only to learn that the driver has worked an 11 hour shift standing all day at the factory prior to starting an all evening shift as a bike driver, 7 days a week. Simply not the first case I've seen, either. Then we complain about things like 'late pages to production' or working 8 hrs on Saturday...wow. I see that these people who work 18 hours a day have families too, and I wonder how they can subsist knowing people like us go and sit in offices all day then complain we had to ride a half hour commute in traffic and eat lunch in the hot sun, because "oh my god that project is due and we have it SO hard for needing to think in our air-conditioned rooms and meet a deadline." Seriously.

**edit: "how [people] can subsist knowing people like us go and sit in offices all day then complain"--is by no means making a reference to one type of lifestyle being better than the other!!

On couples wearing matching clothes in China

I must say this is a very interesting phenomenon that is just not prevalent in North America: couples wearing matching clothes. This is not just meant to ridicule the notion of being matchy-matchy, but rather a comment on how this notion is executed with a great amount of sincerity and thought. Case in point: stumbling across a store specifically for this in Daliang (a city near Guangzhou) – a retail store selling shirts in the same colour and design for both male and female counterparts to wear at the same time. I’m not going to get into the hetero-normative assumptions of the store itself. I will just say that this sickeningly “cute” idea is part of the whole Chinese concept that “it’s better to be a part of something than an individual.” This is a prime example of how Eastern collectivism is in stark contrast to Western individualism. Here, I notice, it is very undesirable to a local to stick out and it’s better to do what you can best to avoid it. In my opinion, the matching clothes between couples—and sometimes even friends—is a great example of this. One thing’s for sure: as coordinated as you’ll ever find me, you will never see me wearing the same clothes as my counterpart.

On yelling, honking and general noise in China

As a Westerner, I tend to like my selective personal space and keeping to myself, regardless of being extroverted. So, even on days when I am tired and I am tempted to take a motorcycle home (the motorcycle taxis here are much faster than taking the bus), walking outside and being immediately solicited to by several drivers in the form of honking and yelling seriously makes me reconsider the decision. I am not quite sure how direct advertising here works, but I know one thing, it MUST work for some people, otherwise why do vendors keep doing it? I go to the market and people yell in my face to get me to purchase their vegetables. I walk down the street and people yell at me to get me to ride their taxi. I walk by a cell phone shop and I am instantly yelled at to ‘check out the deals.’ I understand direct advertising, but I don’t understand how it can be effective in such a context. In my opinion, an annoyed customer is less likely to pay any attention to the message. Yet clearly the message is conveyed, regardless of the format. And should I really be thinking of yelling in the form of marketing campaigns when really it’s not anything that’s pre-conceived or well-thought out? I guess it’s the advertising chick in me that has to respond. Yelling won’t gain you a foreign customer. Though I’m sure it will gain you several locals.

On being illiterate in a foreign country

Being able to articulate my thoughts well in written form is a pride of mine. In part, it is how I tend to weasel my way out of arguments, make a political stance, or establish a point clearly. In many ways it is a part of my personality and who I am. It does not come as a surprise, then, that I am so bothered by the fact that since I came to this country I have all but 'lost' this ability due to the fact that I cannot read (or can read very little) Chinese. As such, a lot of what I say loses credibility. I cannot read to back it up. I have to use translators to get through a simple daily task such as checking my email. I do not understand company-wide notices. All my personal issues become public because I need someone to help me read it. The other day I got my electricity bill. I had to get a coworker tell me how to read it. In many ways, although I am a fully-functioning, fully-aware adult, not being able to read has put me in a juvenile position. And because of my Asian appearance and my ability to speak Cantonese without an accent, it is not at first apparent to others that I am not from here. The other day, I was paying my bills at the bank (again since I cannot read to do the online banking, I must do it in person). The teller told me to fill out a form. "I'm sorry sir, I cannot read it, can you tell me what each category says so I may fill it out," I said to him. He looked at me with shock. The other tellers turned around and stopped what they were doing. The other customers turned and stared at me. In moments my own teller had about 3 others gathered around just to watch the situation unfold. I had to show my passport and explain that I was a foreigner. OH!! Then it clicked. I was not fraught with a case of underdevelopment. Just stupid because I wasn't from here, that's all! Wow! Now I'm the one who is the immigrant. How the tables have turned. It just brings me back to the point that, without the ability to read, I am relegated to the position of a child. It's frustrating, but makes me appreciate English-as-a-second-language individuals in my own country. Wearing someone else's shoes is all it takes.