First Impressions

Shanghai is wonderful. China is different in ways that I didn't expect it to be, and very similar to the US in ways that I didn't expect either.

My first misconception was that China was a nation of strictly obeyed laws. I imagined people walking around, ostensibly scared of their government all the time; I thought the city would have a suspicious air, like citizens in 1984 or something. Gray and solemn. Shanghai doesn't seem that way at all. It's lively everywhere I've been. It even feels sort of free-spirited. People zoom every which way. People move quickly on foot. There are motorcycles and bicycles driving on the sidewalks. They speed way too fast for the number of people around, but manage to avoid people (usually). People shuffle into the subway tunnels, lining up for the escalator (instead of trudging up and down the 30 or 40 stairs). It feels just like so many of the other cities I've visited - and that has really surprised me.

The people I've dealt with in Shanghai are polite for the most part, though they seem to act with an urgency that seems rude sometimes. Waitresses don't have much patience for our English, which I suppose is understandable. We point, and they seem annoyed but take our order. The stores that want our money are well staffed and eager to serve. We get special attention for being white. Street vendors, restaurant hosts, and electronics vendors target us constantly. "He-lo sur. I can help you here!" They yell from across the street. Its kind of like Mexico in that respect. Salons, clothing shops, diners, and kiosks all have their agents out in full effect, sweet-talking the big pale people into patronizing their stores. They know tricky English phrases in perfect American accents, knowing it grabs our attention. The picture on the left is an electronics mart that you can't walk further than 15 feet in without getting asked by 5 vendors if you want anything they're selling.



The American establishments you see most often are (in order):

1. K.F.C
2. Pizza Hut
3. Starbucks
4. McDonalds
   

I don't get the KFC thing, but they're everywhere. Most American chains are expensive meals (by Chinese standards). A coffee is the equivalent of $3, which is outrageous, since meals cost between $1.50 and $4. Delicious meals too. Lots of noodles, veggies, chicken, and broth.

Oh, and as you can see I managed to find the Diet Cokes at the office, but they open differently than the push-in style tops in America. Who knew!?


Oh yeah. Dad and Megan - you guys are well represented here.