A Taste of Asia: A Slice of Shanghai (Part 2)
May 21st 2008 10:03
Debra and I walked blithely hand in hand, which is one of the few customs local to both the Chinese and the Europeans, and I got to marvel as the world around me never ceased to defy my expectations. The streets were quite dusty and often dirty, and people on bicycles (so many of them!) flew by. Debs and I were like a walking circus for the typical Shanghainese person - Debra is unusually thin and tall, and at the time she had long flowing black hair that reached down to her waist, while I was the only foreigner in sight. Debs later relayed to me that some of her aunt's friend described my hair as 'red' and 'crazy'. I'm a brunette, but I guess the red pigment really registers when everyone around you has the same shade of black that has a blue glow in the sunlight, and my waviness was quite unconventional to them. I was a little offended by being perceived as so acutely different, but I was realising that China, unlike Thailand, was not used to non-Chinese people, and Shanghai was in no way multi-cultural. So I grinned and bore it.
We attracted stares from everyone - I felt like I was famous or something. We even caused a grown man to topple off his bicycle while slowing to a stop at the red light, he was just so taken aback at the sight of these two women! I couldn't help but notice how sensitive everyone seemed, how ideologically innocent, and how considerate everyone was to the people around them. Everyone was interested in taking on a socially harmonious role and people rarely clashed, physically, emotionally or intellectually. It gave me a lot of respect for the Chinese.
Another interesting thing about Shanghai is that the women often seem to have more power than the men. They are held in very high regard, and treat themselves accordingly. Meanwhile, men take on roles that people in the West might see as more traditionally 'feminine'. Debra claimed that she didn't want to date a Shanghainese guy because they were 'too nice' and 'girly'. I would date a Chinese guy (or girl), I'm just not sure they'd want to date me, what with my unruly appearance and even more unconventional mindset.
One of my favourite things about China was the chicken. Apparently they use no chemicals on their chickens, and so they're much more tasty than they are in Australia. It's hard to emphasise just how much tastier this meat is - I could have eaten chicken for every meal for the entire length of my trip, it was that melt-in-your-mouth. If you only eat one meal in China, make sure it's a chicken dish (ji-rou - literally: chicken meal).
Some other words I picked up were 'lu' (street) and shie shie (thank you), but I was surprised just how difficult it was to learn any more Chinese. Luckily Debra was there to do all the talking for me, and sometimes to translate. She has a way of endearing Chinese people to her, winning them over and eliciting their kindest and most respectful response, so I had quite a charming time on this trip, as the people's attitudes towards her were transferred onto me, an esteemed friend. I came to recognise the Chinese characters for Shanghai and China, which were often represented, but I was only able to achieve this level of acquaintance with them due to my previous study of Japanese, which makes use of the Chinese alphabet. Upon entering a bookshop I realised how oblivious I was to the amount of written information around me, and I recalled Italo Calvino's character Inernio, who had learnt not to read anything around him, even though he liked hanging out at universities. I depended solely on the information of the people around me (when they were communicating in ways I could interpret helpfully!). I actually loved it - it was like the world was made for me and me alone to delight from, draw my own conclusions about. I did but bask in my ignorance, imagining it was a knowing one that I did not feel threatened by. Everything was new and unexpected, and I was gleefully lapping the experience up.
Very close to Debra's aunt's apartment block there was a giant shopping centre, the English name of which was 'Trust-mart'. I thought this was weird- were they going for 'trusty mart'? I would later come across the 'Talenty' English School in Dalian, so I'm not sure what to make of this titling decision. At any rate, Trust-mart had about four levels and it was here I learn why China was referred to as 'a Communist shell with a capitalist centre' - the variety of products was incredible, and the abundance was majestic. The Chinese had even placed products in between the up and down escalators, so that shoppers making their way from one level to another could grab any of the products as they glided by them: a great way to make use of every surface available! The West is yet to incorporate this innovation into their malls, for reasons I cannot fully discern.
Speaking of shopping, China is probably the best place on earth to buy pirated CDs and DVDs. I bought an entire collection for about 9 yuan each (oh, all of 2 Australian dollars), and while the government may be Communist there are electronic texts of all ideological persuasions from all over the world on sale. French films with Chinese subtitles, the latest Hollywood blockbuster, the popular independent releases - you can find just about anything! I was highly entertained by the typos and follies of translation that had wound their way onto the CD and DVD covers. Debra and I discovered a copy of 'Enemy at the Gates' which read 'Enemy at the Dates', for instance.
Debra's aunt was fond of serving soups, which I wasn't used to, but quite enjoyed, including a sweet one with a small plum at the bottom. I watched her and Debra experiment with dried shrimps and many other mysterious ingredients in their kitchen. We also ordered Pizza Hut one day, and I was relieved to find that they had different topping combinations than I was used to. The pizza we ordered had feta cheese on it, and seemed tastier than the ones back home. How curious!
I met Debra's dad, who just happened to be in Shanghai at the time (he's a bit of a nomad, lucky guy), for the first time, and he enouraged Debra to take me to places that would be interesting to me instead of relaxing around at her home. We went to a Buddhist temple complex, which was a visually spectacular experience for me... black-brown roofed temples with red flourishes, dark metal pots with smoke coming out, loads of incense, large golden statues of Buddha inside, and - lo and behold - another foreigner! This Western woman looked happy to be in this place of spiritual worship and didn't even acknowledge my existence. By this stage I almost regarded her curly hair as suspiciously unruly myself (just for a few seconds, before I snapped out of it, lol).
(I had also learnt that the Chinese regarded some of my features as beautiful, and was used to feeling flattered on a daily basis. Some attempted to speak to me, and when I asked anyone for assistance I could tell that they knew more than they felt confident sharing. The Chinese are shy to practice their English, unlike the Europeans, say.)
Debra's dad was very proud of his country, and we talked a little bit about philosophy, which has been his university major. I found his attitude towards the chaotic traffic conditions quite interesting. He said that the Chinese were not conformists, like a lot of the West. He saw beauty in the creative expression that driving a vehicle on the roads of Shanghai posed. I must say there weren't as many cars as you would think there would be in a huge city such as Shanghai. It appeared that most people took advantage of the highly efficient and smooth service of the metro, and those who didn't caught overcrowded buses or rode their bikes. As some Lonely Planet author described one of the Asian metro systems, it's "like a dream."
There's even more to come in Part 3, so don't forget to come back!
The bicycles seem to outnumber the cars on a lot of Shanghai streets - one of the most popular means of transportation, you'll find the sidewalks groaning under their weight as they're stacked one against the other
We attracted stares from everyone - I felt like I was famous or something. We even caused a grown man to topple off his bicycle while slowing to a stop at the red light, he was just so taken aback at the sight of these two women! I couldn't help but notice how sensitive everyone seemed, how ideologically innocent, and how considerate everyone was to the people around them. Everyone was interested in taking on a socially harmonious role and people rarely clashed, physically, emotionally or intellectually. It gave me a lot of respect for the Chinese.
Another interesting thing about Shanghai is that the women often seem to have more power than the men. They are held in very high regard, and treat themselves accordingly. Meanwhile, men take on roles that people in the West might see as more traditionally 'feminine'. Debra claimed that she didn't want to date a Shanghainese guy because they were 'too nice' and 'girly'. I would date a Chinese guy (or girl), I'm just not sure they'd want to date me, what with my unruly appearance and even more unconventional mindset.
One of my favourite things about China was the chicken. Apparently they use no chemicals on their chickens, and so they're much more tasty than they are in Australia. It's hard to emphasise just how much tastier this meat is - I could have eaten chicken for every meal for the entire length of my trip, it was that melt-in-your-mouth. If you only eat one meal in China, make sure it's a chicken dish (ji-rou - literally: chicken meal).
Some other words I picked up were 'lu' (street) and shie shie (thank you), but I was surprised just how difficult it was to learn any more Chinese. Luckily Debra was there to do all the talking for me, and sometimes to translate. She has a way of endearing Chinese people to her, winning them over and eliciting their kindest and most respectful response, so I had quite a charming time on this trip, as the people's attitudes towards her were transferred onto me, an esteemed friend. I came to recognise the Chinese characters for Shanghai and China, which were often represented, but I was only able to achieve this level of acquaintance with them due to my previous study of Japanese, which makes use of the Chinese alphabet. Upon entering a bookshop I realised how oblivious I was to the amount of written information around me, and I recalled Italo Calvino's character Inernio, who had learnt not to read anything around him, even though he liked hanging out at universities. I depended solely on the information of the people around me (when they were communicating in ways I could interpret helpfully!). I actually loved it - it was like the world was made for me and me alone to delight from, draw my own conclusions about. I did but bask in my ignorance, imagining it was a knowing one that I did not feel threatened by. Everything was new and unexpected, and I was gleefully lapping the experience up.
The Bank of China
Very close to Debra's aunt's apartment block there was a giant shopping centre, the English name of which was 'Trust-mart'. I thought this was weird- were they going for 'trusty mart'? I would later come across the 'Talenty' English School in Dalian, so I'm not sure what to make of this titling decision. At any rate, Trust-mart had about four levels and it was here I learn why China was referred to as 'a Communist shell with a capitalist centre' - the variety of products was incredible, and the abundance was majestic. The Chinese had even placed products in between the up and down escalators, so that shoppers making their way from one level to another could grab any of the products as they glided by them: a great way to make use of every surface available! The West is yet to incorporate this innovation into their malls, for reasons I cannot fully discern.
A different Trust-mart, which I just learned is a Taiwan-owned chain, some of which is being bought up by Wal-mart
Speaking of shopping, China is probably the best place on earth to buy pirated CDs and DVDs. I bought an entire collection for about 9 yuan each (oh, all of 2 Australian dollars), and while the government may be Communist there are electronic texts of all ideological persuasions from all over the world on sale. French films with Chinese subtitles, the latest Hollywood blockbuster, the popular independent releases - you can find just about anything! I was highly entertained by the typos and follies of translation that had wound their way onto the CD and DVD covers. Debra and I discovered a copy of 'Enemy at the Gates' which read 'Enemy at the Dates', for instance.
Loin King 3, anyone? Hahaha
Debra's aunt was fond of serving soups, which I wasn't used to, but quite enjoyed, including a sweet one with a small plum at the bottom. I watched her and Debra experiment with dried shrimps and many other mysterious ingredients in their kitchen. We also ordered Pizza Hut one day, and I was relieved to find that they had different topping combinations than I was used to. The pizza we ordered had feta cheese on it, and seemed tastier than the ones back home. How curious!
I met Debra's dad, who just happened to be in Shanghai at the time (he's a bit of a nomad, lucky guy), for the first time, and he enouraged Debra to take me to places that would be interesting to me instead of relaxing around at her home. We went to a Buddhist temple complex, which was a visually spectacular experience for me... black-brown roofed temples with red flourishes, dark metal pots with smoke coming out, loads of incense, large golden statues of Buddha inside, and - lo and behold - another foreigner! This Western woman looked happy to be in this place of spiritual worship and didn't even acknowledge my existence. By this stage I almost regarded her curly hair as suspiciously unruly myself (just for a few seconds, before I snapped out of it, lol).
(I had also learnt that the Chinese regarded some of my features as beautiful, and was used to feeling flattered on a daily basis. Some attempted to speak to me, and when I asked anyone for assistance I could tell that they knew more than they felt confident sharing. The Chinese are shy to practice their English, unlike the Europeans, say.)
Debra's dad was very proud of his country, and we talked a little bit about philosophy, which has been his university major. I found his attitude towards the chaotic traffic conditions quite interesting. He said that the Chinese were not conformists, like a lot of the West. He saw beauty in the creative expression that driving a vehicle on the roads of Shanghai posed. I must say there weren't as many cars as you would think there would be in a huge city such as Shanghai. It appeared that most people took advantage of the highly efficient and smooth service of the metro, and those who didn't caught overcrowded buses or rode their bikes. As some Lonely Planet author described one of the Asian metro systems, it's "like a dream."
There's even more to come in Part 3, so don't forget to come back!
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Comment by RubySoho
Music Zone
Thought Zone
Nice recollection PMC. Actually I liked Cibb's abbreviation of your name "PoMo".
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Daily Inspirations
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
If anyone is interested, npr.org has done several series on China, exploring everything from the economy to Shanghai writers, and more.
You can call me whatever you like, Ruby... at least 'postmoderncritic' is more abbreviable than 'Epiphanie'!
RubySoho makes me think of the classic beauty of the precious stone combined with the chic, edgy urban areas that go under the name of 'Soho'. You probably have different reasons for putting those two together?
Comment by RubySoho
Music Zone
Thought Zone
I used it as the basis of my email address and Jon actually chose to use it as my Orble moniker as there was already a user called "ruby".
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Daily Inspirations
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
I was going to go with 'Epiphanie Bloom' as always, but then I thought it might be liberating to call myself something different, and I do have a significant attachment to the word 'postmodern'... Further in the spirit of experimentaion, I decided to opt for the lower case letters treatment and no spaces, because I'd never done it before. I'm used to capitalising first letters so the lower case thing can annoy me sometimes, but generally I'm fond of 'postmoderncritic'.
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
look forward to the next instalment!
cheers
fog
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Daily Inspirations
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
Comment by Cibbuano
20/20 Filmsight
Science News
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
- ha ha! Loin King! The third one, no less.
- Your friend's feelings about Shanghainese men seems reiterated to me. I've had a few Chinese people tell me their stereotypes about men from Shanghai (they're submissive to women, women control the household), but I've always dismissed it. As I've met a few Shanghai dudes, maybe there's something to it? It's very much the opposite in northern China.
- it's funny how you felt Shanghai wasn't multicultural. I went to Shanghai after a year and a half of living in China, and I hated the city, precisely because I thought it was too Westernized and commercial.
Comment by postmoderncritic
Postmodern Critic
Daily Inspirations
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
I think it's a unique part of Shanghainese culture, and I find it very interesting. I was watching a travel program a few weeks ago and they mentioned that there was another city in Yunnan (or was it Sichuan) where the women were also the dominant gender, it would make a good study in sociology!
Well, Shanghai is not a multicultural city by any stretch of the imagination... it has more non-Chinese than many other cities, but they are so few as to still be gawked at by the locals. Commercial, yes - Shanghai is in competition with Hong Kong (and, by some accounts, winning) for China's commercial hub and economic powerhouse, so it is quite different to anyplace else in China. Westernised? Less so than many other major world cities, but I can see your point. Young people in particular are adopting Western fashions at a rapid pace, and many foreign franchises like Pizza Hut and KFC are quite popular. I've never been to Dalian so I can't compare the two... Thanks for stopping by!