A Shanghai Birthday

This week is my birthday! So, last weekend we celebrated by going to a few clubs on Saturday. Chinese clubs are something else. There is something inherently different about Chinese clubs. First, they play techno, even on hip hop night. So hip hop night means hip hop techno remixes. The clubs in America are pretty mediocre in comparison to the “American” clubs to which I’ve been. I’m actually turning 21 in China, which is complete with the irony of not being able to drink in my own country, but turning 21 in a country were I can already drink legally.

Though I’ve only been in Shanghai a week, I feel completely at home. The only thing I still have not mastered is the bus system and there are not apps to help with understanding it. The metro took me a couple of days to handle, but now I’ve gotten my subway legs and I don’t even need to hold on to anything while the subway is moving (if you haven’t ridden the metro in Shanghai you won’t understand why that is such an accomplishment)! Additionally, I found that they best way to embrace the culture is to “入乡随俗“ or “do as the Romans do”. Sometimes the hundreds of people in the metro may seem intimidating, but if you just do as everyone else does then it isn’t so hard. There isn’t space in the car? Fear not, and just dive into the car; space will be made. And it seems to be the case with everything here in Shanghai.

I think my favorite part about Shanghai has been the friendliness of all the people. Despite, it being a huge northern city, all of its people are incredibly helpful and friendly. For instance just this past weekend, we wanted to take a train to Suzhou, but we missed our train by a minute (literally), because my friends HAD to go to Starbucks… So, the ticketing lady let us catch the next train. However, when we got on the train, we didn’t know where to sit, because our previous tickets had reserved seats. A man and his wife came up behind us to get into the coach that we were standing in front of, who felt bad enough for our red and sweaty selves (we ran to the station). They spoke English well enough to help us tell the conductor our problem. The conductor told us to stand in the corridor. After around 20 minutes on the train, a few minutes before the first stop, the man found us in one of the corridors of the train and reminded us not to get off at this stop, but the next one! We thought it was the sweetest thing. And even on Monday, I was having issues ordering food and a man who spoke some English helped me place my order at a local restaurant. In the western countries I have been to, this has not been the case. I think the Shanghainese are appreciative of westerners trying to learn their ways, language, customs, and culture rather than getting annoyed with us like so many Western people do tend to do.

Overall, I would say Shanghai has been a success thus far!

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