The Real Deal

I know a lot of people have complained about the vagueness of my posts, as I'm and not delving into the trivial nature of my day to day life. Too much observational blather! I agree. So without further procrastination, here is it:

Shanghai is like any other big city like Toronto or New York, except that almost everyone is Chinese. Everything else has a western flavor (at least on the surface) with McDonalds and KFC always within walkable distances, and big brands like L’Oreal, Apple, and Adidas sold and signposted everywhere.

The funny thing about China, unlike Korea, is that westerners hate each other. In Korea, when you saw someone western, you would feel an instant kinship, and it's possible you might strike up a conversation based on mutual curiosity and loneliness. Not so in China. When you see a Laowai (foreigner) you feel inclined to glare at them, then look away pointedly. James calls it giving “evils”. It’s a strange phenomenon, and the people I've talked to don't really know where this animosity stems from. Everyone seems to feel a right to China, and that other westerners are invading their turf. Also, everyone IS but doesn't want to be, the stereotypical white expat. We glare at others because we either feel that either they are this stereotypical white expat (beer drinking, woman chasing, money hungry), or that they think we are.

So because of this, meeting people has been difficult. In terms of friends, you really only have your workmates, which is entirely luck of the draw. I've been fairly lucky as most people are interesting, and sane, but I've not found the same comradery that I enjoyed in Korea. Because Shanghai is much more western, and life is easier, those bonds you create with others from feeling utterly lost aren’t so common.

Other aspects of life are good. My apartment is pretty fantastic. Although, it is my first apartment, and I've always been easily pleased. Other than the fact that our apartment complex is surrounded by three or four whorehouses, and my neighbors have the occasional domestic, it feels like home. I've even got my own little dvd man selling right outside the apartment building, with all the new DVDs for the low low price of 4 kuai or 75 cents. Just picked up Fantastic Mr Fox the other day.

The ladies in the brothels seem rather... domestic. It must be an odd life living in a glass house. I walk by them every night to see them playing cards, doing each other’s nails, knitting, and eating noodles (not at the same time). Some of them get all gussied up, and some of them don't even bother, lounging around like fresh faced college girls in sweats and t-shirts. They don't seem to be getting a lot of business, and seem not unhappy, but bored.

James and I are fine. Better than fine, mostly we're happy. And comfortable. I've designated Sunday's to be his night to cook. A little insecure about his new responsibility he often waits for me to come home first before he starts, just incase things go awry. And for good reason. Once he made pasta, and while at work I texted him to make sure he used 'lots of onions'. I returned home to find him just about to pour a cup of garlic into the sauce. Cooking school 101- garlic is NOT onion. But now I have a cup of nicely chopped garlic in the fridge to use, so I’m not complaining.

So there you go, a real life update. It just feels like regular old life here. I recently watched a program that went on and on about the global superstar that is Shanghai with its 20 million people and exponential expansion. But really, it's just another place to hang my hat. And until China runs out of cheesecake, or chocolate, I think I’ll be just fine.