Wo shi Shanghairen!

Version Française

After a few weeks in Europe, I almost forgot what Chinese life was like. Indeed contrasts are huge between the two ways of life. I was happy to come back to French gastronomy and blue skies and I definitely turned myself into a French again, I mean behaving like a French, eating like a French and commenting the world like a French. It came to the point that I was afraid to come back to Shanghai, so far away from daily life in Europe.

However, it was not long to catch up and realize how life in Shanghai is exciting!

A feeling of extreme freedom

As rules are often interpreted in China and written documents barely paid attention to, personal behaviors are very free in China. When facing a problem, the solution mostly comes from discussion and is never a standard one. This gives everyone the impression that everything is possible and that there is always a space for your odd ideas or project.

Regarding security: It is a pity to say that it took me only two days in Paris to be verbally assaulted and tentatively pick-pocked in transportations. This is a very different atmosphere here with daily commuters of Shanghai subway: Everybody is calm and respectful (as long as they don’t fight for a seat).

Everything within hand’s grasp: Fixing sun-glasses and buying fruits only took me ten minutes today! In Shanghai, almost everything can be found in the wet market neighborhood, as long as you try to speak Chinese.

Affordable prices: A bowl of beef noodle soup still costs 8 yuans (1 Euro), fixing your bike might cost only 2 yuans. Of course western style shopping malls open everyday in Shanghai but neighbourhood services still make your life easy and plenty.

The amazing spirit of this city:

When meeting people in Shanghai, everybody smiles and seems happy to do their job. Even if daily life is tough, Shanghainese people seem to be driven by their faith in a better future. You can easily see that on their faces and feel it in their conversations.

Human relations and neighborhood life: When coming back to my community in Shanghai, I was pleased to see many familiar faces and people smiling at me again. Even if the local people change jobs to adapt changes, they often stay in the same neighborhood as it gives a unique opportunity to help each other on the daily basis. In Paris, although I made many friends around my place when living there, most of them have moved so that today I hardly recognize anybody on the street.

Shanghai frenzy urbanization,Shanghai frenzy urbanization and lack of blue sky can sometimes push to leave the city for a while but coming back to Shanghai is always a great joy. This city definitely creates strong links with those who had the chance to live in it. So today, on the model of President Kennedy visiting Berlin in the 60’s, I would like to claim : “ Wo shi Shanghairen!” (I am a Shanghainese!). 

If you want to react or give your opinion, feel free to do so.

Contact me at 15021769130 or didier.pujol@chinaworldexplorers.com