Another article I wrote for Global Times:
A recent farewell dinner for a fellow expat who is returning to our mutual home country led to a cheesy yet heartfelt discussion of what we all love most about Shanghai. Among the overwhelmingly positive answers, my favorite must have been about the strong independence that is necessary to develop throughout life here.
There are a slew of challenges thrown at me everyday dealing with language difficulties, errands, and public transportation mishaps (When will Line 10 finally be open past 4:00?). But this is a different type of independence-- merely the ability to subsist alone is not what life, or this article, is about.
What I'm talking about is the internal and segregating independence that accompanies the realization that most of my friends that I meet and become close with here are transient. Although we may develop a deep connection and a binding trust, there is always the lingering notion that after one or two crazy years in Shanghai, we will likely return to our respective hometowns, or travel on to our next big adventure in some other foreign location. It's a feeling fairly unique to Shanghai, as a true international hub for students and young members of the workforce.
In the same way that terminal dating can hinder an otherwise meaningful depth between two lovers, Shanghai's expat friendship scene can seem shallow. At times it's difficult to remember why we invest time in building bridges when we know they'll be singed after our departure. Although endless connections through social media have made maintaining contact with international friends easy, when there's fewer deep conversations and no real fun to be had together, friendships will quickly dissipate.
It's this separation that forces me to realize that really, you are your own best friend, and that's OK. In fact, it's great. There's so much to experience in this city and the world that to depend on others for all of one's life would be a true disservice to one's self.
On the other hand, the expats that I've met in Shanghai are often of a different breed from people I've met elsewhere. Open-minded, intelligent, and worldly, many of my friends in this city have contributed to my life experience in an extremely meaningful way. Even though I’ll likely never live in the same vicinity as my Parisian Shanghai best friend again, I’ll never forget the hours we spent discussing linguistic differences and their cultural implications while she earnestly tried to correct my pronunciation of the French ‘r.’
It’s an odd feeling to know that the people I frequent The Shelter, Moganshan Lu, or Bifengtang with might be removed from my mobile’s phonebook in 12 months. But it’s a great one to know that I can turn off that same phone, spend a day or two enjoying the recent outstanding weather on my own, and still feel completely fulfilled.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Knocking Down Culture
I freelanced a few articles for Global Times, Metro Shanghai, an English-language newspaper in China. Here's the first one, with a couple more to follow...
“This city is just so… futuristic,” my sister repeated over and over while I led her around my new home. It’s a surprising realization for an American who had never crossed over to Asian soil as China is often feared to be ancient, unkempt and raw.
The latter view of China is the one that most Westerners hold: a romanticized imagination of the Middle Kingdom as the home of fallen emperors and the historical sites they’ve left behind. Not only does this give Shanghai a unique identity among the world’s large cities, but it also brings soft power to the country as a whole – the attraction of this ideal of Chinese culture is a major driver of tourism, immigration and even investment.
One of my favorite things about living in Shanghai is when I see or experience the type of familiar interactions that I know have been commonplace in China for hundreds of years. In my hometown of Los Angeles, you will not see old men playing chess in the park or groups of ladies in a choreographed dance on a street corner. However, I find that the more modern each district becomes, the less likely you are to come across these types of richly cultural activities.
And increasingly, every older area of the city is being rebuilt to resemble the cookie-cutter, modern areas of Shanghai. According to the Shanghai Statistical Bureau, more than 800,000 households were demolished to make way for skyscrapers, shopping malls, and other city modernizations over the past 10 years. I witnessed firsthand a massive gentrification project on the old Shanghai neighborhood where I live in Hongkou district.
The unfortunate effect of globalization, modernization, and beautification of this evolving city might indeed undo a large portion of this community feeling. Police pluck peddlers and loiterers off the streets in order to create a better city and a better life. But in the process of reaching the global standard of a civilized locale, I truly hope that Shanghai doesn't sacrifice the most appealing parts of its everyday culture.
“This city is just so… futuristic,” my sister repeated over and over while I led her around my new home. It’s a surprising realization for an American who had never crossed over to Asian soil as China is often feared to be ancient, unkempt and raw.
The latter view of China is the one that most Westerners hold: a romanticized imagination of the Middle Kingdom as the home of fallen emperors and the historical sites they’ve left behind. Not only does this give Shanghai a unique identity among the world’s large cities, but it also brings soft power to the country as a whole – the attraction of this ideal of Chinese culture is a major driver of tourism, immigration and even investment.
One of my favorite things about living in Shanghai is when I see or experience the type of familiar interactions that I know have been commonplace in China for hundreds of years. In my hometown of Los Angeles, you will not see old men playing chess in the park or groups of ladies in a choreographed dance on a street corner. However, I find that the more modern each district becomes, the less likely you are to come across these types of richly cultural activities.
And increasingly, every older area of the city is being rebuilt to resemble the cookie-cutter, modern areas of Shanghai. According to the Shanghai Statistical Bureau, more than 800,000 households were demolished to make way for skyscrapers, shopping malls, and other city modernizations over the past 10 years. I witnessed firsthand a massive gentrification project on the old Shanghai neighborhood where I live in Hongkou district.
The unfortunate effect of globalization, modernization, and beautification of this evolving city might indeed undo a large portion of this community feeling. Police pluck peddlers and loiterers off the streets in order to create a better city and a better life. But in the process of reaching the global standard of a civilized locale, I truly hope that Shanghai doesn't sacrifice the most appealing parts of its everyday culture.
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