I hurried to write this because I knew Ashley had already posted…hope I didn’t forget anything. Most of these responses are just the first thing that popped into my head, but I’m sure there are better answers. To reiterate, we didn’t read each others’ answers before posting. Curious to see what Ash said. Enjoy!
What do you like the most about your experience so far?
Exposure to people with different backgrounds and points of view. My first week here I had drinks with a half-Japanese French client who does business in Shanghai, South America, US, and Europe. We talked about how the industrial revolution took place in the Western world because we build words out of letters (not his theory, but interesting anyway) and how Chinese philosophy causes their chaotic city traffic (from a Western point of view). The other day at a networking event I met two students from Moscow that are doing a two-month project in Shanghai, and at the same event I met a Dutch guy named Joop. I’ve never met anyone from Moscow before, I don’t think, and certainly no one named Joop. It’s all forcing me to stop thinking so US-centrically, which is a good brain exercise. But the bigger picture is just that I like that I’m experiencing something different, something more, than I would have if I’d never lived outside the US. I’ll only live once and only on one planet, so might as well experience more of it.
Also, I really am enjoying learning Chinese, although it’s usually more frustrating than fun.
What is hardest to get used to?
Language/cultural barrier, and resultant lack of convenience. It’s hard to think that you can’t just ask someone for directions, or read the map on the wall in the metro. You can’t all that easily use Google Maps or look something up in a directory, either. And calling companies or other organizations (train station, etc.) for information is really hard.
How does living in Shanghai compare to living in a big U.S. city like San Francisco or New York?
The similarities are what I notice the most, actually. Despite what I just wrote above about convenience, it’s still a city. You can’t walk a block here without passing a convenience store, a restaurant, and three banks (the bank situation here is out of hand). You can order absolutely anything delivered to your front door, from beer and cigarettes to a massage or manicure (we haven’t tried any of those, but we’ve heard).
Differences are mostly funny little cultural things. Green lights for pedestrians don’t mean cars won’t come through crosswalks at full speed. Babies with slit pants. Spitting. Pollution is worse. Construction more frantic (partly just pre-Expo blitz). And of course, less stuff is written in English. I’m having a little harder time than usual learning the streets, and realized it’s because their names have no inherent meaning for me. In SF it was easy to remember the difference between Mason and Taylor. Here, Huashan and Huaihai and Fuxing and Fumin all sound the same to me still.
How has your daily life changed?
People stare at me more. Unabashedly. People will openly stare into my shopping cart to see what I’m buying, then look up at me as if they’re thinking “why the hell do they all like that peanut butter stuff so much?”
Most of the other daily changes have more to do with a) being in a city and b) being in a different climate than before. Taking more cabs. Remembering an umbrella. Feeling real humidity again. Etc.
What food do you miss the most?
Luckily, there’s a great pizza place next to our house. Ironically, it might be Thai food. We were just saying the other night that we haven’t found a decent, dependable, and not super pricey place to get Thai food. Same for Mexican…luckily there are some amazing Mexican places here, but they’re really nice restaurants so it’s a bit more of an undertaking than grabbing a quick burrito somewhere in California. Also, I miss bagels (haven’t tried the one place I saw yet).
What shopping do you miss the most?
I’m guessing this was intended for Ashley. I guess I miss being able to buy stuff on Amazon.com and assume it’ll be delivered reasonably soon. And I miss Google Music since it was completely free here but they shut it down…that was great while it lasted.
What TV/radio do you miss the most?
I’m actually really happy that I’m not watching as much random TV. But I do miss being able to flick it on while eating and catch some news, etc. I miss Mad Men, but so does everyone in the US. And I miss Arrested Development, but so does the rest of the world.
That’s it. Like I said, probably forgetting lots. And feel free to ask us other questions, too.
