Really living in Shanghai
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08/16/2002
How many expats have you heard say: "I Love being in Shanghai?" Well, I have heard many say this. However, there are some expats that say: "I hate being here and I can't wait until I can go home again." My feelings are that if they would give Shanghai a real chance to show off its historical, cultural beauty along with the friendliness of the people, they would change their opinion. Luckily for me, I have had the opportunity to visit the many water villages around Shanghai. My favorite tour was all done in one day, a pleasant highway ride to the village of Wuzhen which is a lovely village. The local people were so pleasant, and we toured inside their homes. And guess what, they had Western toilets, clean modest homes. The shops were terrific for shopping and I had a great time purchasing a hand crafted ship made from wood. I guess this sounds like a travel agent, but I have been really excited about my trip to Wuzhen. There is so much to do in Shanghai, I cannot understand why some people stay in their homes, order in food and only go out when they have to. Shanghai can become a wonderful second home, if people would just give it a try. I ride the Metro and find the trip pleasant and fast, I shop in local markets and walk many city streets to greet the people and learn about the community where I live. My other concern is the lack of media attention in other countries, to inform people of the new modern Shanghai. I have had friends from America ask: "Do you have electricity there?", "Do you dress funny and different from the people from Shanghai?", "Do you get tired of just eating rice?" or "Are you afraid to be there?" Yes, these questions are laughable and, believe, me I have laughed many times. And laughed more when I share the stories with other expats. The media that is shown in other countries is usually about the old China or other political issues. My wish is that someday everyone will know the real Shanghai, and everyone will agree with my opinion that we are all human beings and with better coverage, we will all be able to sit back and smile at the same questions.
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