So…I’m in Shanghai. Been here for a week. Felt a little lost and lonely in the beginning. But I’m finally settling down a bit. Anyway….first impressions, ahoy!
1)No stinks and no smells…except in the food section at department stores. Coming from Mumbai, a city known for it’s bizarre odorous melange of garbage, drying Bombay Duck and carbon fumes, I really like the fact that my nose can’t detect anything unpleasant about Shanghai. Of course, that way it also loses a little in terms of personality, which Mumbai has in plenty. But I guess I’ll discover and identify the ‘personality’ by and by.
2)No one brushing up against me on the pavements and no one x-raying me with their eyes from top to toe. This, all ye women out there, is a wonderful relief! I finally feel I can stop being on red alert 24/7.
3)Friendly people. I’m not sure what I was expecting. They might’ve ignored me or they might have stared at us in the welcoming way that we have back in India. But they smile! They smile at me in the streets as they pass by! They come and speak to me sweetly in Chinese (for all I know they might be cursing me. I know no Mandarin. But I like to think that they don’t.).
4)Fashion slaves. Yep…plenty of them around! Women mostly. Strutting about in high heels, dressed to the nines and lipsticked and blushed to glory. They look lovely and it’s a pleasure looking at them. But honestly…do you need to wear all that make up and those Jimmy Choos when you go out to buy milk?
5)Shopaholics. Plenty of them too. Everywhere I go, I see people shopping. At all times of the day, every day of the week. Even furniture shopping at Ikea!
6)Oh…and how can I forget! Terrible English…worse than India, I think. Ref. to photograph.
I think I’m going to enjoy myself. I hope I am. I already miss India too much.
June 1, 2007 at 5:46 am
Interesting, all the lipsticky and blushy women out there. And yes, marvellous English. You know, maybe you’re right in saying that they’re probably cursing you with a smile on their faces! I mean, isn’t that what some people back home do to ‘firangs’?! Keep having fun and keep letting us know about it. Cheers!
June 1, 2007 at 9:26 am
Hey Poo, Nice to have u blogging again and this time we have new things to know about..I guess in some time ur blog would be no less than Wikipedia search on Shanghai! Let us know all the peculiarity about the place, the people, the food and as u say the ‘personality’…
June 1, 2007 at 3:07 pm
@ Rishi
Yeah… and I suppose they actually do curse me when I go bargain hunting
@ Madhura
Thanks for the encouragement, gal! I certainly hope I can be an ‘authoritative’ guide to Shanghai!
June 3, 2007 at 9:32 pm
I’m quite sure. If you’ve watched the standup comedian Russel Peters, you’ll know particularly why. Seems the Indians and Chinese weren’t meant to do business together.
June 4, 2007 at 5:38 am
I should check that out sometime…
June 4, 2007 at 6:41 am
hehe!! that sure was nice fun reading!!! Honestly, am a little surprised to find out about the people… knew about their English, but thought, they’d be of the ruder kinds.. this, though, is a pleasant surprise!!!
Btw, r u sure it’s their English that’s bad or is it that English is itself a ‘phunny’ language??? hehe…
Nice post da… looking forward for more!!!! keep chinking!!!
June 4, 2007 at 7:40 pm
‘Ominivorously’…..cool word!!
Tho this doesnt beat the ‘Child Bear served her’ sign….i guess there might be a tough competition ahead!!!
June 6, 2007 at 12:34 pm
@ Bless
Yeah..English is definitely a funny language. But then, it’s usage is funnier.
@ AJ
That ‘Child Bear Served Here’ remains an all-time favourite if mine! Absolutely brilliant!
June 6, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Hi,
I am gonna be in China in Sept. so this helps a little, i think
gracias
June 7, 2007 at 5:44 pm
Sounds like a pretty interesting place. And its good to hear that people do not STARE.And yeah, their english is much worse than ours…i mean, their usage of the language is much worse than our spelling errors.