Azaadi ka Jashn in Shanghai

The 60th anniversary of our country’s independence didn’t feel all that special to me. I think it was because one really can’t get into the spirit of the day as long one’s in a foreign nation.

Here in Shanghai we tried our best. About 50 of us gathered for Independence Day celebrations at 7 in the morning. The Tricolour was unfurled. Then the Consul General read out excerpts from the President’s dull speech. This was followed by a handful of tone-deaf ladies, who call themselves ‘Sur Shanghai’ singing a couple of patriotic songs. They sang ‘Vande Mataram’ tolerably well, but they absolutely butchered ‘Aye Mere Watan ke Logon’. They raced through the song like they had a flight to catch. Sur Shanghai’s performance was followed by a bunch of kids singing ‘Chhodo Kal Ki Baatein’. It was surprisingly good.

Afterwards we all marched up to the Consulate for breakfast. This consisted of samosas, gulab jamun and kaju katli. I felt slightly ill at the thought of abusing my tummy with these at 8 AM, but I managed to grin and bear it.

All in all, the proceedings were scalier than ones I’ve experienced in India, but then I’m in China. What else could I have expected?

Snapshots from Shanghai

I was told that Shanghai is one of the most polluted cities in the world. And it seems to be true. Sometimes, there’s such a haze hanging over the city that the tops of most skyscrapers are not visible. But there are days when the sky looks amazing. I thought I’d share some photographs of those days.

P2C2U in Shanghai – Part I

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.