Visiting Shanghai as a 24 year old rather than as an angsty teenager was much a much better experience. As a young teen, visiting different places with your parents, not being able to enjoy meeting random people, and just being impatient makes vacation not so fun. Bring that same (genetically) teen back to Shanghai eight years later, and their comes another perspective about the country.
I had the opportunity to revisit the city I was born in for two weeks recently, and I have to say, it was the best time I've had in a long time. Having a bit of extra interest in a countries politics, economic and social issues, art, music, family, and people as I got older made the trip that much better.
When I was 8, 11, and 16 (the three times I visited Shanghai) I couldn't wait to get the day over with following my family around.
I believe people have a skewed view of China. Just because they do not have access to Facebook or Youtube, does not mean the people are worse or better off. When I visited all the different areas of Shanghai, I saw regular people.
I saw a happy woman with her supposed boyfriend on a scooter driving down the road. I saw retail salespeople smiling, and Starbucks people wearing the same exact clothes they wear in the U.S.A. I saw happy and sad shop owners. I saw good looking people, and people who didn't follow the crowd.
I saw thriving businesses with enormous buildings. I saw a very culturally developed center for art called M50. I saw bright lights. I saw tourists from other parts of the country, and the local Shanghai dwellers did not like them (just like the local people of New York City) because they made it so much more difficult to move around.
I saw kids, adults, drunk people having a great time, and people dancing. I saw clubs and bars, hotels and malls with very expensive things we don't need. I saw huge fancy restaurants, and street vendors.
With all of that said, Shanghai is a unique city with very deep cultural roots, filled with some very proud people. I was glad that I had the chance to visit again. I will say one thing though, the great weather may have had something to do with it. All previous experiences have been during scorching summers. It would be interesting to see how I feel then in the city.
Tags:Teaching & Learning Travel Language & Culture Lifestyle
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"I believe people have a skewed view of China..." It is more likely that China has a skewed view of people because China does not have a free Press. It really does mean that people are worse off when someone can't access Facebook, YouTube or any other source of information because information, or the ability to control information, is power. When someone has the ability to control what you see and view then by definition you are worse off. It's a shame you had to turn what was quite a nice article about Shanghai into governmental censorship apologetics. Some people might think that you were a wumao - not that I'm saying that. Shanghai is a cool place. Many of the businesses in Shanghai have the "Like us on Facebook" logo on their advertising. Pity they don't have Facebook in Shanghai.
Nov 09, 2014 00:11 Report Abuse
Ah yes, it isn't that the lack of cat video or likes on facebook is what makes Chinese people worse off... ...it is that the NYT , Bloomberg, the BBC, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch are blocked.
Nov 04, 2014 14:35 Report Abuse
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