Middle class culture

One of the biggest draws of studying abroad in China was the chance to be immersed in the culture and learn not just the language, but about the day to day lives and customs of the people here. That being said, the "genuine cultural experience" is not so easy to come by, and most of the cultural activities etc. that my program plans for us seem a little forced. This weekend however, while exploring Shanghai, I stumbled right into Chinese middle class culture and the similarities to American middle class life are striking.

First- On Saturday me and a few friends visited Old Town Shanghai - an area that is known for its traditional chinese style buildings, as well as a gorgeous temple and a park. What we came across was little more than a tourist trap with western restaurants housed in Chinese style buildings as well as more back alley knock-off shopping (this isn't really a complaint- I do love my arsenal of fake watches).


Later that day we made our way to a shopping mall at Zhongshan park. Most people associate giant shopping malls and hyper-consumerism with the United States, but I assure you the Chinese do it bigger and better. Zhongshan park mall is 9 stories tall, packed with trendy clothing stores, food courts, cell kiosks, and the rest of the essentials. Similar to American malls (when we are not in a recession atleast) it was jammed packed with people all of whom were eating, buying clothes, window shopping or just checking out the scene. Strangely, none of these people were wearing kimonos, making dumplings, practicing caligraphy or doing any of the other activities that we have been taught to associate with China. I had stumbled into Chinese middle class culture, and it is consumerism.


On Sunday I saw a blue sky for the first time since being in China, and decided I ought to spend the day in the park near campus. I wasn't the only one who had had this idea; hundreds upon hundreds of families were gathered in the park, riding the rides, playing the games, and buying over priced snacks and souvenires for their children (sound familiar?). More "American" style consumerism. Once again I had stumbled right into the heart of Chinese middle class culture and once again it was devoid of kimonos, tai chi, caligraphy etc.

I guess the only real conclusion I can draw from all this is the easy one. That people aren't always as different as you think- even in a communist country.


A few pictures from the weekend and a funny and unrelated story....

View of Shanghai from highway














More Shanghai from the cab














Literal Translation














Old Town














Old Town Street














This building is designed to look like a bottle opener.














Old Town City Street














More shopping in the Old Town














KFC and Haagendas in Old Town














Drying chickens??














Sketchy alley where we went shopping














Old Town Shanghai














Some city from the cab














Ridiculous 9 story mall














Croc Store - all of my friends here make fun of me for wearing crocs.
















Zhonguo Zombies

On Saturday, me and a few friends resolved to check out a late night spot called Dragon Club, after our evening out. Dragon Club is a famous in Shanghai - it opens for business at 4:30 am, closes at 10am and caters to Shanghai's ultra-sheik nightlife lovers, obviously we belonged here.

After shutting down a bar called C's, we hopped in a cab, called up the Shanghai help line and had the operator give our cabbie directions to Dragon Bar. When we arrived we began collecting our money to pay the driver we suddenly everything went wrong......

Our cab became instantly swarmed by a group of about 15 or so ravenous homeless women with babies. Since coming to Shanghai, i've become accustomed to seing poverty, and also to having people beg for money rather aggressively. Aggressive cannot even begin to describe these women. They swarmed our cab like a group of brain hungry zombies from the movies. Pounding on the windsheild and windows, screaming for yuan, and trying to pull open our doors. Though there was no real danger, (violent crime is really rare in china, and these women had freaking babies with them....) me and my friends collectively and immediately became terrified and started screaming like little school girls. Our cabbie, who thought the entire thing was hilarious sped some twenty or thirty feet away from the mob. With momentary safety we tried again to collect our money, but within seconds the mob had returned, again banging and screaming. this time we paid the cabbie leapt out of the cab and ran 4 blocks screaming down the street, all the while with a mob of Chinese women and their babies chasing us while screaming and laughing. After this ordeal, we decided not to go to dragon bar, found our same cabbie a block away (still laughing at us no less) and went home and to bed.

In reflection there was literally no danger what-so-ever, but the whole ordeal in the cab and running down the street was soo strangely like a zombie movie that we couldn't help but be terrified for our lives. Just thought I would share....