Foreign In China

My life as a recent grad making my way in China

[foreigninchina]

My Apartment Caught On Fire

Yep, in the middle of the night – started from a light switch (and turned off).

It initially ‘popped’ around 2 am and the sound woke me up but didn’t know where it came from. Then at 3 am it popped again – and caused all of my electronics to go crazy because they are all linked to the same circuit. So I woke up again to my AC turning on and off, my alarm clock going crazy, and my phone vibrating from charging/not charging. As I sat up and looked around, the flames coming from my light switch caught my eye. I had clothes hanging around my room that were drying (China does not have dryers) and those started to catch on fire just as I was pulling the blanket off of me. Half asleep I ran over and grabbed my burning clothes, threw them on the ground, and stomped them out. Then, I grabbed a shoe and proceeded to stuff out the fire coming from my wall wondering if my elderly neighbors in my unit could hear me as I whacked the life out of that light socket. Note: for those who don’t know – DO NOT put water on an electrical fire, it makes it worse.

After everything was done, I opened my window and proceeded to cry until my neighbors got up, I have never been through a fire – and only now understand how much it messes with you emotionally. When they got up, I told them what had happened, called repair men to come and look at the damage while I was out, and then left for work. The repair men ended up examining the switch and ‘couldn’t find anything wrong with it’, so I decided it was time to finally move. The rent was the cheapest I had ever found (even my local friends couldn’t believe I was paying 1,500 yuan/month), my community was amazing, but it just wasn’t safe. Even if they had decided it was worth it to strip my apartment to replace the wiring – the entire balding is just as old (and just as much of a fire hazard). When telling my leasing manager and landlord what had happened, why I was ending my contract early, and requested my deposit – I had zero responses. Typical. For anyone who has dealt with Chinese land lords, you know what I am talking about. That topic deserves its own post at a later time.

So I started my hunt for yet another apartment again. I had already moved 3 times in 8 months, and here I was doing it again. One of my male co-workers offered to help me go to agencies to explain what I needed – I speak fluent Chinese but when it comes to legal terms within contracts, it is ALWAYS a good thing to bring a local with you – or else you WILL be taken advantage of. So I hunted, and one disappointment after another ensued over the next 6 weeks. From bogus ads and pictures posted online, or finding decent places but the person representing the property was ‘posing’ as the landlord – as if they wouldn’t get caught when it came to sighing the contract – which must be done with the landlord and no one else. All of this by the way was organized via legit agencies. It’s China.

I also had this male co-worker with me, who is a typical 28 year old still living with his parents, has zero household responsibilities (has no clue how to clean, cook, or move for that matter) – and thinks he can help me find an apartment… wrong. Bless his heart – but he did not help, mostly because he had no clue how. I should have found someone who had been through it before but that would have involved a married person (Chinese don’t leave their parent’s homes until they get married – whenever that is) and that can be an awkward situation to be in as a single young woman. So I told him ‘thanks but no thanks’ – from my experiences in accepting help from men, especially for a long process such as moving, they will intentionally do a half-ass job so they can look like they are helpful (or at least trying) but not do a good job so that they can prolong the time they have with me – and then at the very end, pull through with something swift and amazing to look like the hero from a long journey (that cost me time and money). This.Shit.Pisses.Me.Off. I am not stupid, I see what you are doing, and it is at my expense – you have a home, family, and money to depend on despite what happens. If you think that intentionally doing a so-so job and pulling the wool over my eyes will result in romance at the end of this circus that I paid for – you are dead wrong. My previous move involved a mutual friend that thought by the end of helping me move, it was a good idea to land a vacuum tube kiss on my mouth – and that I wanted it. Sorry but no. I never thought a man from Paris would give me the worst kiss of my life – but ladies, it is possible.

I went to a tiny local agency that doesn’t have over 15 properties – these are peppered all throughout the neighborhoods of Shanghai, they have the lowest prices you will ever find, you deal directly with the landlord, and there is no bullshit. However, you will live like a local – and a lot of foreigners feel uncomfortable living by a different standard than the one they come from. I prefer living like this, I didn’t come to China to live in an expat bubble. I came to China to understand it’s people, culture, and language more intimately. This kind of agency is similar to where my previous apartment was arranged – which I intentionally avoided due to my bad experience but I went for it anyway. I ended up finding a wonderful studio in an old French lane house – lots of character, a huge French style window that faces the south with lots of sunshine – all to myself.

At times – living off of a Chinese salary is really difficult – the struggle is real for someone who lives on their own, has heavy student loans, and cannot save despite picking up odd jobs to cover expenses. However – it has also lead me to having these experiences (which are usually paid for if you are sent here on an expat package instead of getting hired in-country) that have lead me to understand China in ways that others who have everything served to them will never understand. This alone will benefit me in great ways – not just in business, but in life as well.

[foreigninchina]

Big Dumps, Mould, and Moon Cakes

The elders I live with often chit chat with me as I run in and out of their slower lives in this old apartment. Topics and greetings are usually nothing out of the ordinary until earlier this week when they asked me if I took a dump the night before and left it in the toilet....

Yeah grandma, I pooped all last night and didn't flush just so you could wake up to it (at 4 am as usual) because I ultimately want to have this conversation with you as I am brushing my teeth before running out the door to work... no. I told her that not to worry, I always flush after dropping the kids off at the pool, and besides... I hadn't even used our toilet the night before - ask your 30 year old son who stays up all night if he did it! The conversation got even better, she went into explaining how it was a "big shit" and it didn't look good and that I should probably go to the doctor for a "check up" while also prescribing some Chinese medicine remedies, and the only thing I keep thinking is 'Are we really having this conversation right now? Really?' as I am rinsing my tooth paste out of my mouth. She proceeds to tell me that she recorded every single dump her son had in his first year of life in a journal.... whoa lady, you're serious about this poop business. Over the years I have come to learn that the older Chinese generation openly and nonchalantly talks about poop when discussing health, it's usually the first think they ask about  when you say you are under the weather, they will also tell you bluntly that you are getting fat, breaking out with acne, and being wasteful.... and I am the one who doesn't have manners to flush?? ok. Even though this is just a cultural thing, and even though I get it, I still haven't adjusted to these conversations and they still don't understand why I blush and want to run away and hide when they come.

Since I live in a very, very old Shanghai house, it rains a lot in this city, and Chinese infrastructure isn't famous for being all that great, so what do you get? Mould. Getting Chinese landlords to do anything is like pulling teeth - you have to threaten them to find your own labor and deduct it from your rent before they will even respond to you, other wise you're just a joke to them. So that is what I did when I found mould growing in my cabinets and shoe bin which was spreading to my shoes. 

The landlord finally came today, Saturday at 6am. Yeah, he is exactly the kind of person I want to see that early on my day off... he came in built a new shoe rack and started to take out the back of my cabinet when I reminded him that the shelves within the cabinet still had mould and that he would just end up coming back to repair the ancient cabinet again (which he knew, he was just trying to see if he could get away with half-assing it) and agreed to bring new ones... I was shocked when I heard the words come out of his raspy voice laden with years of smoking. He stayed all morning doing his repairs and left at noon, promising to come back within 2 weeks with the new furniture - again, I was bewildered by how this man is finally coming 'round to doing things the western way, it's crazy.

It is moon cake season again, and it is awesome. As China experiences the turn of fall, they celebrate with the Mid Autumn Festival where they gather around the night that the moon is its biggest and brightest (in a circle to represent unity) and they eat moon cakes which are beautiful baked pastries with fillings from sweet red bean paste and duck egg yolk to lotus seed paste (my favourite). Chinese people LOVE giving gifts and do it at any given opportunity. Since the Chinese language isn't very emotionally expressive and it makes them uncomfortable when you attempt to describe feelings beyond the surface level, their culture is all about displaying how you feel by doing things for other, giving gifts, and being mindful through actions. For example, a parents won't tell their child they love them, but will always cook them their favourite meals. Because of this, the office is always passing around treats from their trips abroad, or in this case for a local festival.

Another interesting aspect of Chinese office culture is taking naps... at first I thought all the pillows in my co-worker's desk chairs were for back support (they really like getting into decorative pillow cases to where it is almost an accessory) but they are actually there for lunch time. Turn off the screen, move the key board, and put the pretty pillow on the desk and plop their head down for some zzzz. My boss recently visited our Philippines office and told me how they actually cut the lights in the office for the hour lunch break, which is when she arrived and was told to be quiet as she navigated through the dark office. Awesome. I wonder what my bosses would think if I returned to the US with this request, haha in my DREAMS.

[foreigninchina]

Food and Food Poisoning

One of the things that I probably love the most about China is the fooood - from the (Korean) bakeries, street food, and just plain weird stuff, the culinary adventure is never a dull one - and may even give you more than you bargain for.

I LOVE the roast duck here - it is truly amazing and it’s unfortunate that the US isn’t big on duck. Amongst other animals you will find them hanging from shops both cooked, and waiting to be roasted. 

The bakeries are charming as well, from Hello Kitty cakes, squid shaped buns with sausage, to dan tao (flan in a pie crust) I can’t find myself getting enough of the stuff:

Shout out to Austin Texas - Stubb’s BBQ is here!!

Shanghai is also big on seafood since it is a port city close to the sea. Air sealed packs of shrimp and sea slugs that you rehidrate to prepare are readily available at markets.

Unfortunately before my trip to Dubai to see my family, I got the WORST food poisoning of my life in Shanghai - like many things in China, it’s just something you have to accept as part of you experience there (very much part of the ‘hate’ in my love hate relationship with this awesome crazy country) However, I was still jobless (poor and no health insurance) and this food poisoning couldn't have come at a better time. I tried roughing it out and realised something was NOT ok when I threw up antinausia meds. Thankfully I have a friend who is a doctor at a local clinic and knew my financial situation and offered his services any time I needed them. As a foreigner, you do crazy helpful things for other foreigners because you know that you are all you have, and that it will be payed forward in some way. Living abroad tends to bring humanity back to itself. I called at 6:15 and his office closed at 7:00 and rush hour in China is nothing to shake a stick at. He told me if I got there in time he would give me an IV and and any other help I need. After trying to take 2 different cabs that refused to drive me to the other side of town at that hour I got there at 6:55 - a miracle. I was able to see me before his clinic shut down, he and his assistants quickly strapped in an IV and then promptly informed me of a house visit they had to make, and that I had to go with them in order for them to properly remove the IV (within the hour). So while the IV was in my arm, we went from taxi to running around through downtown Shanghai with him carrying the IV bag high next to me. All the while not a single Chinese person looked at me as if it was out of the norm... He set me up in the lobby of the Kerry Center by attaching the bag to a light fixture and explained to me how to remove the IV if I wanted to leave before the visit was over. Although I am not afraid of needles, I really didn't feel like trying to do that as dizzy, dehydrated, and week I was from throwing up all day - I settled for chilling in the 5 star hotel lobby while he tended to a VIP resident, letting me know that “it isn’t normally like this” - yeah well life in China isn't necessarily normal, this was no exception. He returned after his visit, removed the IV and I was sent on my way back to my apartment - partially rehydrated, and having a little more faith in both my ability to stick it out, and the fellow foreigners here in Shanghai.

[foreigninchina]

Getting to Know Grandpa

My Washing Machine Broke

…just as I had predicted. I had argued with my leasing manager right after I moved in telling her that the ancient thing needed to be replaced but since it was still on it's last leg, they weren't going to get a new one. The machine has two cycles and it was only completing the first cycle, draining the water  but not spinning and completing the rinse cycle, leaving heavy soapy laundry in the machine. Explaining this to the elder neighbours (who still use a wooden washing board by the way) was literally like explaining rocket science... they just didn't understand how within one full cycle, there were 2 mini cycles and they both had to be completed.

The landlord came the day after I reported it and proceeded to spend the entire day completely taking apart the machine, rebuilding it, rewiring the room, and told me that it would work and that my predictions of there being an issue with the machine were false and the real issue was wiring. He left, tried to use it the next day… didn’t work. He came back and tore it apart all over again, and after putting it together told me that my original assumption was right… thanks. So I finally get the new machine and proceed to start the heap of laundry that had built up over the week of these events - just fyi, my washing machine is stored in my room but I have to move it to the bathroom to hook it up the the water supply to wash my clothes~ Chinese ghetto fabulous. Because of this it takes up most of the room in the bathroom which means you can’t close the door. So I go to check on the clothes, the door is open so I don’t think anyone is in there… lo-and-behold I walk in on Grandpa taking a piss. Needless to say, Grandpa and I are getting to know each other well (this happening 1 week after me locking myself out of my room)

[foreigninchina]

I live in an 'old folks home'

So, in order to buy myself more time here in China to find another job and still get by, I have moved 3 times within my 3 months of living here. Thanks to an expat friend of mine who is married to a local Shanghainese - I found very cheap rent while still central, but here’s the catch: I live with retired elderly Shanghainese, share a kitchen and a bathroom with 5 other people, and can’t walk in my studio apartment. And I love it.

Not only that, but events have happened upon living there as the first and only foreigner that lives there - it’s been more of an adjustment for these poor elderly Shanghainese than it has been for me moving in. There are times where they look at me like they can’t believe I am living with them. The building is very very old - has 3 apartment rooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom with only a hallway connecting everything (no living room). My room is by far the smallest, the other two are considerably bigger but they also hold more people. One has a Grandpa, Grandma, and their son while the 3rd room has another elderly woman. 

The first 24 hours that I was in the Apartment, after cleaning all day and arguing with the leasing manager that the fridge (that was RANK) and the ancient washing machine (which I knew was going to break) needed to be replaced, I was getting ready to go out. It was 8 pm, Friday night, and I had some steam to let out with friends so I was going from my room, to the kitchen, then took a shower… only to learn that the door to my studio locks automatically when I close it~ and my keys and phone conveniently inside. Soaked in my towel I start thinking of all my options without having to go the only person available at the time - the Grandpa in the kitchen. If you were a fly on the wall - you could have seen the gears in my brain cranking lol. I even considered climbing out the bathroom window to mine (right next to it) but my faith in Chinese building construction wasn’t enough to take the risk, so I turned around and as conservatively as possible in my towel went to the Grandpa explaining the situation and the fact that I had no idea how to deal with this situation in China because it had never happened to me - much less late on a Friday night. 

Modesty and saving face go hand in hand in China - I had known these people less than 24 hours and still hadn't moved beyond the spectacle category in their minds, but I speak Chinese (which if I didn’t it would be impossible to live here). I could tell that in those initial moments the Grandpa was thinking ‘I want to help you but I don’t know if I should be looking at you and I also can’t believe this foreigner is living here and I don’t know you but you are in a towel in front of me so I am just going to look off into the distance) In the midst of our conversation - everyone who had been listening to us from the other side of their doors came out…. so NOW there was me in the middle of all of these elderly Chinese in the small hallway on a Friday trying to solve this fabulous situation I had gotten myself into… Grandpa left and came back with a phone number that he called and had the Grandma explain to me (so he didn’t have to look at me) that it would be expensive and take a while for them to get here but that it could be done. Sooo… now we are all waiting in the hallway and I can tell that I have been providing the most entertainment for these elderly Shanghainese that they had seen in a while. While waiting, the Grandma told me to hide in the bathroom when the service men arrive to unlock my room, I asked why, and she explained that “If they only see us old people, we will be charged the minimum but if they see you (white face) you will be charged a LOT) so when they arrived, she shooed me into the bathroom and my room was unlocked for only 50 kuai (7USD) - a DROP in the bucket. I got in, paid them back and thanked them profusely. 

I honestly don’t want to know what story I would be writing now if I didn’t have that community….

[foreigninchina]

Roller Coaster Ride

I was given the option to go back to the States or to stay here in Shanghai to find another job. Seeing as how I have a love hate relationship with China, I erred on the side of love and dedicated myself to finding my own way here in Shanghai, again. For those who don't know about working here in China, you need a visa (permit) to enter the country and working visa to legally work in China, which you need to get at a Chinese embassy outside of China before entering (or else you do not get in). A lot of small companies just have foreigners work on their visitors visa, which is fine as long as the government doesn't find out you are working as a visitor which would lead to deportation. It has been extremely difficult for foreigners to get a working visa due to recent government restrictions placed within the past year. The requirements now are: 2 years of relevant work experience after graduation for the job you are applying for, letters of confirmation of this experience, your diploma, birth certificate (ideal to be at least 26 years old), a position that cannot be fulfilled by a local, and a company that will sponsor your visa. This is one of the many things that has made my job hunt very very difficult. Also, since I am already here in China, I am considered a local hire - which means a much lower compensation, which would be fine if I didn't have the financial responsibilities of a foreigner (student loans to be paid by myself, not living with my family, paying for foreign health insurance, extra taxes, etc). For young foreigners in China looking for a job: find a global company and apply in the country of it's origin and have them send you over... your compensation will be much better.

Here is what I learned from the obscene amounts of networking, meetings, lunch dates, and straight up hustling:

  Look Good and Feel Good – do WHATEVER it takes to do this genuinely. People are attracted to confidence, happiness, and people who are not needy. Let’s just say… I listened to a LOT of JayZ and Katy Perry and I always put my best foot forward in my appearance.

Truly Network - Forget online stuff like LinkedIn, be face to face with people and wait for them to ask what you are doing. Actively listen to people without thinking about your situation. ANY event/place you go to is a networking opportunity – I love meetup.com! Nonchalantly say you are exploring your opportunities or that you are on the market again. Go out by yourself – get used to talking with strangers and creating a connection quickly, and above all have a good time. Make it a positive experience that you get to meet new people and see new places. I saw so much of Shanghai just going to events and now know the city much more intimately than some people who have been here for years. Some of the connections you make may not lead to jobs but they will be valuable in the future! Also consider getting a head hunter/career coach who can make your resume look amazing (more accomplishment focused rather than role focused – put lots of numbers in your job descriptions)

Cut Through the Bullshit – You should be spending as much time outside and meeting as many new people as possible. You also need to be able to know when people are talking out of their asses, which a LOT of people will do. I pursued many opportunities that turned into dead ends. Make your needs understood, and know how to market your specialties so that people can help you find something. Don’t let people waste your time if they have nothing to give/don’t care.

Have Fun Smart Friends – for me this was something I realized I needed. Even though I was new and didn’t have a solid group of friends, I still needed a support group. It is a lot easier to have real friends in cities that do not have a huge expat community like Shanghai, but I found people worth putting effort into and they returned the same interest. If you are not having a good time and if you don’t have a support group, you will inevitably  start to hate your experience and it will jeopardize point one which will negatively effect everything.

Let People Take Care of You – This is also something I had to allow myself to experience. If people know you are jobless and they pay for your coffee/lunch meetings, let them do it and say thank you. I was raised to be independent so this really challenged my pride but I also didn’t have a choice. I was only paid one months salary from my last job and didn’t get severance, as a recent grad I do not have a savings to bridge my expenses while jobless, and I had to pay rent and feed myself.

Be $avy – figure out how to do EVERYTHING cheaply. Growing up my parents gave me the basics and anything beyond that I paid for. This has really helped me stretch every dollar that I have. Eat at home, always take mass transit (don’t stay out after the subway closes so you don’t unnecessarily take a taxi), shot gun beers at convenience stores between clubs, paint your own damn nails, learn how to trim your hair, use craigslist, trade skills, buy bulk, shop on JD/TaoBao, bargain HARD, enjoy the simple things that are free like museums and parks. I had to move to a dirt cheap, much smaller, and extremely Chinese apartment to buy me more time. Be ok with living differently, maybe uncomfortably, and look at it as a good learning experience. You will value the nice things in life later and have AWESOME stories to tell. There is a wild excitement in the freedom of the unknown – be present to enjoy it.

[foreigninchina]

Shopping: Kissing Bees, Alley Ways, and Meat Floss

I love Chinese malls, you will find some of the funniest and most random things that either make you cock your head to the side in confusion or just laugh your butt off. Either way, it is another valuable cultural experience that people don't warn you about. You will see some concerning English written on t-shirts that makes you wonder if they really know what they are buying/wearing, western fashion gone overboard with lace and bows, and some just plain weird stuff... and that is just the apparel.

One thing that China does really well though are their promotions of big name products - since there is so much competition for the new consumerist market in China, you have to literally put on a SHOW if you want to capture anyone's attention. As I was breezing through a mall to get to the supermarket in the basement, I walked by a Marc Jacobs promo complete with a black and yellow velvet stage full of samples galore and club music for their new Honey perfume and got kissed by a bee!

I was walking through a department store today to get to the food court and came across this lovely store:

As I was walking through I looked up and saw the word "titty" everywhere and got really confused and then just started laughing when I realized it was the actual name of this store... Some Chinese women really enjoy things associated with being cute and little - itsy bitsy and I think they thought this name was playing along those lines, but if they only knew. It carried 50's like clothing, all in pastels - not bad looking stuff~ At first I thought it was some strange name for a lingerie store, which one day I will expand on that topic all on its own. If you look closely, there is a bag just beneath the sign to the right that has "funny" stamped on it... perfect.

China has some weird food; I am not going to lie. Most of the food here is pretty normal and really good, but every once in a while you will look at something and never want to try it. Like meat floss. They seem to really like the stuff. They bake it on top of their breads, put it in their sandwiches, or eat it straight. I am not sure how it is even made – but it is like meat in the texture of cotton/fur/hair. You can get different proteins in different flavorings, I have tried it – accidentally my first time in China thinking it was almost like a caramel cotton candy sort of topping on bread and didn’t know what I had just bitten into. There are even sections of isles in the grocery store completely dedicated to this stuff. (Ramen can even take up a couple isles) Here is what it looks like shelved in the grocery store facing my apartment complex:

The names on stuff just make me laugh sometimes, just slap some English on there - it doesn't have to make sense.

Here is an electronics store named YOLO – the translation in Chinese means “forever happy” so I guess it makes a little bit of sense, but the Chinese have no understanding of YOLO in the way that foreigners do… which makes this so funny, because you should definitely go YOLO when you shop here:

Hair products are also interesting. This ad for a male hair styling product named Gatsby gives this picture displaying the usefulness of the gel, to be honest, I don’t know how you men don’t resist buying a whole basket full:

Pet stores are also really interesting, they tend to concentrate on a specific kind of pet (unlike our PetCo’s in the US) where you can get anything as long as it isn’t too exotic. Here is a goldfish store for example:

Much more to come!

[foreigninchina]

Cat Cafes, A Soldier Boy, and Luke Warm Hot Tubs

Alright, so a friend of mine that I originally met on the plane to Shanghai from LA visited and both of us wanted to see what the hype was about with the Hyatt rooftop bar overlooking the Bund in Shanghai. It had been snowing that week, and we thought it would be a good idea to go because they have a hot tub lounge section outside of the bar with a fantastic view. I grew up snowboarding in Colorado and absolutely LOVED soaking in a jacuzzi after a day on the mountain and thought this would be just as awesome.

It was still within Chinese New Year so the bar was sparce (Shanghai becomes a ghost town during CNY because the city is mostly made up of Chinese from surrounding areas and they all go back during this time - it is the biggest time holiday of the year and so the foreigners end up leaving as well because the city shuts down for several weeks) Sooo.. the place had around 200 people in the bar, which is nothing for China, and we were the only ones outside. We had our bathing suits on under our clothes and so when we got out on  the freezing roof with our complimentary drinks for paying a cover, we start to take off our clothes to jump into the tub - and a hotel associate stops us to let us know that it is not allowed to do this out in the open, but in the dressing room. Like it makes any difference... but that is Chinese culture. In America, I can't remember a single time when I already had my swimsuit on under my clothes and went to a separate secluded area just to take them off.... We didn't resist and came back out to jump into a tub that was LUKE WARM. Did I mention it was below freezing outside? I called out to the same associate enforcing the conservative rules of the place to do everything he possibly could to rip the temperature up as hot as it could go - it is the HYATT for goodness sakes! After a couple back-and-forths and a lot of giggles from the guests taking our crazy foreigner experience we decided that it just wasn't going to get any warmer so we jumped out laughing at ourselves and the situation we got ourselves in and I took probably one of the hottest showers I have ever taken.

That is my friend, trying to look like he is enjoying himself and me giggling behind the camera.

I am not going to lie, this place had great drinks, an awesome view (named VUE Bar) and I will probably do this again... in the summer time!

A couple days later we had scheduled to see the Lumineers perform at MAO Livehouse music venue. Which ended up becoming a reality because my neighbor. When I introduced myself as the new kid on the block on a Friday night when I heard a party going next door, I found out he worked for the company putting on the concert! You meet very interesting expats here in China.. the concert was a blast. Their first performance in China!

So anyone who knows me understands that I am a pretty big fan of cats…. I like dogs and grew up with them too but I have a special place in my heart for cats and I heard of Cat Cafes in Japan where you go to a café full of social cats and sip coffee while they sleep in your lap or run around and play. Well, I found one in Shanghai… and I thought I had about died and gone to heaven – it was AWESOME

My work station...

I wonder if this would do well in the US...

Also, I went out to buy some thermals that everyone had recommended to me by this Japanese clothing line (they saved my LIFE) and it had started to rain while I was in the store. While they were bagging my things, they also covered my shopping bag with a plastic bag specifically made for the shopping one to protect my things from the rain~ fancy. Such a small thing, but it makes all the difference because in China, since you walk EVERYWHERE therefore it takes more time to get where you are going (instead of conveniently driving) this bag would have fallen apart before I actually got home. I loved it – great customer service!

One of the Saturdays I had, before heading to a dinner party I stopped into a mall to check it out. On my way through the station I found my Chinese twin…. And I mean, if I was Chinese – this is EXACTLY what I would look like:

She and a friend have 2 desks attached to the wall in a subway corridor with a mirror and shelves and they do makeup and hair for women on the go – this was on Valentines Day and they did some of the most intricate hair braiding I have ever seen, cheap and quick!

I felt like I was in Austin again with all of its live music when I saw this guy as I was exiting the station

Where I also found an Ukrainian boy soldier:

More funny, weird, and awesome Chinese things to come!

[foreigninchina]

Snow, Black Chickens, and Cigars.

Soooo, this post is going to be as random as it is awesome.

I got into my new apartment with a run to IKEA (Shanghai has two) and haven't even had time to completely move in but it feels wonderful to be here. I have my own bathroom and a whole additional room on the 2nd floor for guests - holla at my homies! Not to mention I have some fabulous roommates from Singapore and England. I am waiting on my bedding to get in from taobao (China's amazon), which right now would be awesome because it has been snowing!

In China, apartments have heaters/AC for each individual room - which is awesome if the people you live with have different temperature preferences AND it saves energy~ why heat a living room if no one is in it? But it sucks when you wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom - and it is freezing cold... but like all things, you get used to it.

Today I had lunch in the basement of a mall (where the food court and grocery stores usually are) and had a couple lovely Random Chinese Moments (RCM's). For example:

Because all women like their stuff fruity and pink...

Aaaannnd - chickens can be black too! (this is a Silky chicken, believed to carry medicinal properties) Check out a pic of them - total swag.

As I head back to my office, I look up and see:

If you need a blessing, you know where to turn...

On my way home one day I stop into a convenience store and see a lovely set of underwear right next to the bottled water and horrible wine (I might add):

...that's right ladies! Make sure he has some random lettering on his briefs representing his European history of wars - because fashion is all about what is on the inside.

 The Chinese also have an interesting relationship with the number 4, any building with several stories will NOT number a floor with the number 4 in it. This is because the word for death and 4 are the same (pronounced in a different tone) but what is interesting is my apartment building numbers the 4th floor - but not the 14th floor... this is because in Chinese, 14 is stated ten-four. The word for "is" and 10 are the same as well with different tones - so instead of taking out the 4th floor, they decided the "is dead" floor was more important to take care of, with the letter B (I don't know why) but I do know if this was not the case, the apartment would be hard pressed to find ANY Chinese person who would want to live on the "is dead" floor.

Don't worry, I live on the 28th floor.

I have been exploring SH as much as I can, and I have come across some really cool places so far. While shopping around for a bike I visited a really cool shop full of 'fixies' or single gear bikes and I immediately felt like I was in Austin Texas again

Right after, I went to a place called the Cigar Ambassador... famous for their espresso and 2 story humidor~ The air was scented with leather couches, fresh coffee beans, and cigars. The faint sound of Cuban music in the background gave way to an escape from the cold SH winter outside. This place is in a building called 1933 - a renovated slaughterhouse. The gentleman you see behind the bar is the owner, he is Cuban

SH has got to be one of the most magical places I have ever lived in... while all the big names are here, this city is built off of the local people with their quirky, unique, and just plain fun businesses. Everything is at your fingertips, and to be in such a robust international economy is really exciting! Sooo much more to come!

[foreigninchina]

First Week

So, I just graduated, found a tech start-up that straddles the US and China, got on board and now I am in Shanghai. Back in 2009 I spent 1 1/2 years in Beijing studying and working before I went to University. Now I am back and the same fury and delight that China gives me has come full circle. I don't know what it would be like without knowing how to read and speak Chinese. Between getting here, finding my grounding between work and life, and dealing life as a foreigner has been difficult, hilarious, sad, and rewarding. I am currently in an apartment with 3 other guys who seem to think that drugs, prostitutes, and a messy atmosphere are acceptable way of life... I found a new apartment and I am getting out asap. I keep finding myself looking around and asking: "Am I the only one that seems to be level headed about how I live?". Being here alone in such a big city is unsettling - maybe even more so with my current living situation. I hate meal times the most because every aspect of the eating culture here in China is family style - big tables and dishes. It is impossible to find a 'meal for one' and even when you do sit down alone surrounded by big parties of coworkers and friends eating, it makes you feel very alone. Needless to say - I have been living off a lot of juice and Tours Les Jours/Paris Baguette. At the same time, I look around, talk to the locals, take in the atmosphere and culture and fall in love with this place all over again. This is the stuff you cannot prep for before you leave - so much of your life abroad has to do with being open and going with the wind. You can't be rigid and militant in your comfort zone/cultural way of thinking - just go with it and deal with it. It's China baby.

Such as random China moments (RCM) ~ On the plane ride here I met a fellow Texan from Austin (where I was also coming from) which made for a great flight while a Chinese man on the plane ate a bread sandwich - a slice of banana bread between two slices of wonderbread... go figure. After I landed and started working with my boss in our really nice office an older gentleman let out two, long, juicy ripper-farts. The first one caused us to stop our conversation, my boss looked over in the direction of the tooter and then back at me with a "Did that really just happen/Is that what I think it was??" look on his face and I just lost it.

The Tooter:

On another note - I went up to Beijing to see my core friends from 2009 that found their way back to China and properly celebrated the Chinese New Year. It was just what the doctor ordered. Saw the Great Wall again, revisited the hangouts we used to frequent, and watched a Kungfu production. For New Year's eve we ventured out to a newly built and vacant highway to get a 360 view of the glorious production of fireworks in the country that created them. A moment I will never forget - I froze my butt off, but it was so worth it.

Finding my place in the exciting new job has been interesting - I am the only one here carving a path for the company and that is a big, awesome, and daunting goal. I work for a telemedicine company that provides Harvard medical consultations via online video conferences as a second opinion to Chinese patients here in China. China's medical system is rigged in a way that since there aren't enough docs who are all underpaid - you have to tip off the docs via a 'hong bao' (red envelope of cash) to get the best of the worst care - which is still full of misdiagnoses for the most expensive treatments and meds, of which the doctor gets a kick back for... and we aren't even talking about the price of the surgery as well as tipping off the nurses, anesthesiologists, etc. Nobody trusts the docs, but until now it has been the only way to get care. Since there aren't primary care facilities in China, EVERYONE goes to the hospital. I myself have been through the hospital system twice and couldn't believe the lack of organization and proper care that I received... after 4 hours I ended up getting stitches without anesthetics for a accidental self inflicted stab wound... yeah I can be dangerously and hilariously clumsy.

The company I work for didn't take any pharm funding so our analysis is completely unbiased, we do not provide treatment, just a second opinion - which is awesome, but getting a Chinese doctor to accept a second opinion goes against all kinds of cultural customs. That is the biggest hurdle - the one I am trying to answer in this beautiful crazy adventure.

I love China and I am so glad I am here. Haha - I am also asking myself what the hell I have gotten myself into. A wonderful, difficult, crazy world - that's what.