i should be packing and cleaning my apartment. but it's raining and i'm lazy. so, here are lists i've been compiling mentally and finally getting down in the blogosphere...
what i will NOT miss about shanghai:
- the awful air quality! pollution, pollution, pollution.
- "yellow plum season." aka "rainy season" aka "moldy time."
- pushing. shoving. spitting. cutting in lines. in other words - the masses practicing self-centeredness and total oblivion.
- terrible, terrible drivers. every man and woman for his/her self on the roads.
- strange identity of being an asian-american here - not fully american, not fully chinese. very tired of being the designated go-to person for servers whenever i'm out with non-chinese friends (even if these "waiguoren"/foreigner friends speak chinese fluently). definitely tired of having to explain why i'm american with a chinese face. immigration, people. c'mon!
what i will miss about shanghai:
- an amazing community of friends with vision, passion and authenticity. i have really, really been blessed.
- the folks in my neighborhood: the kind but gruff shanghainese men who work as the guards at my building, the sweet couple who run a vegetable stand at the local wet market, the two hilarious sisters who run a fruit stand with their family, my slightly forgetful and chatty cleaning lady ("ayi")....
- food. oh my goodness, the food.
- street food. i know this is really a subcategory of food but it deserves its own bullet point. really.
- chinese new year and fireworks!!!!
- motorcycle taxis!
- split pants. 9 years later, they still crack me up. (no pun intended)
i truly am going to miss this city. the labyrinth of streets winding through towers of metal and glass. noises that never cease from early morning until late, late night - squeaking of bike brakes, blare of car horns, loud bass booming from speakers balanced precariously on the back of motorcycles, sharp chatter of shanghainese (punctuated by the occasional yell and crescendo of argument).
i am going to miss the glitz and the glam, the swagger, the fantasy being lived in sharp contrast to heartbreaking realities. i am going to miss living in the obvious tension of this city - hopeful for all the potential that is good, learning to hold on to hope in the midst of all that is frustrating and unjust.
the past 9 years have gone beyond my meager expectations.... thanks, shanghai.
cups of coffee: 2
mood: sleepy
2 comments:
You have captured the city perfectly and brought back so many memories and emotions so strong within me. I both miss and don't miss so much of that... I think I will always love Shanghai. and my oh my i do kind of miss Stinky Tofu. The smell was kind of endearing.
eva, i love this post! Shanghai will miss you terribly, too!
Post a Comment