Photo of the Week: Let It Snow

Old vs. New

When you stand on the river walk on the bank of the Huang Pu River in Shanghai, you have a great view of both sides of the waterway. On the west side, you see an impressive row of European style architecture built in the early 1900s. On the east side of the river, you see a crowd of stunning skyscrapers, which have all been built within the last 20 years. The contrast is stark - a visual representation of Shanghai's past & future.

Puxi - West Bank

Pudong - East Bank

When my parents were here in September, our tour guide Lynn took us to the river side to take photos & gawk at the other tourists. While we were there, Lynn commented that when she takes foreigners to see the river, they almost always turn to look at the old buildings & marvel at the intricate art deco designs. When she takes Chinese tourists to see the same river, they invariably look towards the modern high rises, impressed by how they gleam.

Indeed, Lynn's observation could be broadened to apply to cultural attitudes in general. In the West, everyone loves old things. People are always buying antiques, restoring old buildings, & getting in touch with their roots.

Whereas in the East, the past couldn't be sloughed off quick enough. If it's more than 20 years old, no one wants it. Countless old buildings are demolished every day in favor of 20-storey apartment buildings. Traditional music & clothing is scoffed at as out-dated & useless. The old ways are being replaced by the latest in design, technology & comfort, & no one is looking back - China has torn off its rearview mirror & tossed it out the window.

Some might say it's unfortunate that Ming Dynasty pagodas are being replaced with McDonalds & Starbucks on every corner. However, those that would lament have the luxury to do so. The West has already developed industry & commerce to such an extent that people can comfortably sit back, take a deep breath & sigh about days gone by.

China, on the other hand, is on the verge of something huge - they're charging into the future at a break-neck pace, & they don't have time for the extravegance of looking to the past. Right now, the past is just in the way of progress.

Snow!

It's snowing in Shanghai!

I left work tonight to find all the world lightly powdered with fresh snow & more flakes drifting down all around. The air was crisp, like a new beginning, & it made me feel cheery. Perhaps it's because it's Christmas time. Perhaps it's because I'm starting a new job & I feel hopeful. Perhaps it's just because snow is beautiful.

A few years ago I never would have believed that I could feel happy at the sight of snow. I moved to Arizona to get away from the slush & the muck of Ohio winters, swearing I would never go back north. But today I was delighted to feel the fluffy flakes on my face, to see everything turning white around me.

I took out my camera & started snapping photos, feeling like an awkward tourist, until I looked up to see several other people taking photos too. It doesn't normally snow here in Shanghai, & it's got everyone charmed.

Even the Water Is Fake

When I was staying at the Happy Dragon Hostel in Beijing, I noticed that there were some incredibly loud frogs croaking through the night. Then I noticed that the loud croaking didn't seem to move around at all, & that the frogs kept making the same sound patterns. As with just about everything else in China, the frogs were fake.

Some of the fake goods available here are actually great buys. Although they blatantly violate copywrite laws, pirated DVDs and copy books are cheap & widely available. I can get a DVD for about a dollar, & copy books cost $2-$3 each. The quality isn't as good as the real thing, but that doesn't make much difference to someone like me. I'm not going to keep them after I'm finished watching or reading them anyway.

Of course knock-off brands are everywhere - clothing, computers, cosmetics. Most of the real stuff is made in China anyway, so it's not that difficult to copy it & then sell it at the fake market right down the street from the posh boutiques. In China, even the beggars wear Gucci.

In class the other day, we were discussing competition & cooperation in the workplace. One of the students was talking about his job as a bottled water salesman. He said that of course there is a lot of competition in his job - he strives to sell more water than the other sales people. But he said he also depends on cooperation among the sales people, who need to band together against fake water.

Fake water? How can water be fake? He said that about 30% of the bottled water available in Shanghai is bottled by small companies who print labels to look like the brand names. Most of the time these bottles contain nothing but tap water. But he said that most likely the water we buy in supermarkets & quickie marts it legit. We just need to be careful of the bottled water sold on the street, or outside tourist attractions.

That's good advice when buying anything on the street, be it bottled water or a new watch. Buyer beware: If it's cheap, there's probably a reason for it.

Promoted!

I've just been promoted to Content Editor!

After taking a good look at where I'm going in my career, I started researching opportunities at my current school other than teaching. I really like working for EF, so I nosed around the back office until I got myself an interview with the content team. They were generous enough to offer me this new position & I couldn't be happier.

I'll be writing & editing course materials for the EF online learning system. After over ten years in the classroom, I'm going to take a break & sit at a desk for a while. I'll work Monday to Friday, 9 to 6 - a "normal" job. I don't think I've ever had a job like that in my life! It will take a little getting used to, but I'm looking forward to the change & the challenge.

The new job will extend my current contract for another six months, which means I'll be staying in Shanghai until July 2011. That should give my friends & family plenty of time to plan their vacations to China :)