Expats in Shanghai, China\u2019s biggest city and commercial hub, form a diverse group in this country.<\/p>\n
Allen Chng is a Singaporean college student doing a long-term internship in Shanghai. When asked what\u2019s the most Chinese thing he\u2019s ever done as an expat, Allen\u2019s answer was quick and easy:<\/p>\n
\u201cPushing and squeezing my way during the morning rush hour crowd.\u201d<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t help but chuckle when hearing his answer, because I understand, from my experience, you just cannot be excessively polite when getting around on Chinese streets. Manners matter, but not as much at any particular Shanghai Subway station.<\/p>\n
This past summer, I did an internship at an American-owned company in one of the most cosmopolitan areas in the city. I was immersed in the Shanghai expat community, and, more vividly than ever, I could see the constantly evolving Shanghai.<\/p>\n
When asked what the biggest cultural shock was when he first came to Shanghai, Allen said, \u201cIn Singapore, people generally abide more closely to rules and common western social etiquette, while in Shanghai\u2026 there is a lot more pushing involved.\u201d This was unsurprising to me as I have always had a bit of a reverse culture shock when I go home. When I go back to China, people are utterly uncomfortable with my over-politeness and excessive \u201cthank-yous\u201d and \u201csorrys.\u201d People in China today seem to care less about topical etiquette.<\/p>\n
Tanya, who is pursuing her masters degree in International Trade at Shanghai University, thought she acts the most Chinese while drinking:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile I was interning at a startup company, we had this big dinner with the CEO, and we just drank a lot of bai jiu\u2026 I just got so incredibly drunk, I had to leave the table and literally chug a liter of water to be able to stand again\u2026 I thought that was very Chinese of me, to drink that amount of bai jiu under work pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Allen echos Tanya\u2019s answer, \u201cthere is a lot of networking and meeting new people over drinks, something which I do way less in Singapore.\u201d<\/p>\n
I had multiple aha moments during my interviews, and Tanya\u2019s and Allen\u2019s remarks on drinking was definitely some of the ones that left me some afterthoughts. Drinking culture in China differs between business and leisure drinking. You will definitely find higher levels of intoxication and drunkenness at business events than at holiday family gatherings. In the business world, one\u2019s tolerance level is indicative of one\u2019s professional ability.<\/p>\n
As a metropolitan, economically booming city with growing global opportunities, Shanghai attracts expats for an endless list of reasons. It especially attracts foreign youngsters with its robust social life. Allen\u2019s favorite thing about Shanghai is \u201call the buzz\u2026 There are always lots of activities happening every week.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Tanya, social life in Shanghai is \u201chectic and ever-changing\u2026 I go out a lot, and living in Shanghai\u2026 basically I drink a lot.\u201d Tanya chats about her social life with a big smile on her face. She is especially excited when talking about meeting new people.<\/p>\n
Constantly meeting new people seems to be a staple of the expat experience. Kassidy, a post-undergraduate student from the United States, claims \u201cthings move super quickly here, which is exciting, but overwhelming sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though rapid pace of life almost defines cities like Shanghai, there is an extra layer to the on-the-toe urban life for expats.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople here are all aware of the ever-changing cycle of friendship\u2026 You want to make new friends because you realize that people will eventually leave\u2026 You try to not be bitter about it\u2026 Life in Shanghai, life in China as an expat, is basically being to able deal with stuff like that and realizing how lucky you are to be able to be bitter about it\u2026 because all of us made our choice to come here.\u201d<\/p>\n
While it sounds that expats have great social life and friendships in Shanghai, a \u201cChinese\u201d component seems to be absent from the expat experience of Shanghai. Allen told me, \u201cThere is a large expat community and lots of international brands and products over here. You can easily get a lot of comfort things you are used to back home.\u201d<\/p>\n
This sense of home may have extended into expats\u2019 social life at Shanghai as well. From my interviewees and observations, expats\u2019 day-to-day lives overall did not sound very \u201cChinese\u201d to me. As Tanya claims, \u201cInteractions to Chinese people is very limited for me. I don\u2019t really have many Chinese friends, which I think is sad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s rather easy to live a \u2018Western\u2019 lifestyle in Shanghai,\u201d echos Kassidy.<\/p>\n
I personally can attest to this Western, \u201cChineseless\u201d expat living as well. All of the expats I interviewed and encountered in Shanghai expressed a sense of strong Western feeling in their lives in Shanghai, a feeling so strong that extends to a disconnectedness. When working with expats at my internship, even as a Chinese, there was a limited need to speak Chinese. Often times, I would go about a day without speaking a single word of Chinese except to the Waimai delivery guy.<\/p>\n