China. You might have heard a certain TV host
and president* talk at great length about my new home. People have asked me if
I’m dealing with culture shock but my time in Thailand has prepared for me for
what I’ve gotten myself into. China.
I’m as surprised as you are. Things escalated
very quickly. One day I’m applying for jobs in Ontario and a few days later I’m
on a flight to Shanghai. Why? (direct flights people!) Full time work as a high
school English teacher with flights and apartment paid for and the ability to
save enough money to get myself out of a little financial jam I willingly got
myself into the last ten years. If you gradually spend even a little more money
that you earn each year, it really gets you BUT we will stay positive and make
a plan. I’ve never particularly cared about saving money due to the fact that
I’ve never really made any significant amount of money at any of the jobs I’ve
had but I feel like I missed the point in high school. Like DMX says, “Life
ain’t a track meet, it’s a marathon.” I felt like I needed a few home runs to
become financially well off when I should have been trying for singles,
doubles and even the occasional bunt. If only my dad would have warned me and
try to instill a love of saving in me…..
Well we can get rid of one of those jars |
I won’t bore you with the nitty gritty of my
plan to become a financial mogul or my dreams of becoming a minimalist (ok the
second one you will be hearing about) but I will let you into the window that
is Shanghai. I live about 35k outside of the core in a rich suburb called
Fengxian. I have a two bedroom, one bath, kitchen and decent sized living room
that I rock alone and is a nice glimpse into a future of living and dying alone
that is unfolding in front of me. I’m on the second floor which helps me avoid
taking the smoked filled elevator each morning and evening. Did you know that
smoking is still a thing? I come home sometimes reeking of smoke; not the best.
My apartment is about a 10 minute drive to the school and there is a van that
takes me and a few other teachers to the school every day. I’m looking at bikes
to buy because it is healthier and I’m like a little kid who needs a bike to
feel independent and not trapped. There are a few malls and cheap places to eat
$2-3 dinner nearby. We live right by a river but I can only assume
it would mean instant death going within a few meters of it. It isn’t as
serious or a strict as I imagined mainland China being which has been a positive
development.
I go to Shanghai proper on the weekends
which ends up taking just under an hour depending on how I get into the city
but the bus is cheap cheap but good good so that looks like the way I will be
entering the city from here on out. There are essentially zero other
non-Chinese people in my suburb but certainly thousands more in real Shanghai.
Not a ton but definitely a presence. I played lacrosse for the first time
Saturday and I’m thinking about making it part of my Saturday morning routine.
I’d get to learn a new sport and have access to a huge amount of expats which I
am in desperate need of due to the fact that I may or may feel quite lonely.
Again, good practice for what is coming.
My initial thoughts on the food are not
spectacular. I found a few dishes I like and my Instragram is quickly looking
more and more like an Insta foodie personality but I will try to reign that in
in the coming weeks. I think it’s easy to like China but I feel like it might
be a hard country to fall in love with. Things I need:
1-Friends
2-Bicycle
3-Possibly Lacrosse equipment
4-A basketball
That doesn’t seem unreasonable, right?
What else, what else…? Apparently you
shouldn’t drink the water. There’s no Uber here but something less fun and less convenient instead. Buildings exist but many are empty and a few security
measure seem only for show. Using Google and Instagram and other sites is a
major pain because I need to pay for a VPN and it takes just a few extra
minutes each time but that is going to slowly build all my rage that will be unleashed on an undeserving soul. Oh and I’m on my way to being famous:
http://www.bilibili.com/video/av8902943/
There’s a Disney amusement park here that I
will be sure to be writing a post about. It is my understanding it is illegal
to gamble here which might explain why so many guests are in the Niagara Falls
casinos. There aren’t any country bars here. Sad face. Bands come here. Some
alcohol is supposedly fake which worries me. China is massive and very close to
my one true love, Thailand. I may or may not have my next 4 vacations planned
out. I was under the impression I had a slight affinity for ladies from this
part of the world; I was incorrect. Shanghai has 14 metro lines. 14.
I’m
not far from going on a YouTube deep dive on wedding proposal videos. Not being
able to speak, write or understand Chinese is going to be an issue. Being back
in a place with cheap massages and beard shaves is refreshing. I heard that there is
a pretty good wall around here that I should go find when I have the time. Ping
Pong is no joke here. I like the show Riverdale more than I care to admit.
I
enjoy going to work and I’m happy that I’m here. I need a routine and to eat
more fruit and be more active but my sleep and reading levels are high and I’m
cautiously optimistic I’m in the right place. China.
"The more stuff you own, the more your stuff owns you."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDrfE9I8_hs
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