As I went to Shanghai for the holidays, I stayed for 8 years and am not in a hurry to return
I first came to Shanghai almost a decade ago - In the summer of 2006, a student exchange. And somehow it turned out by itself that after graduating from the university I went to study in China to do it — first I tightened my tongue, then I received an economic education. Then she worked in Moscow, but returned to Shanghai again. Actually, I thought I was just going to visit friends, for a while and with a small suitcase. But I wanted to stay - nothing kept me in Moscow.
Deciding that I would stay in China, I immediately began sending out resumes to local companies. Fortunately, I had a place to live - a friend sheltered me for a while, and my first job in Shanghai was found quickly. True, in that company I only lasted three months - it was terribly boring. But, celebrating my birthday in the River South Gallery, I met her owner, a Taiwanese who studied in New York and made a movie, and then decided to settle in China. The Taiwanese would hardly have been allowed to shoot here, they would not even have included the name in the credits, so he opened an art center. At that time, about fifty people came to my party, which impressed him, so he offered me a job as an event organizer: to do fashion shows, exhibitions.
It sounds interesting, but the money was small and paid them with delays. After another, in two months, I went to the showroom of a Hong Kong designer, but even there it lasted only half a year - I had to work six days a week until late, and the constant processing made itself felt. When I was almost desperate, at one of the parties I was introduced to the guys who discovered M1NT - the most glamorous club in Shanghai, where all the local stars were walking: every year they celebrated the opening of Formula One, and Ferrari stood on the roof. There I ended up working for several years, but then the owners changed, the whole team left, and so did I. Now I work in a PR agency owned by a Chinese woman and an Italian.
My bosses, as a rule, were Europeans. It must be said that in China there is no such processing culture as in other Asian countries. Although, of course, it depends on the profile: for example, in the field of entertainment or in advertising, you have to stay late until important projects. If you are organizing events, you should always be on your feet until the end of the event - but usually it is about ten in the evening, and not every day. Office workers here go home clearly on schedule - at six.
Life in Shanghai is generally simpler and cheaper than in Moscow: China is built so that everyone is comfortable. There are a billion Chinese people, and therefore all these amenities are brought to automaticity: for example, there is an excellent transport system with cheap flights to all cities, shops are working late, an inexpensive taxi. Moreover, it is not only more comfortable here, but also warmer than in Moscow - it also pleases. The only thing that is unpleasant is winter, it is cold and wet here, and this is in the absence of heating. Who has money - pays for the conditioner, and who does not - wears thick quilted pajamas and goes to bed early under a thick blanket.
Shanghai largely retained the features that he had a hundred years ago, when he was called "the whore of the East." Then it was a port city with crowds of sailors and red lanterns. There were a lot of drugs, mostly opium, and easy money. In addition, there have always been a lot of foreigners: the English at one time ruled several blocks, and even the police had their own. Shanghai cannot boast such a rich history as Beijing or other cities. Shanghai is a city where it was possible to make a lot of money quickly, and it has remained so until now - now it is the financial capital of China.
The desire to quickly make money and distinguishes the Shanghai from Beijing. The latter, I think, are more intelligent; they value classical music, exhibitions, and cinema. And it is more important for Shanghai people to have fun from the heart, so there are restaurants and bars with live music all around. Shanghai people know how to have fun, and even the old people enjoy life here: they lay down at ten in the evening, get up at six in the morning and go tai-chi or go dancing in the park. Include an old tape recorder, engaged. I like it very much - that they gather together, communicate, dance, do not completely complex and simply enjoy life, despite their age.
People here also love to eat - and in order to eat tasty, there are no problems at all in Shanghai. True, there are local features. For example, in local aunts markets, food is much cheaper than in supermarkets. But things familiar to Europeans, like cheese, that everyone misses, are very expensive. True, I have familiar chefs, and I usually order food with them from their suppliers. If there are no such acquaintances, then you can order on the Internet - it will still be more profitable than in a store. But the general rule is one: all imported in China is much more expensive than local, because of the 18% surcharge. This affects the clothes, for example, all sorts of cheap brands like Zara in China are more expensive than in Europe.
It is ridiculous, by the way, that the Chinese themselves, who are richer, love to buy everything "real", like our "new Russians." In this they differ from Europeans, who are happy to buy fake items of expensive brands in local markets - there are such in every city. I do not understand why I need to pay $ 100 for some thing, if I can buy the same for 10? You should take a closer look at fake things: they can be of very good quality and will last for years. Sometimes they are sewn in the same factories as expensive ones — simply by completing the order of a large customer, they send everything that is left above, to the markets or to the Internet. Such things must be sought and bargained. And the most advanced find small local brands or sew clothes to order - it turns out qualitatively and not very expensive.
I am a very sociable person, and it has always been easy for me to make friends. I ride a skateboard, go to yoga and have met a lot of people there. My closest friends, who have already become almost relatives, are Russian girls. But there are friends from all over the world. I speak fluent English and Chinese, I can speak a little French, and I love to get to know each other. Despite the fact that I professionally organized parties, among colleagues I have no close friends, we are still too different. I had a very peculiar youth, in Moscow I grew up in a skate party at Victory Park. This street culture is still the closest to me, I love this style and this music, at one time even stood for a little bit at the DJ console. And my friends have always been appropriate: musicians, designers, athletes.
The first years in China, I did not have enough of my favorite electronic music, but now it has become more. The Chinese themselves still love rock the most. But fashion is changing, and now I already know a lot of very advanced Chinese people who listen to interesting electronic music. In addition to parties, here, of course, you can search for friends through the Internet. Facebook is closed (many bypass the lock, but this is not always possible), so everyone sits at InterNaitons - this is an international forum for expats with pages for each country. They are having a party in Shanghai for their members in one of the big hotels, a man of two hundred arrives there. In addition, meetings for professional dating — networking — are very popular — they can also be found on InterNations and on other platforms.
You can also track groups in WeChat, which has actually become the second Facebook. It is even more convenient, because through it you can pay on the Internet. There you can find anything - from advertising new clubs to announcements about renting an apartment, the main thing is just not to yawn. By the way, housing in Shanghai is also worth looking for in WeChat, many there are looking for neighbors in rented apartments. This is common among foreigners here: they rent a 4-5-room apartment by the company and live like young people in Europe. Although, of course, Shanghai in recent years is rapidly increasing in price, and quickly finding something good is difficult here. Beginners often have to contact real estate agencies - they save time.
As for the friendship with the Chinese and the cultural barrier, there are sometimes serious prejudices between them and visitors that hinder good relations. For example, a friend of mine lost her long-time Chinese girlfriend after she started being friends with a boy of African descent. Racism in China, alas, is not uncommon and often does not even hide. Worst of all, it is people with dark skin, although everyone suffers from stereotypes, including Russian girls. Although, of course, there are more than a billion Chinese, and I know a lot of open, creative people, free from prejudice. As elsewhere, all people are different.
Romantic acquaintances, as in most cities, are viewed very freely here. Among expatriates, few have a serious relationship, everyone likes short intrigues more, because most do not plan to stay in China for a long time. Many mixed couples - but more often they are European men with Chinese women, perhaps because there are more men among foreigners, and maybe European men are easier. It happens and vice versa, of course, but much less often. However, I also saw regular couples - often it was businessmen-foreigners who married Chinese women also for the sake of business: everything can be written in the name of the wife. They meet at any opportunity, the benefit of places and events in the city is enough. Well, of course, the whole English-speaking public is sitting in Tinder. There are almost no Chinese there - they have their own websites.
The Internet in China is extremely unstable due to censorship. Now, unfortunately, it is getting stronger: for example, a rumor has recently passed that they will ban all foreign media in general. It is unlikely that this is all true, but something can cover up. At the time, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, some of the Google services, and a whole lot more were closed. Local authorities believe that world news is dangerous, that residents should not read about strikes and revolutions abroad.
There is censorship in the sphere of entertainment too - for example, all popular musicians who come with big concerts must be approved by the Chinese side. And it is better not to anger Chinese censorship bodies: let's say, a few years ago there was a case with Bjork's Chinese tour, when she sang at a concert in support of Tibet independence. After that, all her concerts in China were canceled, the entrance was closed, and the promoters were in serious trouble. Fortunately, I didn’t have to deal with this, but simply because I didn’t arrange big concerts, and little-known musicians do not need any special permits - just a concert visa.
In principle, I did not encounter any serious difficulties in Shanghai at all. Of course, I come to Moscow, I go to Europe, I travel around Asia. But Shanghai is my favorite so far. Now, apart from working at the agency, I am engaged in a couple of my own projects, for example, I want to bring Russian artists to China. But now it's too early to talk about it.
Photo: 1, 2 via Shutterstock, Instagram
