Who's adjusting

A lot of people have asked and wondered how we are adjusting to China and Shanghai in the last few weeks.  It’s certainly taken some getting used to and adjustments, but we are taking it a day at a time.  Last night, we finally got to Costco and got a membership and got some needed goods; including a new washer/dryer (all in one machine) that I am waiting on delivery of as I sit and bang this out.  The ladies are at IKEA picking up some things there, including Kiddo’s bed frame.  We are, slowly but surely, putting this place together.  It’s been a bit of an adventure getting there, but we’ve been doing it.

As for adjusting, I think of the opening of the film, The Watchmen.  I won’t post a link, it’s pretty violent and brutal, but one of the characters is in a prison setting and fights someone who wants to do him harm and after taking the guy out - “I’m not locked in here with you, YOU’RE locked in here with me.”  Are we adjusting….

Of course.  We adjusted to Bangkok.  To Vietnam.  To a summer back in America.  To Zihua.  We can adjust.  However, it’s strange (and a bit fun) watching people adjust to us.  Especially here.  In BKK, we had a bit of a community around us and some English speakers, so we got to ease into things a bit.  In Vietnam, there was a lot of English, especially in HCMC and by the time we got to Da Nang, we had that down pretty good.   America was easy, it was just a change after 3 years away.  Zihua is Mexico and pretty deep in, but J and I both have some Spanish and it’s close enough that we could Spanglish our way around for a few weeks.  

China, however, is a different beast.  First, there is almost NO casual English spoken.  It’s Mandarin or nothing.  Second, a lot of the expat support has been here long term.  When I say that, I mean Loooooooooong term.  5+ years at least.  Most longer than that.  So, a lot of the support is pointing us to apps or how to order online.  

Well, I don’t want prepackaged fruits and veg.  I don’t want Western stores and the up-charges that go with that.  I want to look at my produce.  I want to buy what is local and locally priced.  I can get bell peppers at the grocery I found for about 4RMB or I can order a 3 pack on the apps and pay 25RMB and it’s all prepackaged and you get what you get.  And then you need to use three bell peppers before they go bad.  I don’t need 250g of bean sprouts for a stirfry tonight, I need 35-50g and not have a bunch of waste.  Besides, it’s 2RMB instead of 20RMB.  

So, I’ve been going to the grocery.  And getting looks.  People openly gawk.  People exclaim as I shop.  Are we adjusting to them or are they adjusting to us?  The other day one of the employees came up to me and said something in Mandarin.  I pulled out my phone to try to use the translation app I have.  Before I could, she walked off.  A minute later, she found me again with a person in tow.  The person in tow spoke a low level of English.  They said hello and then communicated with each other for a minute.  Then, the English speaker asked me, “Are you ok?”  Yes.  I am fine.  Why?  Then they talked back and forth for another minute.  “Why are you not shop at Western store?  Aldi is English speak and food.”  Because I don’t need that much and I like to pick fresh for cook meal.  Again, they back and forth.  “Unusual you.  Good.”  And they walked off.  As I checked out, the cashiers were all smiles and very friendly all of a sudden.  I go, pretty much daily as it’s about a half km away and morning, afternoon, or in the evenings (depending on if I want fresh, if I can preplan, etc) and I’ve seen about one other white face in the 3 weeks we’ve been here and I saw him once.  He was not (as far as I know) part of SMIC and the LQ (Living Quarters) here.  

Same with the place I posted the other day that Kiddo and I went to for dumplings.  We’ve been a few times now.  We are the only white faces.  People gawk and openly point and wonder at the employee (owner, I think) about us and WTF we are doing there and what we are eating.  

Our thoughts here are the same as they were in BKK and Zihua.  If 100,000 locals go there and eat and shop yearly and don’t die, I doubt highly that we will.  So, why not pay less and get authentic instead of paying more and getting “western goods”.  

Don’t get me wrong, we love our Western goods.  We are venturing out tonight to get Kiddo some shoes, maybe an outfit or three, and a backpack, and we are having a McDonalds dinner.  Because Kiddo wants it.  Because we could use a known food and burger.  Because it’s comforting to have from time to time.  We’re going to get her Sketchers shoes.  We might get her a GAP outfit.  All very westernized.  The girls are shopping at IKEA today and we are Costco members, for god’s sake.  We aren’t going totally native.  However, why not get what we can locally when it’s better for us.  Kiddo, myself, and J have plenty of clothes and things that we got at the BKK Market.  

We like exploring.  We like doing (as best we can) what the locals do.  The dumplings are $2 for a plate of 30.  Kiddo and I can split that and it’s more than enough for us and it’s GOOD!  Maybe you won’t like pork and scallion dumplings, but we do.  And for that price…. Can you get a lunch for two that will fill you up for the afternoon for $2?  In BKK we could do the same.  We like it.  We get to try things.  We get to know the people and markets and vendors around us.  Heck, even our coffee in America… We drink Starbucks as needed, but our love for coffee is Wilson’s Coffee and Tea in Racine.  Local.  Small.  Run by people, not a board of directors.  That’s just our mindset.  Yes, we do eat McDs.  Yes, we do shop Costco.  Yes, we do go local when we can and in most cases that is our preferred.  

So, are we adjusting… Yeah!  We’re adjusting.  The adjustment isn’t China, it’s the people around us staring and pointing, taking pics in amazement, old lady’s grabbing me at the grocery and pointing out the prepackaged tofu that is 10 times to cost of the little store brand baggy of tofu that I’ve gotten.  They aren’t mad that we are “taking their goods” but instead wondering why we aren’t acting “Western”.  Because that’s how we are.  Because we would rather really help the local economy instead of the corporate economy.  

Let’s go, Kiddo…. We are finally starting to put it all together.  We have found a few spots and as you get to school, I’m gonna figure out the transit lines and start to branch out and explore the city more.  We still have a million things to learn, adapt to, and get used to using, but so far it’s been good.  Yummy.  And fun.  We hope that the fun keeps up and we can learn, see, and explore more.  Keep being our best adventurer and best thing.

PS - As for adjusting... The beer cans are ALL pull tab.  Soda cans too.  Talk about a blast from the past!  LOL