Being an expat

Last night was my first real night out as an expat. Well, sort of, it was certainly 'expatesque.'

They say there is around 90,000 expats in SH. Among 22Million people, that aint many. And from my small experience, they all hang out at the one bar. (I jest of course, there's at least 3 they go to)

I feel that there is a big difference from being a tourist to being an expat living in a city working there. Expats seem to be louder! Or was that because we had to talk (yell) over MC Hammer tracks playing and the screaming at the Foosball table?

A night at a smokey (and I mean seriously smokey) bar in the heart of the traditional expat business area was good exposure to how people live in a foreign city where the language is so different.

I was out drinking with a guy I haven't seen for 10 years and an Aussie designer from the office.

Oh, and another expat (Rob) from Brisbane that Steve met at the bar. He was a good bloke, so the four of us talked and laughed together. Especially at Rob, who is in Shanghai exporting and designing effluent recycling systems. Yep, he is in the business of cleaning up shit and slime. (Almost a new age 'green' Kenny).

We drank 'Tiger' Beers, with the odd Tequila shot (yuk). Did I mention how smokey it was. (you might start to think I was a sad and bitter ex smoker wouldn't you)

There were a lot of laughs. The young girls kept bringing the beer and kept telling stories and sharing experiences of SH. It's clear that under all of the smoke, between the beers and shots, this is how a lot of work gets done. (Not sure my Brisbane conditioned lungs can handle it though).

It's becoming more clear now, that there are three ways to do things in SH. The normal way - expect to pay more and or wait longer. Then there is the local way - "I know someone who.... " if you get what I mean. (Some say its like a "blue" market - legal but not really, sort of proper but not quite, it's legal somewhere along the line). The third way is obviously the wrong and illegal way.

Expats connect each other with each other. It's like any normal small community in a bigger community, just this one effectively crosses the divide between communist china and western commerce.

The influence of expats in this way has clearly depleted as China becomes more global. But one of the amazing things is that they talk about massive change in 2 and 5 year periods, not decades or generations like we are used to.

There are just so many amazing growth elements in this city. Like the SH University graduates 160,000 students each year. Most now speak English. It makes the Brisbane cities 'infrastructure plans' pail into insignificance.

And with this change, there is change in the way China do things. They are getting 'better' very fast. This is not a criticism, but they are still learning to be a modern country and modern city and modern people. And form what I hear, its the rate of change and improvement that is as exciting to watch as the new sky scrappers being built.

So back to 'expatness'. I left the bar a little (wobbly), having eaten no more than lemon slices and salt. With Tiger Beer confidence, I headed of home walking. Now remember how I keep saying I get disorientated here. Well, just add beer and tequila - I made it home in no time and in a direct way. It's a miracle. (just don't ask me to get back to where the bar was. I have no idea!)