My Shanghai vs. 'Prosperous' Shanghai: What Gives?
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Two of my colleagues from out of town, both in their forties or fifties, really love playing matchmaker. Several of my friends who are my age don't plan on getting married or having kids.
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Shanghai's prosperity might not directly affect most ordinary folks, but the general level of public courtesy is indeed very high. Drivers know this. Plus, Shanghai is also a very safe city.
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The level of courtesy is truly different. Every year when I go back to my hometown, people never queue at the high-speed rail station exit; it's always a mad scramble. But in Shanghai, people automatically queue up everywhere. It's really a stark contrast.
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People who say Shanghai's prosperity has nothing to do with ordinary people are usually not from the city. What they're implicitly trying to say is something like, 'What's so great about you Shanghainese? You're not that different from us. How does the city's quality relate to you? The truly rich aren't even Shanghainese.' It's just a way for them to feel better, thinking, 'I'm no worse than you, and you're no better than me.'
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I don't think so. We don't just feel that Shanghai's prosperity is irrelevant to ordinary people; we feel that the prosperity of any first-tier city is irrelevant to ordinary people. We're just here to work, earn money, and then leave. We can hardly ever truly possess those skyscrapers and the glitz and glamour, so what does all that prosperity have to do with us?
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But I noticed this time that drivers in Shanghai are very courteous to pedestrians. If it's not because they'd be fined, then their manners are genuinely excellent.
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In Shanghai, vehicles generally slow down and stop from a distance when they see pedestrians, even if the pedestrians are jaywalking. Their level of courtesy is truly high. Elsewhere, many cars speed up as they approach crosswalks. Even if they eventually yield, pedestrians don't dare to cross easily, not to mention the many cars that don't even have the awareness to yield.
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For me, what I appreciate most about big cities is their inclusiveness. In places like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, you can wear whatever clothes you like, get tattoos, dress revealingly, or engage in some pretty unconventional hobbies. In smaller places, these behaviors would get you labeled. If you're not mentally strong, it's easy to be swayed. But big cities are very tolerant; people might glance, but they won't look at you strangely. You can live more like your true self.
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Exactly!
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I grew up in Beijing, and when I went to Shanghai for university, it felt so much more prosperous. It made Beijing seem a bit plain in comparison (though maybe it's because I grew up in Xicheng; kids from Chaoyang might not feel such a strong contrast).
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I grew up in Shanghai, and I feel Beijing is more prosperous with grander architecture. Shanghai is a bit more refined.
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If you'd visited Shanghai before, you would definitely have found it very prosperous. But going now, it truly feels different. Firstly, you've grown up and seen more. Secondly, other first-tier and near first-tier cities have developed, so the contrast isn't as stark.
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It's mainly that the sense of contrast has changed. It's like when I went to Hong Kong a few years ago, I thought everywhere was great. But when I went again a few years later, I didn't feel much. Maybe it's because I'd seen more, and my perspective had also changed. Before, I yearned for it; later, I realized it didn't have much to do with me.
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I went once during my junior year of college. I didn't have much money and was trying to save, but I still spent one or two thousand RMB in two days. Plus, I couldn't find anywhere to sit in the malls. On the first night, I experienced my first-ever foot massage.
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I usually just find a bubble tea shop or a dessert place to sit. Starbucks is in almost every mall, and it's fine even if you don't buy anything; just sit there confidently.