Help! Shanghai Just Took Half My Life.

[Antonio Sawayn]

Shanghai for the past three days has left me feeling completely drained, exhausted to the core!

Firstly, let’s talk about where I stayed, which is simply indescribable:

• The first night was spent in a hostel.

  • I actually quite like that feel of everyone living together and the bustling atmosphere.
  • However! Whether it's late at night or early in the morning, there were always people being noisy nearby. My sleep quality dropped dramatically, and I really wanted to explode with frustration!
  • WARNING: If you don’t like noise when you sleep, hostels may not be suitable, or remember to bring earplugs.

• The second day I decided to switch hotels.

  • Since I didn't want to spend too much money, I opted for one costing no more than around 15 US dollars.
  • When I entered, I thought, “Wow, the environment isn’t bad.”
  • Then came the kicker at 11 pm—sound insulation effects so poor it was unimaginable! You could hear every word spoken and every step taken in adjacent rooms.
  • Until 7 am, I was drowsy all night, simply unable to rest well. My mental state was in tatters!
  • TIP: In budget hotels, if the price is too low, the sound insulation might be lacking. To get a good night’s sleep, either spend a little more, or just hope your neighbors are extra quiet.

Next, let's discuss my job hunting experience in Shanghai (although you may have come to play, still an interesting experience):

• Being a person who plans ahead, I started going to job interviews as soon as I reached Shanghai on a Monday.
• I even visited an interview for an ‘Operations Assistant’ position (which turned out to involve assisting broadcasters), despite knowing it might not work out.
• Later, I scheduled about five more interviews. On Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 pm, I was non-stop moving around different areas of Shanghai: Jiading District, Putuo District, Changning District.
  • Small fact: A "district" indicates different regions in a city or administrative divisions. Traveling from one district to another might take quite some time!

For the job hunts:

• Firstly, a teacher for children in after-school programs (felt slim chances since they weren't sure I could adapt to local textbooks).
• Secondly, new media operations manager or print shop worker with duties including cleaning (this seemed feasible but the surrounding rent was too pricey!)
• Lastly, an apprentice bartender job (I passed! The boss, a kind Taiwanese person, mentioned helping me solve accommodation issues. I was extremely touched given my single status!).

To be honest, these job salaries were quite impressive compared to other cities, all featuring weekends off and formal social security welfare.

The allure faded quickly upon checking nearby rents, which typically started at around 320 USD per month, quite discouraging.

Feeling deflated and not having a choice, I gave up on pursuing a career in Shanghai (the term “Fupiao” refers to outsiders coming to Shanghai for work and life, a highly competitive yet expensive lifestyle).

In the end, I decided to return to Wuhan. Although the salary may not be as high there, I am confident I can live comfortably by myself!

However, I do not regret this experience at all!

• I met many delightful business owners in Shanghai and truly thank them!
• Shanghai, I will surely come back next time! (But next time I will just play and not go through so much hardship!), hashtag #ShanghaiCityWalk #FupiaoExperience #NextTimeWillComeAgain.