Shanghai and Me: Seriously Bad Cosmic Vibes.
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Here you go, I'll create an easily understandable version that captures the essence for foreign friends:
First off, let me state that I truly like Shanghai as a city. Any criticisms are purely about that feeling of being out of sync, you know, something like that. Perhaps it's related to concepts such as the "Five Elements," an ancient Chinese philosophy suggesting that our world consists of five fundamental elements influencing our fortunes. Anyway, I feel that Shanghai and I are a bit incompatible. I have no prejudice against Shanghai!
In Shanghai, I was very careful about what I ate, avoiding any unhygienic food, yet my stomach bothered me all day. Oddly enough, everything was fine during my previous travels to nearby popular tourist cities like Suzhou and Hangzhou; it's only in Shanghai that I experienced "water-soil incompatibility".
Travel tip: “Water-soil incompatibility” (shuǐtǔ bùfú), which refers to not adapting to the environment, food, or climate of a new place, usually causing discomfort in the stomach or tiredness. This may happen occasionally while traveling to places far away or with significant environmental differences.
Consequently, at midnight on the eve of the New Year, I was hit with a sudden headache attack, forcing me to abandon all celebration plans; instead, I was confined to my hotel bed.
By the way, here is something unrelated but purely personal:
I can't fathom why some pharmacists in Shanghai treat customers with such iciness; they act almost like arrogant doctors, not even raising their eyes when speaking, and seem extremely impatient. It's only pharmacies that behave this way!
Note for your knowledge: While purchasing medicine in Shanghai, you might encounter unenthusiastic or somewhat hurried pharmacists.
How to deal with this situation: Don't take it personally. Perhaps this reflects their work style. If one pharmacy doesn't fit your expectations, try another one.
P.S. Perhaps it's merely due to having experienced their counterparts in Guangzhou, a large city in South China: pharmacies with noticeably better services. Pharmacists there will proactively help customers find the medicines needed without them even asking. (However, they do have one habit—actively pushing additional medicine to customers. But simply replying with “No thanks” will suffice.)