Being here in Shanghai has made me realize a lot about life, in general. Like I said before, I have seen people of all classes cross paths here. The low, the high, and everything in between. I see the people who share the pavement I walk, and I imagine all the paths they follow and create for themselves. They each have problems, aspirations, lifestyles equal to the weight of mine. It's staggering to consider the depth of such a thought. Picture your life that you've lived up to this far, times 18 million. That's how big I see life here. Shanghai is full of life. Happy lives, full lives, sad lives, all co-exist. No one really stops to think about it here either. They see it as a reality. No pity for the weak, and no shame to ogle at the extraordinary. People live realistic lives here. I am beginning to see these clear differences between people who live here and those who live in the US. I am beginning to see that a lot of my friends in the States have their heads way up in the clouds, and can't see the practical side of life. Here, it's completely different. Let me utilize females around my age for an example. I believe that girls here look for qualities in a man that would create a suitable relationship. They are willing to accept the practical traits of a man as the most important. And American girls, through what I have seen, are generally looking for something that is more abstract, more of a feeling-based attraction process. This is the difference between practicality and fantasy. The important values within a typical Shanghai dweller is:
as a child:
-get good grades
as a teen:
-get in a good college through entrance exams
as a young adult:
-find a good job after graduation
as an adult:
-find a suitable spouse
-maintain a normal life
-raise a kid
as a senior:
-hope the kid you raised can take care of you after you have lost the ability to take care of yourself
-see your grandchildren grow up
-die a fulfilled death
....
Perhaps that was too comprehensive of a chart, but my point is that people want to live lives that fulfill a lifestyle that emphasizes stability, not some sort of fairytale, picture-perfect in one's own selfish minds.
So yesterday some friends and I went to a karaoke bar. This is the second time I went KTV-ing. We went at around 11:30 PM, and finished around 5:00 AM. We had a full bottle of whiskey, and it was finished around halfway. Yeah, I'd say it was a pretty crazy night, but it was really fun. The first time I had fun while drinking. I guess around suitable people, anything can be fun.
Yeah. I think you have the American Dream to thank for all the American girls you know having some sort of higher ideal than just stability. It's like, in America you're led to expect more from life or a better life than your parents, which in the end seems to lead only to disappointment.
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