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City Comparisons : Abby Schlosseman 
3/29/99 Today, just driving through Shanghai on a bus, it was not the dozen or so high rise office buildings that made an impression. It was the thousands upon thousands of apartments with laundry hanging on lines and window air conditioning units. The people — the millions upon millions of them — are what I noticed. Where do they all work? How do they all live? What do they all care about?4/2/99 Oh, but the Chinese people's interest in us has really taken me by surprise. I guess I thought that enough Americans had toured or established businesses or whatever that we wouldn't be so interesting to them. But they still seem to notice us quite a bit. Sometimes I think it's sheer curiosity. Other times I feel like a traveling freak show. Still others I almost feel hostility towards us. I wonder if it's something we're doing wrong or if it's general hostility towards Americans or foreigners, or if I'm just taking it wrong and they're all just curious. I wish for once I could just blend.4/6/99 I feel like this city [Beijing] is the real China. I was reading in a guidebook that Beijing's food is bland compared to that of other areas. It is not known for its spice or its sweetness or its salty taste. It is just good food. I think that's like the city itself. In truly good food, one can appreciate its flavor the most before adding salt. Here, I feel like I understand the real China better because this is a city that works without pretense (and has its own delicate flavor) almost in spite of itself. | |||
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