I am the minority

Expat life in Shanghai is filled with excitement!  Lots of exploration, fun, new experiences, yummy food, a different vibe, and plenty of great people.  And one thing this Iowa girl understands is.....that I am a small minority in this great city.  It's not just my pinkish, fair skin.  Not my loud laughter.  It's also not my overly boisterous Midwestern twist on the Mandarin language.  I'm just a minority.

I am so intrigued as I observe how others act around me and towards me in this Chinese metropolis.  You can create daily documentaries of the way you are, or are not, treated throughout your journey.  There are very few around Shanghai who will hold open a door for me or give up their seat on the subway.  Most of our housing guards are polite and helpful, but several are not.  I hear passers-by mentioning Meiguoren (American) as I walk on the sidewalk or in a store.  At the jazz festival, a few folks took pictures of me in my I <3 NY t-shirt, and they weren't shy about it.  Pointed the camera right at me and shot a few photos.  Waiters or cashiers will say things in Mandarin that they assume I don't understand.  So far, nothing has been overly frustrating.

There are definitely kind, compassionate people in the majority, and they bring smiles from the heart.  One of the street vendors around the corner told me last month that "they" (him and others) call me the "nice American woman".  This past weekend, one of the guards made a scooter move out of my way so I could walk into our complex.  Probably those who treat me like a queen would include our guards & ayis at school and my wonderful Starbucks baristas.  They are so much fun to interact with.  One of the ayis tries to speak English and teach me Mandarin - every time she is cleaning the bathroom and I happen to walk in!  Ha!!!  And one of my favorite people in JinQiao would be Nancy, my favorite waitress at Pistolera's.  She shows me nothing but love.  And I try to do the same in return.

God blessed me with eyes that see the person, not the specifics.  And it's amazing to see my new life through the same set of eyes.  My individual self, in the country of 1.5 billion strong.....

#tochinaandback