Beijing and Shanghai—Again

By Nicole Sy

Beijing and Shanghai—Again

By Nicole Sy

LI SHIGONG

“So Nikki,” she starts. Oh boy, I think. “Since you’ve experienced both,” she continues. Here it comes. I brace myself for it.

“Which is better? Shanghai or Beijing?”my visiting aunt asks me over dinner.

If I had 1 yuan for every person that’s asked me this, I’d have a pile of one-yuan bills and coins somewhere in a corner of my room.

“Well,” I begin, “it’s much more complicated than just Shanghai vs Beijing.”

She nods in understanding, obviously wanting me to go on.

“Both are really different, and there are aspects where one is better than the other,” I continue. She continues nodding.

“I mean, if you’re more interested in cultural life, lots of people say, and I agree, that it’s best to look to Beijing.” She’s starting to look bored.

“Though Shanghai taxi drivers are nicer than their Beijing counterparts.” Her eyes start to glaze over.

“But, less people speak English here, so in terms of learning the language, Beijing might be a better bet,” I quickly fi nish, and her eyes light up again. Our conversation continues on the subject of learning Chinese and how rude and how utterly incomprehensible Beijing taxi drivers are.

We wrap up dinner and wish each other the best, hoping to see each other soon as she and her friends are taking the train back to Shanghai early the next day.

As I walk to the nearest subway station, I can’t help but think how many times people have asked me that question. I have lived in both Shanghai and Beijing, which is why friends, family, extended family and friends from a couple degrees of separation seem to have decided that I am the local expert when it comes to deciding which is better. Things couldn’t be further from the truth.

My time in Shanghai was spent mostly working. I worked pretty much six days a week for six months at the World Expo in 2010, so that meant approximately only 24-30 non-working days to explore the city.Given that limited amount of time, I think I got to know the city fairly well, except for the fact that I was trapped in my own little Expo bubble. I’ve told many friends and others who’ve cared to listen that working in the Expo was like living in Wonderland.The Expo grounds were your castle and Shanghai was your playground. Nights were spent bar-hopping and dance partying—everybody wanted to be your friend and you had the pick of the litter when it came to the gorgeous international men and women of the Expo.

But regrettably, relationships were taken for granted and toes crossed many lines that shouldn’t have been crossed in Shanghai.Despite the stereotype, not everything in Shanghai is deliciously sinful. The city has an electric dining scene. Perhaps too electric, as I’ve been told that many new restaurants start off with a bang but begin to fade as soon as the hype surrounding “the new Brazilian/Shanghainese/Greek resto”is over. As a consumer though, I can’t complain, plus I don’t think I’ll ever tire of sitting on some 40-50th fl oor patio of some new skyscraper, sipping a cocktail on a breezy late summer night and admiring the city lights.

Beijing is different. It’s less glamorous,but not necessarily in a bad way. The gritty atmosphere of thehutongs at night, and live music blaring out of every bar may be a world away from slick Shanghai, but I thoroughly enjoy the experience.

Perhaps here I will be able to make up for my sheltered life in the south by doing something less cloistered. I’m continuously on the hunt for things truly terri fi c and my search seems to be off to a good start already. I already know I’ll be spending some of my nights in Beijing, either in the grungy neighborhood concert hall where I can headbang and dance to the excellent selection of live music or in the gorgeously quaint brewery with an equally excellent selection of their fresh brews, tucked away in the twists and turns that is the Gulou area. I’m ready to meet both the attractive and not so attractive sides of the capital and frankly, I can’t wait.