Introduction: Three Chinese Counsels

Before i came to Shanghai, i was given three warnings by my parents.

1) Shanghai girls are 利害 (poweful), and dangerous.
2) Traffic is very unruly so be careful when taking taxis and crossing roads.
3) Thieves are out and about, so watch out for belonging takers and always be alert to what the surrounding people are doing.

Not true, not true, and not true.

Firstly, Shanghai girls in my University are shy, studious and conservative. For the ones who are not shy, studious or conservative, their 利害 (power) comes in the form of speaking very loudly. So, you would have a lovely, pretty girl at the checkout counter. All lovely and pretty until she tells you total amount, and gives you a big fright.

Traffic is extremely safe in Shanghai. Although there are no rules, there are consequences for getting involved in an accident. So, as a pedestrian, you can expect to not be hit by a car, because cars expect by default, that people cross streets without adhering to standard traffic rules. Very safe.

Some Europeans tell me that Shanghai is probably one of the safest large cities they have been to. Violent activities are not common because security guards are cheap to hire, therefore they are, everywhere. So far, i have not lost anything to theft.


Here's a photo introduction to where i live. All the photos here are taken on my way back to the foreign students dormitory from class. In order.

Row of uni shops in foreground. Foreign Students Dormitory in the very background.

"Security guards" use big umbrella to keep out the sun. They're not really securing anything, it's really just for looks.

Foreign students dormitory side view.

Main entrance to the dormitory, which consists of 23 floors, and holds 800+ students. If you look carefully, you can see more 'security guards', who ask for students' dormitory cards when they go in.

Lobby - the place to be. Guards secure the entrance 24 hours a day. When coming back at 4am, you can see them fast asleep on tables that they drag closer to the door.

Rooms. The big gap in the middle is where the elevators are.

Our clean room + a roommate who keeps it very clean. This is a photo after 1.5 months. Amazed?

This is residence cat. He's my cat buddy, who can be found outside the dormitory main entrance most of the time. And most of the time, he finds the bike with the softest seat to sleep on. How nice.

I have decided to spend some time talking about some Chinese things via a 'Chinese A-Z', which takes one letter of the alphabet at a time and making a noun out of it with the word Chinese in front. e.g. "Chinese old ladies" for the letter O.

Look out for that! Accompanying photos available!