Merry _ _ _ _ _ _ mas

And so, it came to pass.

Every year, the citizens of Mankindsville would prepare earlier and earlier to celebrate that wonderful day in December. Storekeepers were exhausted after months of preparing for the most consumer-frenzied occasion. Restaurants had placed their orders for ingredients weeks in advance, for fear their otherwise reliable suppliers would run out during the busiest time of the year. City council once again voted unanimously to increase the budget for multicolored LED lights to adorn the city for this most festive occasion. Children could hardly sit still in anticipation of all the great presents they'd receive, after hinting for the entire year to their parents. And the parents could hardly wait for all of it to be over, with all the early morning queues and traffic jams.

December 25th. The older people knew what that day was all about. Or, at least they faintly recalled. Something concerning little towns and sheep. Anyway, it was an old Semitic tradition about shepherds that was no longer very relevant, save for a few conservative people that would chime in once in awhile to ruin everyone's mood. In time, their "self-righteous" indignation and brisk social commentary about the "true meaning" of _ _ _ _ _ _ mas was ignored. People didn't need to be told why they were celebrating. All they knew was that their fathers, and father's fathers had long taken advantage of this joyous season to eat, drink and be merry. And the occasion was more inclusive now than it had ever been before.

The children stared up in amazement at the giant, green, plastic cones adorned by neon lights and crowned with gold stars. They were all over the city during this time of the year. Known affectionately as the gift centers, these giant cones were the distribution hubs which allowed the jolly old man to drop presents with precision. Teenagers though, knew better. Santa was just a myth. But they still appreciated the days off from school, and had many colloquialisms for _ _ _ _ _ _ mas. Xmas. Red Hatter Day. Gift Fight. And the girls giggled as they hushed, "Love Day." The most wonderful time of the year.

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In China, December 25th isn't really a big deal. Most people still work on this day. The lights and artificial trees are everywhere, and there are sales on already cheap goods. Certainly, the day is not as much of a fixture as it is in the West. People still give gifts and families still eat together, but the atmosphere is markedly subdued and the reason for celebrating, obscure. It seems like an eerie preview of what the secularization process stands to achieve, of what putting the "X" in "Xmas" leads to.

In fact, in some instances the past few days I forgot that it's almost here. Back home, I would have already taken a week of vacation to celebrate this time with friends and family. I would procrastinate and gently agonize about what to write on my cards before delivering them to friends in the nick of time. Of course, there was also the shopping: that mad scramble to locate gifts, the symbols of thoughtfulness, generosity, love and friendship. Although the malls were unbearable, the satisfaction of finding the right gift was still great (of course if I had planned earlier I would have bought them online). There were also the potlucks, the failed Secret Santas and random house parties.

More importantly, it was a time to remember the less fortunate, to contribute to food banks and "adopt a family" for the occasion. Some of my most special memories came from getting these families exactly what they wanted, and hopefully more for the 25th. I remember one year, meeting a family in the outskirts of Richmond and seeing an immigrant family's toddler play with the new fire truck we bought him. It was a season where hopes and dreams were fulfilled and unhappiness was staved off, if only for a short while.

Most importantly, it was and is, the season of Advent, and counting down the days to His birth. The humble beginnings of the life that would become the model for my own, which I will continue in my attempts to emulate, rather imperfectly.

The setting has changed for me this year. I don't feel the warm fuzziness I've associated with it in the past. No botched Secret Santas here. But it doesn't mean that the meaning's lost and I've stopped celebrating. Maybe I see it more clearly this year than ever before. I hope all of you will truly savor what this special day means to you as well. And hopefully, we'll never forget why we celebrate it.

Merry Christmas everybody!

Better City, Better Life?

A little while ago I visited the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall, which is currently showcasing the "Path to the World Expo." In line with the city's Expo 2010 motto: "Better City, Better Life", the exhibit showcased all the infrastructure the city is set to complete by 2010. There's no doubt that in a little over a year, this city will look better, glittering even more brightly than it does now. Whether or not this investment will make a material difference to the everyday lives of Shanghai's citizens remains to be seen. After all, every city in the world has at some point hoped that new infrastructure would be the panacea to solving their societal problems. Another city that's preparing for a big 2010 event comes to mind.

In brief, the Exhibit featured six floors of 3D models featuring the new initiatives, Expo buildings, transportation projects and an overview of the city as a whole. Aside from riding a helicopter, visiting this exhibit was the best way to get an isometric view of the city. I managed to spend three hours there.

A post on this topic is pointless without pictures, so here's the running commentary:

The Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition building, with its distinctive flat roof cannot be missed from People's Square (note the fake Starbucks in the foreground). An "adult ticket" costs 30 RMB, and upon entering there is a model of the Bund.


The second floor displayed a timeline of the city's development, beginning from the Ming Dynasty. Unfortunately, most of the exhibits weren't very photo-worthy. One caught my eye though.


The third floor was dedicated to Expo-related construction projects. I was particularly intrigued by "Welfairytales" - the Danish Pavilion (http://www.ebst.dk/expoinfo.dk). Apparently it is representative of an integrated healthy community concept, which is a bike course combined with public meeting areas and an ice rink. But really, it just looked cool. Luxembourg also had a pavilion designed... but it was a random-looking mound of brown.


This floor also featured a stretch of the Whampoa River, complete with all the requisite landmarks:


The next four buildings are being constructed explicitly for the Expo. Each of the facilities will be ultramodern and emphasize sustainable, state-of-the-art designs. They include the Performance Center, Theme Pavilion (which will be solar powered), Expo Center and the China Pavilion. All four of these buildings will be situated by the Whampoa River, along with an entire stretch of the riverbank reserved for the Expo itself.


Speaking of the Expo, many of the existing buildings will have their roofs repainted with the flags of participating nations.


The fourth floor was amazing. It featured a 3D overview of the entire city, and spanned the entire floor. It was truly the largest city model I've ever seen, and must have taken many months to build, paint and transport (not to mention millions of dollars in materials and workmanship).


This was also the first time I saw the "park" of Zhongshan Park, which is where my shuttle bus stops every time I arrive in Downtown Shanghai. My stop is at the mall that is joined with the blue skyscraper, which is a hotel.


The fifth floor featured transportation. Since the city is trying to establish itself as the centre of commerce for all of Mainland China, it is also expanding its logistical capabilities to facilitate international trade. The Pudong airport continues to undergo expansion, while the city is also expanding the Yangshan Deepwater Port so it can accommodate more heavy freighters. The Donghai Bridge, which spans 32.5km, will connect the port with the processing hub. One cool feature about this exhibit was that it simulated a sped-up 24 hour day. What wasn't cool was the lame boat simulator that accompanied the exhibit, which was loudly blaring Whitney Houston.


And here are a few cross sections of the Shanghai subway system (although there should be twenty times the number of people):


Finally, these pictures are what artists envision Shanghai will look like in the near future:


The last picture succinctly captures the gist of the entire exhibit, and perhaps even summarizes the main goal of the Shanghai's development strategy. Shanghai wants to rub shoulders with the world's greatest cities (barring Canberra?), and be considered one of the trend-setters, a city people instantly think of when deciding where to vacation or host a fashion show.

The counterpoint I offer is this. Is New York a leading city because of the Chrysler Building? Or Paris a leader in haute couture because of the Louvre? Or London the world's greatest producer of contemporary art because of the Tube? Or is there something more? Perhaps, it is the people and the culture they breathe, the summation of their daily interactions, that make a city great.

And if this is truly the case, the other city that is scurrying to meet its 2010 deadlines should not worry so much about its buildings, but what message the new projects send to society about the city's priorities.

Dialogue

- Fong, I'm really glad I only have to deal with public transportation on the weekends.
- niCk, They introduced it to me.

Crowd Dynamics

I caught myself the other day subconsciously playing the role of a NFL linebacker. I was an equal opportunity hitter. Women, children or elderly. Tall, short, chubby or skinny. Lao wai or local, it didn’t matter; I just wanted to get out at my stop.

In short, I have already become what I despised back home on the public transportation network: a self-centred survivalist.

I wasn’t always this way. Back home, I always tried to be courteous whenever I had to contend with the 1800 rush after work from downtown. Sometimes it felt a bit cramped, and people got testy… but I never betrayed my manners. Then, from time to time I’d notice Asian grannies elbowing me in the back or jumping in front of me to get a seat. It was irritating, but acceptable.


During my stay in Shanghai, I’ve been introduced to a new definition of the transportation blues. In the late afternoon and early evening in People’s Square, human logic fails to prevail. First come, first serve does not apply. Standing right by the door does not work. One must position themselves right in between all the people exiting and all the people entering, like a UN peacekeeper, albeit less noble. Then, only after a frustrating struggle, akin to salt sifting through sand, do people vacating the train somehow manage to get off… after people entering the train get on. It takes longer than the “civilized” way, but people do it anyway, because they think the others will cheat and not wait for fellow riders to get off. Defect-defect - tragedy of the commons! Old grandmas will push you into the train if they deem you to be too slow. One time, I half bodysurfed into the train because I lost my footing and was blown in like a limp helium balloon.

My friend down in Guangzhou told me a story about how one time he offered an old lady a seat on the subway. She then rushed to the seat, pushing him aside in the process. No word of thanks or acknowledgment. Distilled it back to the core basics of survival. A totally different set of rules.

I've also had several similar experiences since I got here. It's a good reminder that while principles are important, being too high-minded can spell disappointment. Respecting and adapting to a different culture can include adhering to some of the uglier stuff. I wasn't thrilled about it at first, but now it's second nature.

I’ll admit that sometimes, I even enjoy the challenge. The anticipatory moments after arriving into the station, just after the announcement. Standing in front of the door before it opens while staring into the eyes of my opponents before the main event. Planting my rear foot down and tilting my body forward ever so slightly. And then the rush as the door opens and all of a sudden an excuse to unleash all of my aggression, plowing and crushing through the faceless mob that lies between me and my destination of no particular significance.

It’s perverse. It’s China. And I came to play!

Dialogue

- Fong, ignorance is truly bliss.
- Snerk, I think food brings out my best writing. No Pho in this area code =(
- Free, I'll get back to you on that... once my Chinese improves.
- Char, I think they were gambling games... (I didn't mention it before because I didn't want the beloved establishment to be closed down for "corrupting the diners of China"). The brown dish in my pic was beef, the other one was just prawn heads I cooked for no reason.