Nothing is as it seems

I’ve thought long and hard about this post because I don’t want to come off as ungrateful -- and what you're about to read could be seen as a laundry list of complaints or judgments. Instead, they are observations based on three quick months of living in Shanghai, observations of a culture very different from my own, one to which I had little exposure before moving here. 

Now that the disclaimer has been stated… Nothing is as it seems in China. 

Chrristian Louboutins

Source: skinnytaste.com via Lisa on Pinterest

There’s the obvious example of the abundance of counterfeit goods for sale, not only on sidewalks, but in malls (literally) otherwise known as fake markets. 

Tomatoes
There’s little I love more than a delicious, end-of-summer heirloom tomato (slice one up, add a little salt and pepper, place on top of a piece of toast with a thin layer of mayonnaise -- yum!). Here, they look absolutely beautiful... but they’re tasteless. It’s all just look (and it's so disappointing). 


"I have two roommates. They're a bit older." 
Since my arrival here, I’ve been astounded by the tremendous wealth of a small segment of the population. It’s all about the car you drive, the purse you’re carrying, the phone you’re using. The crazy part is, most people can’t really afford these luxury items. They save up for years and may live with their parents in the meantime. It’s common, apparently, to spend money on material things rather than on one’s independence. 

This fake reality and constant exposure to materialism permeates daily life. It's made us want to run off in the other direction, to Tahoe for the weekend (!), and reconnect with what's really real. No complaints though. This is an experience of a lifetime, and I’m eternally thankful.