Shipped off to Shanghai 2010: Living the Good Life

Our lives here are so rich. The fact that we’re students on tight budgets is trumped by being Westerners. One of my favorite glam hangouts is Vue Bar. It’s on the top of the Grand Hyatt, and named because it is literally the best view in Shanghai (in my humble opinion). It’s on the Puxi side, so you get a great view of both Pudong and the Bund. It’s high, but not TOO high (I’ve heard that views from the highest buildings actually aren’t as good because you’re so high it’s actually hard to see through the smog). I’ll try to get some photos next time I go.
There are so many bars and restaurants here that even the fancy ones have to run special offers to get attention. Browsing on SmartShanghai.com has allowed all of us students enjoy these places, without making us broke!
If foreign students have it good, though, real expats here are like royalty! I’ve talked to a lot of the international assignees (IAs) at my work who were sent here for a few years. They are literally given the royal treatment… they even have private drivers! Hanging out with the recent graduates has given me a glimpse of their rich lives, as well. Granted, their experiences might not be the norm, but let’s just say they’ve done well for themselves. I got together with some of them this week, and ended up being invited to stay for dinner… and then eating a 100USD steak. I told you things here were glamorous!
While the glitz and sophistication of life here can be fun, the juxtaposition of rich and poor is sometimes overwhelming. Having been somewhat sheltered in the suburbs my whole life, I’m not used to seeing wealth and poverty so closely adjacent to my own life, and I have to admit that it makes me feel uncomfortable sometimes, and even guilty.

A Cirque De Solei performance at a black-tie event at the Grand Hyatt - we weren't included in the festivities... we watched from above with the other commoners ;-)