Cultural shocks

Two days into my first trip in China, and I’m still in a certain state of cultural shock. • This is the most technologically advanced place I’ve ever seen. I’m careful not to write “country” because I don’t really know what the other parts of China look like. Most cars here are electric, all two-wheelers are electric, and they sneak up on you without a sound. All subways are self-driving, running every five minutes and incredibly quiet. They also have safety walls with doors that align perfectly with the train carriage doors. No cash is needed — I haven’t seen anyone using physical money.
• Shanghai breaks almost all the stereotypes and preconceived notions I previously had about China or Chinese people. The city is very rich, very clean, and quiet. We haven’t seen overcrowded subways and only a few crowded streets.
• Apps: Everything revolves around two apps — WeChat and Alipay. WeChat started as a chat app and turned into a platform for mini-apps. You can pay, receive payments, split a bill, order a Didi car, get restaurant recommendations, read reviews — you can even get a designated driver if you’re drunk. The driver arrives on an e-scooter, puts it in your car’s trunk, drives you home, then scooters off to their next client. Everything is a service. Traditional ecosystems like Google don't work here, you must use the local apps.
• Parts of the city look like London, others like Manhattan.
• The air is clean — or at least much cleaner than I expected.
• China constantly educates the public in the subway. Wait until people exit before you enter, follow the instructions to escape in case of fire, don’t dig your own tunnel — you might hit the subway — and don’t demolish your house, it could damage the subway below. Also: remember Marx and Engels. And Chanel, Tesla, and Louis Vuitton. You can buy a flower from a vending machine. If you see a long queue, it’s not about scarcity — something probably just went viral on TikTok or Insta.
• Public toilets are everywhere — and they’re very clean.
• The city feels very safe, with police presence everywhere.
• It’s a communist country, but literally nothing resembles the communism someone from the Soviet bloc might remember: skyscrapers, EVs, wealthy people wearing expensive clothes, huge international brands, and a quiet, air-conditioned subway system with 18 lines. Smile — you’re on camera. Always.
• We met a friend of mine here — she doesn’t even have a physical wallet. Everything is on her phone.
• Everyone is posing everywhere for a photo demonstrating their deep soul, complexity and their glamorous lives. Inflencers broke the gates. They are conquerring the town with cameras and phones.
• Everything is very innovative. Doesn't work any more? Boring? Not the best match? Replace it with something new.
• Everyone is always on their phone. With or without earphones, everyone is watching, chatting typing all the time. And I mean ALL THE TIME. While on the subway, while on the escalator, while walking on the street (!), while riding their bike, while eating. The dear reader may ask, but wait, how can you watch TikTok while walking on the street, how do you not bump into objects or into other people that are equally blind? Well, they do. They clash and collide all the time. So who are those without looking at their phones all the time? Tourists from under-developed contitents like Europe or North America, people from other provicial areas of China or other foreigners.
• People are wearing masks. Not everyone, but a lot of them are always wearing masks, even while driving car on their own. Pollution? No. Actually the air is not so polluted thanks to EVs. Diseases? Maybe, but there are some masks that have a mouth opening. So, I don't know why. Some masks are covering their entire faces. If you take a black mask like this and add some dark sunglasses and a hat - you get a scary character. These are all around the place.