One of my favorites places to be here in China is at the grocery store. The city can get overwhelming with its giant buildings and fast forward pace. So to see people doing a simple thing, like picking out an apple egg, is a moment of stillness that I’ve come to savor.
As old Shanghai neighborhoods like Taixing Lu are disappearing, new high rises and giant skyscrapers carrying international brands replace them. Chinese people are usually nostalgic, so I was surprised when I heard the woman above say that the expo has been really great for the city. She’s been a resident of Taixing Lu for 60+ years. Yet as her neighborhood risks being modernized, she mentions the benefits of cleaner streets and improved behavior.
Maybe we’re not as nostalgic after all..
Christine Yuan is a film student at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is currently studying Chinese Language and History at Jiaotong University in Shanghai.
