Are we losing our own Shanghai?

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, November 21, 2003

Are we losing our own Shanghai?

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A hypermarket chain decided to give out 500 breakfasts for free to observe its anniversary. The result? Some people arrived at the store at 5:00am and waited for over three hours for the one-yuan (US$0.12) meal. The free meals were all given out in 10 minutes, still leaving many disappointed.

At first I was shocked. What would make someone get up so early and wait in the chilly wind just for a cheap meal? I always get up as late as possible and often skip breakfast in order to save time.

Then I remembered how, at the bus station, some people would ignore the air-conditioned bus with empty seats and wait patiently for the next one without air-conditioning. The latter is 1 yuan or maybe only 5 jiao cheaper.

I also remembered the embarrassing scenes I see on the bus almost every day. The bus driver always yells at a passenger: "Hey, you didn't put enough money into the slot!"

Yes, it really does happen. There are people in Shanghai to whom 1 yuan really counts.

But who are they? According to my observation, many of them are Shanghainese, who are used to being described by outsiders as arrogant and wealthy.

As a Shanghainese myself, it's not easy to digest this fact. My colleague from Hebei Province laughed at the news: "You petty Shanghainese."

I was speechless, though I wanted to say: "It's not true." As least, there is more than just this "stingy Shanghainese" perception.

The truth is, as Shanghai as a city is getting richer and better, some local people are not keeping up.

By local, I mean people who were born in Shanghai and spent most of their lives in this city, people like me and my parents.

Does the city belong to us anymore?

More and more Shanghainese find themselves working for a boss or manager from outside Shanghai.

I have always believed in the power of language. I can handle my personal life in Shanghai dialect, such as dealing with taxi drivers, supermarket cashiers or newsstand owners. But more and more, I have to speak Mandarin (if not English!) at formal or business occasions, such as in office buildings or cocktail receptions.

It is said that in business areas such as Lujiazui, it is seen as a mark of ignorance if one speaks Shanghai dialect. Only Mandarin or foreign languages are acceptable.

When I was a child, I was taught to speak Mandarin because we Shanghai people should "respect" people from other parts of China. Now I speak Mandarin to be respected.

It is also said that two-thirds of the house buyers here are not local. There are complaints that these outsiders drive up house prices and leave real Shanghai people unable to afford a decent place in the downtown area.

The high housing prices worry me too. Somehow, I'm happy to see more and more elite "outsiders" enter my city and contribute to its development. I guess this is how each great city emerges - by attracting the best people. Outsiders come, work hard, get promoted into important positions, start their own businesses. Eventually, they become the masters of the city.

But how about locals? Sorry. If you don't work as hard as those "invaders," you are kicked out of the mainstream. The city only belongs to those who contribute most to it, not to people who were born and grow up in it. That's the price we pay to be a great city.

Now I feel the pressure to keep my identity as a Shanghainese. Maybe one day my dialect won't help to prove my Shanghai identity anymore. Only my skills, contributions and achievements will count. I have to work really hard to succeed because I'm facing global competition.

Well, maybe that's why I write this small piece - at least with the money paid for this article, I won't have to wait long hours for a free breakfast or to avoid the bus fee.

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