On a typical Sunday a month ago, I got up much too early, took a much too expensive cab to a much too big sports bar where I watched UFC for way too long. Afterwards I decided to take two of the new UC kids who accompanied me to People’s Square to check out the weekly matchmaking sessions that are held there. While wandering around the park, I spotted a crowd. When I walked closer to investigate, I saw that there was a white teenager, with a t-shirt that said Russia on the back, debating with an old Chinese man in English. From the few snippets of conversation I caught it seemed like the two were debating capitalism. The two UC kids who were with me did not seem that interested in what was going on so I took them to the subway and they left.
I stayed behind in People’s Park and waited for my friend Angela to arrive. As soon as the two UC kids left, I rushed back to where I saw the crowd in hopes of catching some more of the debate. This time I saw the Russian teen speaking and playing around with a little Chinese boy. When the Russian asked the little boy why he wanted to go to the US, I cut in and told the boy that the correct answer was because there was more money in the states. After that, I introduced myself to the Russian, but in mid conversation, I was cut off by a man who wanted me to translate something for him.
When I finally got away from the man, the Russian was once again surrounded by a crowd. This time, I approached the Chinese man who appeared to be taking care of the Russian. The Chinese handler was dressed in bright traditional clothing and holding a Russian flag. It was an odd sight for sure and things only got stranger when I started talking to the handler. When the handler heard was from Fudan, he got excited and told me that they were visiting the campus on Friday and asked if I would give him a tour. A bit hesitant, I answered with a “maybe” and asked for his card. I almost laughed out loud when I read the name “Nelson Mandela” on the card. “Is this man for real?” I thought to myself and after talking to the handler about it, it turns out the answer was “yes.”
From my conversation from the Chinese handler I learned a few things about what was going on. First, it turned out that I had wandered into the People’s Park English corner where locals come every Sunday to practice their English. Second, the young Russian was sent by his father to the care of the handler, who was not Chinese as I initially thought, but Taiwanese. The Russian was here to learn Chinese as well as study international relations, except he had not found a university yet. Lastly, I learned that the world was dominated by the US which manipulated countries like China with their currency and Chinese university students are mindless sheep. That last part came straight from the handler’s mouth.
Sometime in the middle of my conversation with the handler, Angela arrived and I dragged her over to the English corner because I wanted to hear more conspiracy theories. As soon as she came, she was mobbed by a group. In the crowd, a familiar face popped out and greeted me. It was Jeff, a random Fudan student who recognized me from Toastmaster’s. Jeff, like many of the local Chinese students I meet was extremely awkward, so much so, that I pulled Angela into my circle so she could deflect some of his attention. Somehow, Angela and I got separated from Jeff, but while we were walking away he ran up to us and asked for Angela’s number. Not going to lie at that moment I felt pretty rejected because I had spent so much time talking to Jeff and after all that effort he goes and asks for Angela’s number over mine! Guess my conversation skills could not compete with Angela’s looks.
Later that week, I received an email from the director of our program telling us to avoid People’s Park on Sundays because it was the site of the Jasmine Revolution. The Jasmine Revolution, was an event that was thought up by some Chinese bloggers who took their inspiration from the recent revolutions in the middle east. Very few Chinese people got the message that their government was being overthrown, so the whole Jasmine Revolution was a dud. However, rather than it being a one off event, it transformed into a constant weekly event in cities around China. For Shanghai, the place of protest was People’s Square where a walking silent protest was to be held weekly. Already, there have been reports of foreign journalists getting manhandled by plains clothes policemen. The US State Department had actually issued a travel advisory warning Americans to avoid People’s Park on that day that I was there.
Suddenly, it made all the more sense why the man who asked me to translate some English for him was talking about over throwing the government. In addition, it also explains why the writing that the man asked me to translate dealt stated that Shanghai’s architecture was a testament to the disparity between the rich and poor.
Shanghai to me is starting to seem like an old dog with new tricks. After six months in the city I am learning there is still much that I do not know.
-muffinman
-muffinman
