Nitty Gritty

Foreigners WelcomeThe first thing anybody coming from New York notices about Shanghai is the vast price difference. I eat breakfast for 40 cents most days and lunch for $1.50. The KFC and McDonald's in China are better than America, some nights I'll eat dinner at McDonald's for $3 or a bowl of beef noodle soup at a local restaurant for the same price. My aunt took me to eat a four course dinner at an Italian restaurant with an imported chef for the equivalent of $18. The exchange rate is currently sitting at around 6.8 – 1, but the lower standard of living in China is the real deal breaker for tourists and expats. Pirated DVDs cost 3 yuan on street carts and cab rides usually cost a couple of dollars at most. Hour long full body massages start at $6 and rival any massage parlor in America. The off-campus apartments NYU has provided for us are above all expectations I had before this trip. The 85 students living off-campus occupy the 4th - 9th floors of a serviced apartment building in a complex in Shanghai. Because manual labor is so cheap here, many households, including ours, have maids or an “ayi.” We try not to make a mess but she comes once a week to sweep and mop our floors and clean our common areas. NYU provides a shuttle every morning for the off-campus students, it takes about 10 minutes to drive to East China Normal University, depending on morning traffic. The walk is around 45 minutes and a moped ride takes a little over 15 minutes. New York University is currently in an agreement with ECNU to use some of their facilities and resources. We occupy about half the 3rd floor of one of ECNU's many buildings. ECNU also provides housing for students who wish to live on-campus. These 35 students live in the international dorms. Evenings at the off-campus apartments generally consist of playing ping-pong in the lobby of the building and various social games in one of the apartments. Nightlife in Shanghai is interesting because it hosts the gamut of venues. Local bars cater to Shanghainese looking to relax after a long day of work, beers start at $1.50. Bars and clubs differ in appearance and clientele depending on the area. Most clubs have local and expat guests and require a cover of 50 yuan. Drinks at these bars are usually priced at 50 yuan per. Some of the higher end clubs are located along the Bund and offer unparalleled views of Shanghai. The nightlife underlines the difference between old and new Shanghai and its attempt to adapt to a changing society.