The life of Niek Storteboom

Pudong District viewed from the Bund

I work in one of the lower buildings in the middle. As you can imagine, the Oriental Pearl Tower is very strange to behold. Especially at night, when all the (bright pink) lights are on.

posted by Niek @ 5:27 AM 3 comments  

Some random thoughts:

City: 17 million people, everybody seems to be going everywhere at high speed, with a total lack of regard for their own life mostly. Traffic really is something else. I’ve been in some dodgy situations myself, but here only after a week, I’ve seen more near –accidents than I did before in my entire life. There seems to be a status quo, related to sizes, shapes, whether it’s raining, or if the moon is rising on the 3rd Tuesday of the month. I have no clue how they do it, but they manage. While honking at each other non-stop of course. And changing lanes 10 times in 100 meters without using the indicator. I think Volkswagen deleted that option on its Santana here. No use for it. And there also does not seem to be a use for clutch control and using any single RPM over 2000. They shift (harshly) way before that. Why? WHY?

Country: the whole place is just so unbelievably big, the food is definitely not the stuff they dare call Chinese food in Europe (not sure this food is better though), the noise, the pollution, and the feeling of being expendable never quite leaves you. Even when you’re a Dutchie of which only 16 million are made. (ATM) One thing they have enough of, is people, and it seems to ring true in everyday life. The thought never leaves you, so don’t expect a special treatment, or regard to you from other people.

Remarkable stuff to notice for somebody who’s never been here and had therefore the view of Asians to be quiet, polite etc. is that stuff like like opening a door, not bumping into you on purpose, or speaking at a normal level instead of SCREAMING does seem to be quite rare. Non-existent more like. How wrong I was.

All in all it's so different than anything I'm used to, but I can tell you one thing. The nightlife is definately something to sample here. More updates on that in due time.

Niek

posted by Niek @ 5:20 AM 2 comments  

Shanghai'ed in Shanghai

Well,

It's official, very clear and very much expected. I'm a legal alien. A Dutchman in Shanghai. *cue Sting*

I've arrived on Friday, completely dead of course from my excursion in Helsinki the day before. Thanks for that guys!

Picked up from the airport by a Aiesec local (Jacky) who led me to my hotel to dump my stuff. Immediately afterwards we went into the town to buy the readies (Sim card, metro card etc.).. After a few hours of that I was unable to think straight, let alone speak anymore, so I crashed. And I've been trying to to catch up ever since.

But enough of that, how's China?

Big for one, very busy and quite polluted. This is what I have to say after 5 days in Pudong (the business district). I'm hoping to relay some better info after this WE, when I've gone into town and checked it out a bit more. Pics will also be posted then.

One thing that is obcious though is that although the people here and quite used to foreigners walking around, I'm still very much the target of giggles, shying away, touching and just a s**tload of staring. They don't see many tall blond Dutchies here I gathered.

Ah well, now I know what Brad Pitt feels like (minus the sex offers of course).

Untill I post again,

Niek

posted by Niek @ 2:37 AM 3 comments  

China

Well,

It looks like I'll be going to the far East for a bit. No details yet, but I'm very excited.

And I promise to keep updating the blog this time!

Niek

posted by Niek @ 2:30 PM 0 comments