Life in Shenzhen I

Letter from Shenzhen (21-13): Life Here, Part I, Basic Amenities, Identity and The Expatriate

This Blog, while centered on Audio and Music, serves occasionally as diary for me. This article, the beginning of a series, is the newest entry in the diary, to inform my many friends, including some fellow audiophiles (some of whom, like Vivek, I have yet to meet), of how I see life here.

For the last decade of my stay in Hong Kong, I was a frequent visitor to Shenzhen, but little did I think I'd live here one day on (maybe) a semi-permanent basis. A decade ago, I'd have dreaded this, but today, while by no means entirely comfortably established, I have many second thoughts, especially after the upheavals HK (and more recently the World) suffered. However, that is for a future installation. This one is on the basics, a little rambling introduction to what is to come.

I firmly believe how we see the world influences how we go about our passions; conversely, the way we indulge our passions affect also how we see things. If not for my interest in English (fostered in secondary school) I'd not have developed an interest in writing (which paradoxically makes me a better writer in Chinese too). If not for my total immersion in classical music, I'd not be the audiophile that I am; and audio in turns heightens my appreciation of great music. I believe, given the opportunity, and time, people appreciate beauty, and all kinds of beauties manifest themselves regardless of race, color, faith. But then, time is even more of a luxury to many people than money. The Chinese writer "Western Electric Sound", whose article I recently partly translated, is right on the money on what it takes to make a connoisseur (not that I think I am there).

Just as an audiophile must expand his music horizon to grow (a personal belief), an Expatriate must forego some things taken for granted (remember bagel?) and simultaneously become at least partly empathic with the new environment (yes, chicken feet and pig's knuckles are everywhere, but little decent ham and cheese can be found). An Expat who fails to do that burns himself out (and take others down too). In my 26 years of adult life in HK, having worked at a university, I have seen plenty of them, from everywhere. While most are good folks, some are just intolerable for their obstinacy, even superiority complex. I myself am actually an Expat several times over. In cosmopolitan HK, I was not usually perceived as one, but it is different here. Here, people often just stare at me because my demeanor (maybe my clothing, my shoulder bag too) gives out clues that I am different from them.

The Flying Dutchman This blog rarely treats opera, but I used to listen to a lot of it in my youth. I remain a devotee of Wagner operas. While the Ring is cherished for its great music, I do find its narrative and unending repetition challenging, to say the least. And so I have special fondness for that static beauty, Parsifal (film buffs: you must watch Hans-Jurgen Syberberg's masterpiece, with Edith Clever an unforgettable Kundry; the soundtrack, led by Swiss Armin Jordan, who also plays Amfortas, is also surprisingly erudite), as well as 2 hot-blooded earlier works, Tannhauser and The Flying Dutchman. IMHO, the latter 2 have the greatest overtures among his works. Now, all these are about sinners and repentance, which I have to say is probably what makes them so attractive to me (well, at least the sinner part...) The Expatriate and Identity Crisis Having been an Expatriate several times over, I cannot fail to identify with the fate of The Dutchman. I'd say you are very lucky if you think you know exactly your identity, and are entirely comfortable in your skin. For me, it's unsettling enough to have moved between HK, NYC and China (not to mention Taiwan, where I was born but not raised in, a place I learned to really love). Things got even worse with the Pandemic. And, being American (especially Asian American), it is disillusioning to see the country polarized ethnically and politically by all the fanatical absurdities proffered by both the Progressive Right and Left. Everybody wants to stress his own identity and would spread lies, defy the law and, worst to me, even alter language structure to achieve this, but this also serves as a lesson as to why a strong individual identity can be a detriment to national identity (believe me, I am not a communist). Well, despite wishful thinking terms like the "national dialogue", maybe the nation will very soon be an empty concept, though it is obvious to me the more nations there are, the more trouble there is. There should be more truly united states, and less countries. Also, I have mentioned before, the internet fans hatred much more efficiently than love. We audiophiles, though not perfect beings, are fairly cool in this respect. I always say, the world would be a much better place if everyone is an audiophile. We are just too busy doting on our routines (yes, even with my limited but circumstancially accepatable arsenal here, I constantly dream of a transformation) to do harm.

Where I am Shenzhen is just north of the Kowloon Pennisula. I am in Nanlian 南聯, way east in the eastern-most Longgang District 龍崗區, a part that is as close to neighboring Huizhou City 惠州 as the western edge of Shenzhen. Eastern Longgang, being less close to HK than Luohu, Futian and Nanshan (all with major CBDs), still retains more of an indigenous Hakka accent than the others. I live along the No. 3 metro line. In fact, a footbridge connects the mall downstairs to the metro. Very convenient but a little noisy. This area previously was an industrial area, but the arrival of the metro brought rapid urbanization. To my north is the original administrative center of Longgang and surrounding it are very nice and quiet residential areas.

Hukou, or Household Registration, and ID To Westerners and Expats, this is an obstacle, and it is. But, the fact is, this is a system that has persevered since ancient times. Ancient Qing dynasty laid down structures and rules that still affect our daily lives. If you go to Japan, and Taiwan, you will see more of Tang Dynasty's city grid structure than in China itself (and it is actually well thought out!). Household Registration was a Means for Census and Administration and it still is. It used to be that Hukou severely limits one's mobility, as one province's administration (including schooling for children), heath and welfare agencies will not accept another's. Now, reforms have largely, but not completely, ameliorated the situation. In democratic Taiwan, the hukou system is still in place, but mobility is easier. Given China's strict surveillance, all residents are required to carry their IDs. This is a Citizen's ID, not one administered by the DMV (in the US) and used as such (permit now phased out partly in aviation at least). The HKID is similar - by law we are required to carry it. However, even if it is supposedly (certainly no longer) "one country, two systems", residents in China with HKID face peculiar problems. Our Chinese "Return Permit" (as in Return to Your Country; our form of ID in China) starts with a capitalized English alphabet, which is NOT accepted by many apps, algorithms and automated machines used by governmental agencies and banks (China ID cards contain only numerals). This is a big deal in highly automated and AI-fused China. It means us HKID people, despite being regarded as Chinese citizens, frequently cannot avail ourselves of internet usage and booking, instead having to resort to manual service and correction in governmental agencies and banks. For non-Chinese residents I can well imagine the headache is greater.

Everything is Associated with Your Name and ID In China now, obtaining a telephone number requires entering a lot of personal data, and one is severely restricted in the number of telephone numbers one can have. The number follows you everywhere. You will need that number to open a bank account as well as a wechat account (an almost mandatory social media app in China). Many procedures require a confirmation code sent to the number. It is quite astonishing how often one has to enter personal data in order to obtain service. Sometimes this is carried to ridiculous extremes, like the account holder is the only one permitted to return a mere TV Box (China Mobile). Electronic Money China is basically all electronic money now. wechat pay is the most often used. There are restaurants where everything, from ordering to paying, is done online (no cash register, sorry). The vast majority of people now carry no cash, though I still do - it will get one out of tight spots, like in places where signal strength is low. Beware, wechat and electronic money leave tracks that are hard to erase, good news for your significant other.

Covid Measures Governmental agencies lead the way in enforcing strict entry requirements. Not only is a Green Health QR code required, one also has to scan other apps to provide personal info, so as you can be tracked in case something happens. Banks are less strict now after the Chinese New Year but becomes stricter with any uptick. Malls and private enterprises basically now allow entry for mask-less individuals (Shenzhen has no local cases as of now). Unlike HK, restaurants have no limits and they are packed during peak hours. It is important to note that, here in China, in terms of Covid measures, the people are all in with the government, which is why measures show success. No, no protests here, as everyone is conscious of his part and civic duties.  

The Environment Being all the way to the east, Longgang enjoys better air than the western parts of Shenzhen which, like HK, are more susceptible from pollution originating from more heavy industries in other Guangdong cities to the north. In fact, air here is considerably better than in HK. It is not just pollution, it is also what the city has done to cut emissions. Aside from a metro that is constantly adding new lines, ALL the city's buses (and most construction vehicles) are electric (made by giant BYD), so you don't get the double-decked bus diesel death choke of HK's roadside. No, the air is not quite as good as NYC, but it sure is much better than HK, which is one hell of a polluted money-mad city that unconscientiously avoid paying for environmental improvement. It is ironic that Shenzhen now has a much better recycling program than HK. No, not as good as NYC, no to mention the UK, Japan and Taiwan (among countries I have visited), but it is a start, whereas HK just stalls and stalls. I am a very green person, and this gets me very mad. Shenzhen also puts a lot of effort into greenery, much more than HK, and many major thoroughfares are actually stroll-able, unlike much of HK (which is denser in the urban areas). Don't get me wrong, Champs Elysee they are not. And, the government has really stepped up sanitation: streets are cleaner here than many parts of HK. During the long summer, many streets in HK just have a putrid smell due to restaurant waste "disposals"; not here.What really surprised me is that during my absence the city has built many public toilets (unlike HK, there were hardly any before) and they are clean and well sanitized. Thumbs up! It is more than evident to me governance here is progressive and have the general people's interests in mind (sorry, not quite you, expat).

Click pics to enlarge. Note the footbridges connecting the elevated metro station (one leads to my bldg).

Neighborhood and Living Quarters Big Chinese cities are not like the West, usually with a central CBD and downtown high rises and surrounding suburbs of low rise houses with front and backyards. Not here. Skyscrapers are everywhere but in the outer rungs some huge developments do have swaths of individual houses that emulate the picture book Americana. However, traffic for any big city is a huge problem and a new car license is hard to get, with a lottery system in place (there is also another type of license that forbids one to drive during peak hours). Most of us live, like I do, in apartments. Ours here is as big as the one in NYC and much bigger than in HK, but unfortunately there is not much audio equipment to fill it up. Any donor (a frequent happening in crowded HK)? With the same budgetary appropriation, one can live in a more spacious space than HK and NYC.

The power grid is steady. And Personal Safety? Yes, like HK, it's very safe here, infinitely safer than in Flushing, Queens, NY (and many cities in the UK and Europe). There are almost no felonies. Compare that with NYC and the USA (and UK), where other races shamefully and cowardly plummet Asian citizens of any age, including many seniors. That is not the reason why I am here, but it should be noted. It should also be noted that, even among the poorest substrata, Chinese (China and HK and elsewhere) felony rate is low compared to the impoverished areas (usually inhabited by minorities) in many western countries - that shows crime is not simply an equity issue (as the US Left would like to present) and speaks for the importance of identity (or lack of; here the Left has the argument on their side) and communal self-help, which is sadly lacking in many populations. Asians should be proud of their cultures and work ethics, as I am of mine. Asians teach the meaning of respect to their children and sacrifice for them too, and I respect that, especially given that many "disadvantaged" populations fail miserably in that respect.

Transportation HK people think they have the best transportation but, having lived here for a while, I demure: I think Shenzhen is better, with more comfort and a more equitable system. The SZ metro covers a much larger area and is constantly expanding in scope, with several new lines under construction. While that is preferred by most people, as I usually do not go too far I just as often opt for the bus, which has an extensive network that even extends into neighboring Dongguan. What the metro has done is to relieve the carriage volume of the buses. After the No. 3 Line opened, riding the buses, previously sardine packs, became a pleasure. It takes not that much longer, but more often deliver me closer to destination. Buses are frequent, fares are low and many bus routes do not have that many passengers; I am pretty sure it is subsidized. Hong Kong should get rid of its triad-controlled and highly polluting Red Minivans, which I boycott. And buses should emulate SZ and be all-electric. Senior Concessions SZ is generous - seniors ride free on the metro and buses. Neighboring Guangzhou has no such concession. Courtesy It is not infrequent that a younger person offers me (or someone with young children) his or her seat. It happens more here than in HK, not to mention NYC. Covid Note that Masks are mandated on ALL public transports. An occasional person flouts the law, but I have seen people without masks refused a ride. Rightly so.

Service In the public sector, I am mightily impressed by the service provided by the governmental agencies and the banks. The workers are generally courteous and patient. In fact, my fellow HK expatriate here, Hon Wo (icefox would know him) thinks service now is better than HK, and I may agree with him! Now, service is good, but the bureaucracy stills sucks! It can be a time consuming thing to do some transactions here, especially since we are not the ordinary Chinese citizen. In the private sector, I am just as impressed. Staff in Supermarkets, Convenience Stores (several on a block, quite a phenomenon) usually wear a smile and are courteous and helpful. A little less so for large restaurants, which have problems finding and keeping staff, but then I don't usually patronize those. I particularly like my McDonald's downstairs, where I often have breakfast. The staff is young, courteous and like family. They are also more articulate than their counterparts in HK (many HK youngsters are barely coherent, in dialect and in social discourse, if you ask me).

Provisions As in other western countries, the big supermarket chains are mega-stores, one-stop for everything. State owned Huarun Corporation 华润 (which curiously had evolved from its origin as a HK company) runs the large chain Wanjia 万家 (Vanguard) but there are many private competitors too. These are mostly Chinese companies but there are foreign firms too. Americans may be surprised to learn Walmart is one of the biggest chain here, though they are not doing that well. As I am going to devote a whole article related to food and drinks, I'll not belabor this topic. I have a Vanguard right downstairs, a Bravo 永辉 across the street and a Walmart a 15-minute walk away. But these are not where I get most of my groceries, which are largely from the many mini wet market competitors (a new breed) dotted across the neighborhood (many use delivery, but I shun this, largely out of environmental concerns). Yes, basic necessities are at one's fingertips, more so than HK and NYC. Competition if fierce and, in this respect, capitalist in the extreme.

This article is getting long, and I still haven't said half of what I meant to. That will have to wait till the next installment.