When in Shanghai…

So I try to use the “When in Rome” philosophy” as much as possible to maximize my experience here. However, the more I try to fit in, the more I stand out. In New York, there is a stigma attached to being a tourist. In Shanghai, it’s so popular, it’s almost a status symbol. There are places that I have found here that only Westerners go to. Many of the local Shanghainese people I’ve met don’t even know about them.

There’s also many Shanghai customs that I am trying to stay away from, like hocking up big wads of whatever and spitting in the street. I think I may have been spat on once. It might have just been bird poop. Either way, it was gross. Lines are also practically nonexistent. People cut in front of me all the time. I asked my friend Diego from Italy if they have a saying in any way similar to that in Italian. He said, yes but it’s a little different. In Italy, they say, “When in Rome, DON’T do what the Romans do.” For real.