Arrival and first impressions

Published on June 13, 2009 in Shanghai. 28 Comments

The transpacific flight was long but surprisingly pleasant. I’m a proud member of the minority of people who actually enjoys airline food. During the flight I made friends with a Chinese couple sitting in my row who were studying in the States but returning to China for the summer to visit their families. Upon hearing my summer plans, the husband made a remark about how lucky I was to be working in Hangzhou. He clarified by reciting an old Chinese saying that roughly translates to “In the sky there is heaven, on earth there is Hangzhou.”

Once the airplane landed, things got interesting. As a safeguard against the H1N1 virus (Swine flu), the authorities monitor the temperatures of every passenger on every incoming flight. Here’s the real kicker: if someone shows a fever, that person plus everyone three rows in front and three rows behind is taken away into quarantine! Temperatures were recorded using handheld laser thermometers — I managed to snap a picture of it using my cell phone camera:

the thermometer of doom

the thermometer of doom

Luckily everyone in my near vicinity was in fine fettle. As I exited the plane into Shanghai’s flagship PVG airport, I was expecting massive crowds of people and long lines. Instead, I walked into an airport which was surprisingly vast and empty, even though I was supposedly arriving during rush hour. Going through customs and picking up my bags was extremely efficient, as the whole process took less than 20 minutes. As soon as a line started to form, airport employees would quickly open up more counters and alleviate the wait. China: 1, Rest of World: 0 (at least for all of the international terminals I’ve been through). Clear signs with English subtitles showed me the way to the bus station, where I boarded a bus to Hangzhou to meet with my host family.

Meixue (pronounced Mey Shwe), my homestay host and an HR employee at Astronergy, picked me up from the Hangzhou bus station. She is a very nice lady, and although she spoke little English (and I very little Mandarin) we got along famously on the car ride to her home. She introduced me to her husband and mother and showed me to my own room, which is certainly much more than anything I had expected:

my host family: Meixie, her husband, and her mother

my host family: Meixue, her husband Jing Sheng, and her mother Tsun Yu

my own room!

my own room!

view from the window

view from the window

In contrast to the horror stories I had heard in the USA, the bathrooms in the house are clean and actually sort of modern-looking. It’s clear that Meixue and her husband are professionals with very respectable incomes. I’ve landed squarely in China’s burgeoning middle class, and I’m excited to get to know and understand Meixue’s family over the next few months.

- Pu Anren

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