Swimming with Asian Sharks - Business Secrets from the Pacific Rim

Shanghainese Sharks

People in Shanghai like to refer to themselves as Shanghainese; it allows them to stand apart from the generalizations associated with Chinese people.  On this second visit back to Shanghai we had lunch with Mr. Princeton's Shanghainese friends.  We went to a little restaurant or shop, near the Bund. The Bund is Shanghai’s waterline or harbour front, and it was really bustling and filled with people, reminding me of Hong Kong.  Though Shanghai has a large population, it is not nearly as dense as Hong Kong. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait to get a table, but I saw other people waiting. We went upstairs where we chitchatted and it was interesting listening to how and what people discuss in Shanghai. They were mainly discussing their kids, the schools they went to, and what they were doing now. It was as though Asian parents use their kids as a battleground, comparing with others how well their children are doing. They talked about how their kids attend international schools and essentially about how good things are in Shanghai right now.  It was interesting to see that people everywhere talk about the same things, no matter what their culture.  Attitudes vary, but the content is about the same: kids, economy, wealth, food, and so on.