The first 3 interviews

We went to Fuxing Road today for our first three interviews. After meeting up with the lady from the Academy who was going to translate for us, we headed to the first apartment. Mrs. Li lived in a two-room apartment, maybe 20-25 square meters, with her husband and 14 year-old son. Walking up to the second floor apartment was a little tricky due to rickety stairs and almost no light. Inside the apartment was nicer. The Li family is apparently fairly well off; they had a big tv and computer, and are planning a trip to Singapore this summer. Mrs. Li was laid off from her job at a wool factory 5 years ago. She got a job as a shop assistant, and then two years ago opened her own pizza restaurant in the neighborhood. It was fascinating to hear her talk about how the neighborhood has changed and her hopes for the future. Her main hope for her son is that he get into a famous university. She talked for a good bit about how competitive the education system was, and how important she thinks it is for her son to do well. At the end of our hour she invited us back for pizza; I think we're planning to eat lunch at her restaurant tomorrow.

The next lady we interviewed in an 81-year-old former teacher. Mrs. Xu, in a word, was enchanting. It was apparent, listening to her talk, that she truly has a teacher's heart. She told us about the community, about the activities that are organized for different age groups, and about how she often tutors kids in the neighborhood. One of the other ladies, a leader in the community organization, told us later that she tutored special needs students for free. Mrs. Xu had only good things to say about her community and the state of Shanghai (well, she was a little worried about the immorality of internet bars...). She thanked us for coming, and invited us back anytime.

Our last interview was with Mrs. Ge. She two really enjoys living in her community, saying that people really take care of each other there. When we asked her what she missed from the past she told us she misses Chairman Mao (giving us a slight shock). She said she thought today's leaders have too much power, and there is too much corruption, but she thinks Shanghai will continue to improve.

All three of the ladies we interviewed stressed the importance of education, thought the presence of foreigners in the city was good for Shanghai, and believed there was a lot of opportunity for the younger generation to do well for themselves. Even in what Americans would consider cramped, decrepit housing, everyone we met this afternoon was satisfied with their life and hopeful about the future.