Shanghai Saturdays

A few weeks ago, I experienced an International soccer match for the first time in my life (by simply writing the word soccer, half of my readers [Michael Koury] have already quit reading the post. [Thank goodness for the other half, Will Bardwell.] I guess that’s the bad thing about only having 2 readers). This was my second Saturday night here in Shanghai; the previous weekend I went to my favorite restraunt in town, Bubba’s Texas Barbeque, to have dinner with a group of total strangers. That was a successful meal though, and through it I doubled my friend network: what was 2 now became 4! Fortunately for me, a barbeque buddy invited me to go with his friends to the soccer match the next week. In my post world cup enthusiasm, I jumped at the opportunity to watch the Shenhua terribles play the even worse red shirted name I can’t pronounce team. I’m not much of a soccer expert, but I’d like to think I know what good soccer looks like, and this was not it. The passing was terrible, the dribbling was unimpressive, and neither team could finish…ever! The game ended in a 1-1 tie, and I think the total shots on goal were 6 or 7. Needless to say, I bet that a team of Bobo Champion, Olivia Lusco, Aaron Kidder, Peter Glover, Curt Revellete, Romaro Miller, Jake Dickerson, Gabe Roberts, Lyon Chadwick, Will Pepper, and Leigh Barrow could have probably given either of the China teams a run for it’s money in a pick-up game.

Clearly, the soccer was not the memorable event of the night. But dinner was, and for once I will remember a meal for the company and not the food! That night I dined with a collection of worldly quarter-lifers, all trying to make their mark, and find their footing. A wide range of countries and states were represented; Scotland, England, Canada, Mexico, China, Iowa, North Carolina, Mississippi and Ohio all had ambassadors at this table. As I ate some delicious spicy fish soup Sichuan style, I couldn’t help but think that few places at home offer a young Mississippi, bible-belt-bred conservative Republican the chance to exchange experiences and ideas with such a wide variety of people.

I think that is what has been most appealing and amazing about expat life so far. I’ve found that in life, I learn the most from those that have had a totally different experience growing up. I’m not saying that I’m a partaker of group think. Often when I congregate with these new friends, I’m surprised if anyone agrees with me about anything politically or socially. But I think that’s what I like most, a subtle reminder that even in these politically polarized times, there are people that are still ok with agreeing to disagree; nay, to even look past those disagreements and focus instead on the commonalities that they share rather than ideological variations that pull apart.

Maybe my next post will be a little more light-hearted. Too bad the soccer wasn’t a little better, or I’d have probably written about it.