It’s been a bit more than a year since we moved to Shanghai in China, and life comparing to Spain, Greece and the Netherlands where I had been living in the past, is for the most part different. And while the culture, the language and the people might for some be the big differences to handle, what has dramatically changed for me is the way I interact with products and technology on a daily basis.
Once you have Alipay and WeChat payment accounts, life in China becomes smooth like butter. The words “I have to go and buy…” are removed from your vocabulary for good. The only thing you have to do, is have your phone charged. The easiest way to describe life in China is by describing an average day in my life, so here we go.
Morning
It’s Monday and I woke up at 7:30am, always earlier than my husband who takes his time and never wakes up before 9.30. I go make myself a nice cup of Nespresso coffee. Oh, the bag of used capsules in almost full. I scan the QR code on the bag and schedule a pick up for recycling. It’s free once per month 🙂 First task of the day accomplished.
I check my phone, browse the news on Wechat about covid and what is happening in Shanghai and the world, and normally I receive notifications for packages that have arrived at my door. I open the door (Shanghai is very safe and delivery is left at your door most of the times) and yes, my Oatly milk arrived, a phone case for my husband, an eye cream and western type of cereals that I cannot find in the local supermarket apps.
I open the fridge and realise that we are out of milk! Uh-oh, the hungry scientist will wake up grumpy in an hour if there is no milk, so I open DingDong app on my phone and order milk, eggs and some bread, I schedule it to arrive between 9am and 9.30am just in perfect time for his breakfast. Saved the day! The milk arrives at 9am, breakfast is served, ready to roll!
Hitting the road
While Europe is sleeping, I’ll go to the pool for some swimming and then I will continue my day at some cafe. So, we exit home and walk out of the community gate saying hello to the security guy. They are always there, day and night confirming who is entering or exiting the community. I take my phone out, open the Alipay app and scan the QR code on a HelloBike bicycle. Alipay is a super app which supports HelloBike and multiple other micro apps, so you simply scan with Alipay, no need to use the actual app. Bicycle unlocks, and we ride towards the university campus, where my husband works.
Cycling in China is as easy if not easier than cycling in the Netherlands (I lived there so I can compare), it’s flat and very well connected. I easily ride from the center of Shanghai to the area I live, which is more than 23km.
Going back to my day, since Covid started and for safety purposes access to campus is restricted to faculty members, students and personnel. I am a Chinese language student so I have the app and the QR code to enter. Ops, just forgot, due to the pandemic I have to daily upload my Health code and my travel Health code on the university app to get my Green code pass activated. So, I quickly open WeChat and take a screenshot of one of my codes, and then go to Alipay (where I have registered with my passport therefore my code is there) and take a screenshot of my health code. I upload them both on the Jiao Tong university application (after I have selected that I haven’t traveled the last 14 days) and my university access code is ready. I did all that while riding my bicycle towards the university.
Arriving at the university North gate, I say hello to the security guy, he checks my temperature and I pass my code from the scanner, the door opens and I ride inside with my bicycle. Now let’s go to the pool!
Normal daily tasks
I enter the sports complex, leave my keys at the reception and get a bracelet for a locker. In the entrance of the changing rooms I pass my finger from the scanner and the little gate opens for me. I go change and hit the pool. Same happens on the way out, I pass my finger and I am practically logging out as I exit. If I won’t do that on my way in, meaning scanning my finger to enter the locker room, I have to login at the reception via another tablet-like screen, or else other doors inside the facility won’t open, eg. the gym door.
Heading out of the gym I decide to eat something small before going to the mall to spend some time on my laptop. Got a bicycle again, stopped at a small bun (small bread buns) shop, asked in Chinese what I wanted, opened my payments QR code on my Alipay app and passed it through the little POS for QR codes. Sometimes, if there is no POS, I scan the shop QR code, add the amount and pay by myself. In any case, I don’t remember where is my wallet or when was the last time I used a credit or debit card…
After savouring my small black sesame filled bun that costs €0.25 cents, I go to the mall by bicycle. I park it at the designated place and push the lock. It throws some Chinese to me which means, all good here, you may leave. I have a monthly subscription for HelloBike so I don’t have to pay every time I get a bike. The price you pay for that convenience is negligible.
From outside the mall, I open the Starbucks app, click on my saved products and order my coffee with pick up at this specific store. I pay with my Starbucks credits. I mean, why wait in line? By the time I find a seat and open my laptop I get an SMS and an app notification that my coffee is waiting for me. I go grab it and continue working on my laptop for hours.
After several hours I decide to go home, it is already 19:30, it’s raining and no time to prepare dinner. Hmm.. I open Alipay and use Didi micro-app to order a taxi at my location. The guy calls me… they always call you even if they see your location. They want to make sure you will be there when they arrive so they won’t lose a second. Time is money. In any case, I explain I am waiting for him on the street with my broken Chinese and we are on our way home.
Ok now what about last minute dinner… I open Meituan and check several places we usually order from. Let’s do sushi tonight, it will take 35 minutes to arrive so I order dinner on the way back. I could have also scheduled it the day before or in the morning. While scheduling food and supermarket delivery really makes ones life so easy, being able to order last minute, know exactly how much it will take and that it won’t be that long is what really saves the day.
In the mean time, the driver asks me how I want to pay. I say phone and exit. The app handles payment of course, as we already well know thanks to Uber, Lyft and other apps.
Late nights at home
After dinner and chatting we decided to watch a movie on our newly bought Xiaomi TV. We normally cast the computer screen on which we have VPN and Netflix. But, as I browse movies on the TV I realise they have Dune. Xiaomi TV has already collaborations with TV channels and apps, so you simply need to connect your TV to the internet and you have series and movies on your screen without moving a finger. Perhaps that’s the case everywhere so forgive me, it’s been years since the last time I had a TV at home. In any case, I can watch 6 minutes for free, or I can become a VIP member for less than 3 euros per month, ok let’s try that! I hit the VIP button, and a QR code appears, I scan with my phone and Alipay, pay and start the movie. Cool, VIP members enjoy also 4k resolution 🙂
I also browse a bit on Taobao, I have saved my favorite shops so I can see promos and latest products. Nah, not buying again clothes, enough with consumerism. This easiness of click and pay is bad for my wallet and the environment 🙂 However, I need some fruit for tomorrow morning that forgot to buy earlier, I open again the DingDong app and schedule a delivery of bananas, pineapple and mangos the next day between 9:00 and 9:30.
All set, ready for bed after turning on the air purifier in the bedroom. Why air purifier? Some winter days have very bad air quality in Shanghai, not like the images you have seen in the past but still more than 100 in the AQI scale. Most of us foreigners and expats care a lot about air quality so we are advised to buy air purifiers when we first arrive. I don’t see many locals caring about it to be honest, and I see several capitals in Europe like Milan or Amsterdam having worse air quality than Shanghai on some days, however I have made it a habit to check the air quality before exiting home. Checking air quality in China is a must, I suggest you do the same if you leave in a capital and on bad days use a mask that can block pollution, besides Covid 🙂
Another calm night in Shanghai! Zzz…