Major Benefits to Current Location

It looks like the bicycle is on the way to paying for itself already. Saved nearly 100 RMB in cab fares alone after a party tonight. Admitedly, getting on the bicycle isn't my favorite thing to do on a cold night after a party for 30 minutes but this can be gotten used to.

The fact of the matter is that colleagues living in xuhui district downtown are paying through the nose for really small places. I was shocked to find a coworker paying more than me for a shoebox. Granted it was a very nice and well kept place but I couldn't have imagined it to be more than 40 square meters. As a point in comparison I've got 110 square meters and am paying less per month.

The downside of course is the commute but the bicycle has got it down to 30 minutes once again consistently. Another huge advantage is the police don't bother me that far out. I was both amazed and offended that the PSB showed up at my friend / coworker's party downtown tonight, thrust a Chinese badge in his face that said "resident permit inspection" and asked to see his passport. This all took place in Chinese and I deliberately stepped back at first to see what was going on, and my friend handled it very well. I would have stepped in to tell these guys off or at least argue but the situation was under control so no need. My anger was such that my friend / coworker spoke limited Chinese but these PSB folk neither acknowledged or thanked him for his effort. They just asked a bunch of questions like "Do you live alone here" and "Who are all these people with you" and "What's your cell phone"

Details were then entered into a book. I faced the same sort of intrusive bullshit last year when I also lived in downtown xuhui district. The PSB cops came at least 3 times a year to check details, etc.. Granted they're doing this because of recent escapades downtown with filipinos and indonesians who share 10 people to a small room and many have expired visas. Or the recent story of the Eastern European model who killed herself by jumping from a 20 story window, also in xuhui district, over low pay, job stress, illegal working conditions, and the fact she was on an expired visa.

Not surprisingly that particular district is on the police hotspot and they are checking regularly after all these mishaps. Even so they never check out in the suburbs now, they never checked when I lived in Sino Canada or Songjiang 3 years ago, and they never checked when I was in Wuhan 2 years ago.

It is bad enough that these pigs will often check on foreigners in hotels and disrupt privacy but when it takes place in long term rented and leased housing it is really offensive and I take it personally. Thankfully though there are huge pockets of both Shanghai and China where they don't check.