Winter finally arrives in Shanghai

To the editor:
    Winter has finally come to Shanghai! It has been cold for the past couple of weeks. No, nothing like the four-foot below temperatures back home. But cold!     Shanghai is on the southeast coast of China. As such it gets lots of weather issues that are related to the vast expanses of water sitting next to land. Add to this mixture the fact that insulation is a new concept in construction here and you have a recipe for a freezer. As you walk down the street and check out the shops, there is almost always a long underwear store. These are not the red flannels of your grandparents’ day. But it is a little disconcerting to see so many places selling the all-in-ones. Because of our classrooms are not heated, you appreciate the comfort of underwear. Brrrr!
    The sun does not rise until about 6:30 in the morning. As I leave for work it is dark. Chinese love walls, gates and fences. Every building has a very visible fence. When we were kids growing up we quickly learned that there was the street and then the other person’s property. You learned to respect that domain even if there was not a fence marking the boundary. As the local constabulary will tell you it is their vigilant efforts to look for bad guys who are trying to remove your property. If it is stolen then there is a firm question of why. Reports are filed. The officers on duty are admonished and indeed take it as a personal affront when it happens on their watch. They live in the community and value a safe home just like anyone else.
    Our laws and courts are set up to give some vindication when a culprit is apprehended. But even before cases reach the courts, the police do their best to resolve the issue. Nothing like the threat of paperwork and time lost to smooth out disagreements about who owns property and what needs to happen when it is borrowed.
    China takes a slightly different approach. Civil order is the rule of the day. If your stuff gets taken, yes, there are police who will take a report. But following up on the loss is mediocre at best. Certainly the idea of multiple jurisdictions sharing information over a cup of coffee or a chat at the crossroads is new. Most of the time you suck it up and go about your business.
    Thus the system of fences, walls and gates. As I leave in the wee hours I navigate through three separate gates. Usually the night watchman get up at about 4:30 and unlocks the gate as he makes his rounds. But the past few mornings I have been met with a chained and locked gate. What little Chinese I can understand helps with the sign. Usually it says: “Closed from 12:00 to 5:00 a.m.” This is because anyone out at that hour is up to no good. Also it allows for a bit of a nap for the watchman. However, the past few mornings as I have walked out after 5 a.m. and the gates are still shut.
    One thing that you learn in farm country is that a gate is only a temporary solution. If you need to get somewhere you learn how to read a gate. Is there a single bolt, lock, or many? Depending on this information determines how you respond. A single lock and most likely you can either open and shut the gate or slip past it. More than one lock and you may have to climb it. Climbing gates here in China is a surefire way to get yourself invited to meet the honorable Justice of the Peace: One of those invitations is impossible to ignore!
    Fences are tall, often well over my 6 foot 4 inch height. They are made of iron, concrete, and broken glass. All to cause injury to a person. Their layout is long straight lines along alleyways, streets, and avenues. If they are not made of the basic substances, they are made up of hedges and bushes that are difficult to walk through. usually within each complex there are main gates that remain open. These are hardly ever located on the most direct path and often require turning around and walking way out of the way to get to them.
    Locks in China are a mishmash of shapes, special keys, and options. Many still harken back to ancient traditions and shapes rather than function and usefulness. The concept of a panic bar lock that is common on most every outside door in the U.S. is not known. Here, at night when you lock your house you literally lock yourself into a cage. My friends tell me to lock the gate to my apartment. I always ask the question, “How do I get out in the case of a fire?” Silence. On one side there is tremendous fear about burglars and other problems. On the other side a strong fear of fire. Yet rationalizing and connecting the relevant problems to a solution.
    If any U.S. fire marshal came to inspect the building he would be carted to the hospital on life support. And as with so many things this is an effort that every society confronts. How do we safeguard our people and provide them with security? It takes time and knowledge. In the future the Chinese will find a solution that fits their needs. They have done this before.
Orpheus Allison
Shanghai, China
orpheusallison@mac.com