13 things people in Shanghai ignore that no one else would

Photograph: Instagram (@samarpan.film)

Ignoring all of the weird and wonderful things you encounter every day is a base level coping mechanism for most people who live in big cities all over the world. Shanghai throws curveballs at us on the daily: sorry guy who's brought his own microphone to sing karaoke on the metro, you must have caught us on a bad day, we're just not feeling it. From share bike graveyards to the world's best-dressed dogs, these are the things Shanghai residents ignore that would catch a lot of other people slightly off guard.

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Bikes being literally everywhere

You're never more than ten feet away from a bicycle in Shanghai... probably. It seems like everywhere you look you'll see at least one Ofo or Mobike waiting expectantly to be unlocked. On a street corner; outside a metro station; in your apartment compound; in your fridge. We complain about the city's two-wheeled infestation – but then we complain even more when we need a bike and can't find one.

There being a QR code for everything

Similar to share bikes, there's almost always a QR code in your line of sight (or at least in your peripheral vision). From tiny market stalls to advertisements on the metro, you can't escape these small scannable squares. Even the beggars on the street accept QR pay. How do they have Alipay but no shoes?

Your local wet market or jianbing spot disappearing overnight

'I'll just grab an apple on the way to work' you tell yourself, before arriving at your favourite fruit store only to discover that it's a Watsons now. You decide to get a bing or some baozi from the local vendor instead, but soon find out that the hole in the wall has been filled in and the wall is now part of a China Mobile. You wanted breakfast but will have to settle for buying lip balm and a new data plan instead...

Dogs who are better dressed than you

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A dog in a jacket. A dog in shoes. A dog in this season's must-have trends. A dog sweating in the middle of July because it's wearing a cardigan.

Old people using the latest technology

Much like Shanghai itself, seeing a senior citizen using a smartphone or an iPad is a wonderful blend of the past and the future. We don't bat an eyelid at witnessing a pensioner using their phone to scan onto the metro or ordering at a restaurant using a touchscreen menu. My grandma doesn't even know how to use 'the internets'...

The bag check guards on the metro

Where else could a security guard ask you to do something and you just completely ignore them and walk past with zero repercussions? Nobody handles rejection as well as a Shanghai Metro bag checker and for that I salute them. No ego. No anger. No eye contact. No worries.

The sound of your flatmates having sex through your fake wall

You might as well be in the room with them. You hear every grunt, every groan, every position change. You even hear their awkward there's-definitely-a-bit-of-a-language-barrier-here dirty talk. You're basically part of a threesome they have no idea is happening. However, you're used to it by now. It's basic habituation, you can easily roll over and go back to sleep like it isn't even happening. It's just a shame your bedroom wall is thinner than the condom they're using...

A 500RMB bill for brunch

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You had free-flow. You had four types of eggs. You had so much avocado. You had a first-page-on-Google-Images-worthy view of The Bund. You knew it was coming and you paid without flinching.

People driving scooters and bikes on the pavement

Anything with less than four wheels is considered a pedestrian.

People sleeping in public

It takes a certain confidence to voluntarily lose consciousness in public. It takes a certain trust and a certain world view. Or, it just takes a comfy bench and a bit of afternoon sun. One of the most evolved ways of dealing with the fact that life can be a bitch – sometimes you just need to take a nap.

Questionable stool

We're not talking about an uncomfortable seat at your local noodle joint. If there's nothing out of the ordinary in there and it's not a super worrying colour, flush it away and get on with your day, my friend.

Cockroaches

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Okay, so we don't ignore these, but we've got to at least try and accept them. Through spring/summer, we've all had a cockroach that we couldn't catch that ended up being a lodger of sorts. At one point you considered charging it rent and asking whether it had registered with the police. However, unlike with your real flatmates, it's totally acceptable to try and get rid of these pesky home invaders.

Public sweating

It's not just overdressed dogs that struggle in the heat of the Shanghai summer. Sweat patches great and small are part and parcel of living here when the mercury starts to rise. There's no shame in having a tribute to the Huangpu in your armpits and seeking refuge in an air-conditioned shopping mall when being outside is getting too much.

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