Sunqiao Town (孙桥镇) in Pudong. Only about 15km from the famous towers in Lujiazui (陆家嘴), or 20km from the former French Concession. But here no Starbucks, McDonald’s, Nike or FamilyMart. People wear different brands (meaning: no brands), and more than half of the cars have license plates from other provinces. People without a car rely on buses, as there is no subway. Yet this is also Shanghai. Just the part that is rarely shown.

I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. For sure it’s a lot less pretentious. But I have many colleagues in Zhangjiang (张江) who live in Xuhui or Yangpu because the schools there are better. And so kids who grow up here are already behind.