Contrast Shanghai and Toronto

After living in Shanghai for ten years, I one day migrated to a city 11,415 km away from it. The city is Toronto, another great city, less populous but not less popular to the explorers of peace and thrill.

Shanghai and Toronto resemble each other in many aspects. They are both huge in territorial size and in population, though many Chinese mainlanders probably will disagree on the latter factor for a city with only several million people are not worth mentioning. Both city have very convenient transportation systems in terms of airports (both have two airports, one mainly accommodating domestic flights and the other international flights), railway, subway, taxi and buses.In addition, both Shanghai and Toronto are modern metropolis boasting a lot of dizzily blinding skyscrapers and towers, household name brands,hectic shopping centers,endless trains of cars and buses on streets, densely populated downtown areas and hurrying pedestrians everywhere.

Another similarity shared by them may pride some residents but upset or even infuriate many others is the high property prices, being it rent or purchase. In this aspect, Shanghai seems to get the upper hand for average property price for sale in most downtown districts has reached around 50,000 rmb per square meter while that in Toronto is around 35,000 rmb. It is actually almost six of one and half of dozen of the other if the high maintenance fee of property in Toronto is taken into account. Even though, the price of house in Toronto is admirably much more affordable; with 5 million rmb you can purchase a very decent 8-room villa house in either downtown or suburban Toronto. With the same money in Shanghai, you can only buy an old 3-room apartment in downtown Shanghai.

Toronto also bears a likeness to Shanghai in one aspect: hot summer. It is said that Toronto witnessed one of the longest and hottest summer this year and its temperature stabilizes around 25 during the day until mid sept. and only occasional rains bring it down.

But Toronto also differs from Shanghai in climate, with the lowest temperature nearing 20 degree below zero in winter, while Shanghai rarely experiences minus 5 degree in the same season. Winter in Toronto is also much longer, lasting from Dec. to late March. The legally stipulated indoor temperature of no lower than 20 degrees enables Torontoers to survive and even enjoy harsh winters.

The most conspicuous difference between Toronto and Shanghai is the air quality. I haven't seen any have during the past 16 days in Toronto and I am quite confident that during the future 160 days haze will hardly visit us. But in Shanghai almost one third of the days are remarkably polluted (see http://www.timeoutshanghai.com/features/Blog-Shanghai_news/32515/Shanghais-air-pollution-got-worse-in-2015.html).If the American or Canadian air quality standard is taken, at least one in two days is polluted. But people seem to get used to things very swiftly. I worn masks in 2013 and 2014 when have fell from heaven,but in 2015 we turned a blind eye to it most of the time, with the expensive masks wastefully lying on the bookshelf.

Pedestrians and disabled definitely enjoy more privileges in T., for most cars wait for them and most buildings in public places have accessible touch-open door buttons for disabled people. On the other hand, drivers also do not need to worry too much for few people walk away from the pavements onto the streets or roads. There are almost no scooters but there are many bikers, who seem to enjoy similar privileges with the pedestrians. Most people, waking, biking or driving, seem to know their territory specified by law and regulation and few transgress.

Maybe accidentally, or maybe subjectively, there seems to be more friendly people in Toronto. On our way to our residence, two of us took four big suitcases and two backpacks with us. Every time when we enter or exit through a door, there are people holding the auto-doors for us. Young people also have the habit of awaiting patiently after elderly people who descending stairways slowly.

Another great selling point of Toronto is a big bonus for book lovers: The public-library system is one of the world's top busiest libraries. You can get a card for free and borrow books, discs and tapes for free at any branch nearest to you.

There are far more faces of different races in Toronto than in Shanghai. The diversity in architectures also seems more impressive.

But main streets in downtown areas do not seem to be as polished as smooth as those in downtown Shanghai and some are dotted with litters. And there are more "queer" people at street corners and subway stations; they stay there with a small card bearing words like "pregnant&hungry" or "broken&hungry". They were drawing, chatting or reading some thing while "begging". No soul beg by kowtowing or by demonstrating their amputated limbs like many beggars do in Shanghai.

There are countless similarities and differences between Shanghai and Toronto to be explored and digested. They are just like two women of different temperaments and countenances and secrets. It takes time and insight to obtain a fair understanding of them.