Day: Tuesday
Date: 6th January, 2009
Train’s direction: Shanghai South Railway Station

The first two things I noticed first when I stepped into the subway was 1) the number of people with their luggage and bags, and 2) the pong of unwashed bodies. If you’ve lived in China long enough, you understood these two things easily.

These people were on their way to the railway station, where they would make their way to their hometowns in time for the Chinese New Year holiday. Tradition dictates that the family was supposed to be together for the holidays. Although Chinese New Year is in two weeks, these people were leaving earlier, much earlier than last year: the global recession had slowed China’s economy down significantly, and these people, most of them put on long-term unpaid leave by their companies, were going home early instead of mucking around in Shanghai city.

Most of these people would not have a seat for the next ten hours, or however far they were going. They would buy standing tickets. They would sit on their bags or stand around in the train carriages while waiting for someone with a seat to get up and use the toilet or something. Hopefully, that fortunate person would be close enough for them to snag a seat quickly. Then, when the true occupant of the seat returns, they would return to standing, glad for the brief respite that they had.

The smell was explained by the fact that most of these people lived in small, one-room apartments – and I really mean small. Most living rooms I’ve seen are even bigger than their apartment. There would be no toilet, just a communal one. These toilets – not bathrooms, mind you – didn’t have a showerhead or a bathtub. On summer nights, I’ve seen men standing on street corners in nothing but their boxers or even their briefs. They would have with them a small towel and a plastic washbasin. They would squat in front of little taps and have their wash right then and there. There was no shame in it; they wanted to be clean. It was a way of life.

A/N: Please review! I will only continue this if people are interested... And also, if I do continue this, I'll only update it if I see something interesting on the subway.

Anyway, I hope I made it clear enough... I tried to write it for people who've never been in China before, or have no idea or only an inkling about modern China. If you have any questions, just PM me, or keep your eyes on this!