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| A bit of swill, a wee bit more – thus a verb is born. |
I suppose this should have been
one of the very first entries in this chronicle of experiences. However, in the
interest of being fair, open-minded, and uncharacteristically sans-paranoia, I chose to wait and see
if my first impressions were warranted.
After numerous coincidences, it
seems that there may be an ever-so-slight
basis in reality for such an entry.
In any event, on with the
debate.
A noun – is a word used to name
a person, place, thing, or idea. A noun can be a proper noun or a common noun. A verb – is a word that shows action, or
that indicates a condition, or a state of being. It is indeed a rare occasion
when either transcends its own classification and joins the realm of the other.
Enter, Shanghai. It is at once
a city, Shanghai, and a state of being, shanghaied.
To understand the nature of
being “shanghaied” one really needs to understand the origin of the word (which,
I for one, have taken for granted). It is as much a lesson in geography as it
is in linguistics because geography was the catalyst for the original
linguistic interpretation of the shanghaied state of being.
Shanghai is located at the
mouth of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River dividing the city nearly in
half just before it reaches the Yangtze. This geographic dynamic created a
tremendous network of waterways giving the region a great advantage where
commerce and trade are concerned. In the 1800’s this advantage required manual
laborers, specifically sailors, to sustain it. If you’ve ever sailed, even on
the smallest vessel, you know that it involves concerted manual labor (heck – my
kids don’t even want to sail because they might have to clean the boat when we’re
finished). Something that the opportunities of the late 18th century could help
a wise young lad to supersede if he had a lick of sense. It was the combination
of this geography, commerce, and need for manual laborers that birthed the
origin of the verb “shanghaied”.
Apparently, many sailors in
Shanghai started their careers by virtue of "involuntary actions" –
they were kidnapped for compulsory service aboard a ship, especially after
being drugged (I need some of that stuff – Dramamine just doesn’t have the same
effect with my kids).
Let the newly expatriated be
warned. The following definitions should always be tucked away in the back of an
expat’s mind so as to not be so naïve as to think that Shanghai exists exclusively as a noun.
shanghaied:
1. To
kidnap (a man) for compulsory service aboard a ship, especially after drugging
him.
2. To
induce or compel (someone) to do something, especially by fraud or force.
I will let you ponder the
definitions for a bit and imagine the many ways a new citizen, namely the
expat, in 2011, can meander about in Shanghai, while being shanghaied.
The essence of the original
definition of shanghaied is alive and well today sans the illicit narcotics and
premeditated intend (might I be erring on the side of political correctness… ).
Not only is the essence evident in our recent quest for moon cakes but also
numerous other more important and necessary endeavors of immigration.
Whether shanghaied by intent, or negligence, it smarts just the
same.
This is especially so when the
intricacies of language and technology are involved in connection with cellular
services in China. I may have been a bit premature in discounting narcotics
when you consider the habitual use of “black berries” and “smartphones”
(of which I do confess to, but can control the need for) an absolute, addictive
indulgence.
All you can do is smile and keep on moving.
to be continued.
©2011 Karl Shaffer
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