Beyond excited as I am finally going back to the city that I left last year, after setting foot on the ground for the first time, for good. It feels a bit like going on a second date after the first has been highly successful (which doesn’t happen often tbh): will the first glimpse and excitement continue? How to manage expectations properly is key to success isn‘t it?
The year has been a rollercoaster so far. Long story short: I got humiliated by corporate politics, made it into a new exciting position anyway, will move to Zurich next month, lost my very much beloved grandmother who was one of the most important persons in my life and had my very first surgery as an adult on my own terms as the expat I am in Switzerland. Managed it, learned the lesson and I am literally about to move to the next chapter. Besides that I studied Mandarin for ten hours almost every week, which might change (hopefully not) in November when I will start my new position (work load won‘t decrease).
The contrast to my first trip is pretty straightforward: 2025 was for pure leisure whereas 2026 has a clear purpose: improving my Mandarin. This trip‘s main goal is to go back to school – language school to be precise. As someone who is notoriously dissatisfied with her own progress I am clearly not happy about my level of Mandarin (working on both, and I am trying to be a bit more human towards myself). I probably wouldn’t be satisfied if I could read Confucius in the original to be precise.
So how was Shanghai 2.0 actually? So first of all, and that might already give you a first glimpse where this post might lead towards, I am pretty much disheartened that I only have one proper day left and will already leave on Thursday. Last year it was a love at first sign and this year it was the reality check. And what to say? Shanghai not only passed but surpassed what I expected. Last year it felt like a honeymoon, which wasn’t the case this year, but my love for this place is bigger than ever.
First of all the mission of the trip: the language school – where I didn’t learn as much as I wanted to (which is an expectation impossible to fulfil tbh) but probably made some progress on the treatment with myself. So overall it was a pretty messy experience: in advance I had visa issues (Chinese bureaucracy works better than German – Houston we have a problem; different story), than I didn’t had a proper assessment of my Mandarin level in advance, a messy organisation, no clear targets and on top of all that after three days to monolingual classes. The last one was clearly too much for me. Have you like ever sat in a one to one class for four hours and your teacher, even though you clearly don’t understand, has talked to you in any foreign language you are not capable of listening or speaking? If not, lucky you. I have by now and it is clearly a disappointing experience.
Hanna from previous years would have had one conclusion: I am too bad/incapable – so it is clearly my fault. Only solution: study harder and figure it out on my own terms. Hanna 2026 probably has learnt something: taking all the above mentioned points into consideration plus the fact that Mandarin is notoriously hard – especially as an adult learner: might it be a wrong placement in way too advanced classes from the language school? Congratulations Sherlock! So I have reacted differently: reached out to the school and mentioned that monolingual classes in addition to constant teacher changes, with confusing, as it was contradicting, feedback, is too advanced for me. And what did I do then: I enjoyed leisure time in my favorite city! A year ago it would have felt like the final decline of the West, that day it felt like a confident decision of someone who is not afraid of hard work but of projecting everything on her own terms. Things with the language school did get slightly better but overall it wasn’t the best experience. Anyways I do believe my Mandarin improved and it wouldn’t be me if I am not currently about to write a summary in order to be able to study on my flight back to Switzerland.
Outside of Mandarin this time Shanghai was not as much lavish hotels and DiDi rides but more ordinary hotels and Metro. And guys even though it wasn’t the luxurious experience of my graduation trip from last year (a once in a lifetime experience obviously) and it didn’t have the magic of the first time, Shanghai delivered. I fell in love again with the vibrant city, the incredible dedication of Chinese people in everything they do (I love the motivation everyone has), the food, the language (occasionally), the efficiency and tidiness, the metro, those Shanghai nights when you just walk around and enjoy yourself, the city and the pure energy around you in complete safety. I felt, once again, deeply alive and thriving in this city – to me Shanghai is not the Bund and its glamorous skyline (which I enjoy for sure) but it is standing at an ordinary crossing and watching the hustle and bustle of the city – how miraculously hundreds of cars, scooters, bikes and pedestrians manage it, without accidents, to cross smoothly.
Shanghai and with it the Mandarin project – quo vadis? The proof of concept is clearly there. I will go to Switzerland with so much more motivation and dedication and I will literally pour my heart into Mandarin. My tones are bumpy, my grammar is a black hole but my willingness to overcome these obstacles is probably bigger than ever and I really do see a window of opportunity now of learning this language properly. Not perfect but functional. Where does all this lead? Honestly I don’t know but the route is taken and I really hope for acceleration now. China and Shanghai haven’t been a one hit wonder, and even though it wasn’t the extra lavish experience from last time the everyday life – with obligations and obstacles – made me fall in love with Shanghai even more. It is hard for me to conclude completely what it is that fascinates me so much about this country but for now I would say: China spirit. So guys I really hope I can be back soon and in the meantime I am looking forward to eating as much bitterness as possible with Mandarin because I really want to become fluent in this language and one day get into a taxi (for reference: I am almost 1.80m, pretty blond and blue eyes) and speak fluently with the driver.
If you made it miraculously to this point in this very extended post aka self reflection a small incentive (economist and so on) for you – a couple of pictures of the city and how I see Shanghai through my lens:
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