Jane Dee from the Philippines sells premium spirits to the city's premium hotels, restaurants and exclusive clubs, rubbing shoulders with the glitterati. But she just sucks it up: It's all in a night's work, writes Jenny Hammond.
Bottles of champagne, the best restaurants and exclusive clubs reserved for the rich, powerful and beautiful.
They are what many a hedonistic expat craves in Shanghai, but for one Philippine native they represent just another day at the office, or rather, a night.
Jane Dee is a familiar face at the best parties and night spots around town, but then, it's all in a night's work for the premium spirits promoter.
"I don't really see myself as a socialite, although people label me that way such since they see me out a lot. It's about what I do," explains the Pernod Ricard China sales executive. "I'm mostly out a night because nearly all of my clients start work late."
She deals with the people who run five-star hotels, premium Western bars, lounges and restaurants. Pernod Ricard produces and distributes fine wines and whiskeys.
The majority of expats have a day job in an office, not Dee. "The difference is that my 'office' is located at my client's establishments; this is where everything is discussed and negotiated. You meet so many people every day, and should I say night, from all over the world. It's inspiring."
Indeed, it is no surprise that the young Manila expat has become very well known by the city's glitterati since she arrived last year.
If there is one thing Shanghai is famous for, it's the nightlife. "It can never go wrong," the 27-year-old says of the pulsating nocturnal city.
"It's unpredictable and I love that. Plus, you do feel the vibe of this town. Ask any person who has lived here for three months, they will tell you the same thing. It just never sleeps."
Dee, who is ethnically Chinese, is from Manila, the Philippine capital that she calls relaxed and "quite 'normal', if you know what I mean."
Although she looks Chinese, "I am very Western in the way I act and speak. I still have quite a lot of Chinese culture instilled in me, but only up to a certain point."
It can make things awkward.
"Sometimes it's hard to identify with some locals, as they don't know how to act towards me and vice versa," she says.
Dee came to China in 2001 as a student at the Beijing Language and Culture University. "I didn't know the city or really what to expect. I met a lot of people from different backgrounds and because of those people Beijing will always remain an amazing place to me. I have loved China ever since."
She moved to Shanghai in 2006 to take up her current position.
Speaking of wonderfully unpredictable Shanghai, she says, "You never know whom you're going to meet at any given moment. You wake up and it begins like the typical mundane day and then all of a sudden you realize you just had the best day of your life because of a chance encounter or a surprising incident."
The melting pot appeals to her. Every one here has a story, she continues, "there's always a reason why people have come to China and that alone is a conversation piece. I'm constantly amazed by how easy it is to meet and get to know people here."
As you may have guessed, she says, "my work, personal and social life are all intertwined."
She definitely wants to stay in Shanghai.
"In fact, I'm thinking of buying a place here but have you seen the property prices lately? Wow, this town is definitely booming," she says.
(Shanghai Daily December 4, 2007)
