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Like Water

  • Alana Shi
  • Apr 4
  • 3 min read

Updated: Apr 5

Sunlight filters through the broad leaves of sycamore trees lining Shanghai’s streets, dappling the sidewalks with shifting shadows as crowds weave through the urban canopy. The air thrums with conversation—snatches of laughter, the clink of spoons against ice cream cups, the low buzz of a city alive under the golden glow of early spring.


Kyle, (The left one)
Kyle, (The left one)

Amid the flow of pedestrians stands Kyle, an influencer, grinning at the idea of being called a "hobo in Shanghai."

 

His life here, as he describes it, is a rhythm of work, vlogging, and gym sessions - a routine that might seem repetitive to some but one he embraces with quiet satisfaction. 

 

“That’s adulthood,” he says with a shrug. “Life isn’t always thrilling, but it’s fulfilling.” 

 

Now in his third year in Shanghai after living in London, Kyle reflects on the city’s relentless energy.  The first thing that popped up in his mind was those condensed schedules, followed by the pressure and indivisible walls between people.Yet, he argues, that same speed also fosters unexpected connections. With a cadence, he put a hand on his friends’ shoulder, “The rhythm here forces you out of your bubble. You meet people you’d never cross paths with otherwise.” 

 

One such moment stands out: a group of strangers at his gym who, over time, became something like family. What began as casual spotting during workouts evolved into a tight-knit support system—bound not just by fitness goals but by shared dreams and mutual encouragement. 


"My dream is to climb Mount Everest." Kyle says. To him, Everest isn’t just a physical summit; it’s a sign of every challenge he’s faced and every ambition he’s chased. ​​With daily practice, it’s a goal he plans to check off his bucket list.  "It’s the peak of the world, yes, but also the peak of my own life.”

  

“Find your interests when you are still young,” Kyle suggested. “I loved to play basketball when I was in middle school. just a ball, a hoop, and whoever wanted to play." Back when he was young, before smartphones dominated attention spans, “We didn’t have apps counting our steps or filming our shots for likes. If you wanted to prove yourself, you showed up and played."


Communication, back then, was face-to-face—no group chats, no endless notifications. "You’d bike to a friend’s house unannounced, knock on the door, and ask if they could come out," he says, smiling at the simplicity."Now, everyone’s together but alone, staring at screens. Back then, if you didn’t show up, people noticed. You were just… missing."

 

“Technology has certainly changed our lives, but excessive gaming has isolated many kids, and with every invention, something is inevitably lost” Those changes along with the pass of the time, our lives change as well.


When asked to use a word to define his life, he offers a French phrase: Être de l'eau—"Be like water." It’s a mantra of adaptability, of letting life’s turbulence pass without resistance. “Time moves on,” he says. “The things that bother you today will fade. You just have to flow with it.” Dozens of memories pass by in his head, when he looks back to those years he has been through, he only remembers those happiest moments.


In a city that never slows down, Kyle has found his current—one that carries him forward, through routine and ambition alike, buoyed by the community “MFSH”. He left with his shiny sports bag, the 'ding' of a bicycle ringing in the air, and a final hug with his friend, disappearing into the flow of the crowd like water. 

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