We’ve all heard of teenagers who leave China to study abroad, but rarely do we meet a teen from another country who grew up in China. Tiae was just 12 when her family moved from Australia to Shanghai. Now 18, she’s a part-time DJ and aspires to save the dolphins. We discuss her unique education, growing up as a white girl in Shanghai, and her father’s mysterious occupation.
Tiae: My name is like “Tia.” The E is silent. Yeah I know it’s strange.
What is your typical day like?
I don’t really have a typical day, my days are usually unexpected. Some days I can just be lazy and sit at home and others I will go out on the town, exploring Shanghai. That’s the thing about Shanghai, you never know what to expect. There is always something new and exciting just outside your door.
What type of music do you play when you DJ?
I mash. I play anything from AC/DC to the Spice Girls to commercial hip-hop all with electro beats. I like to keep the dancefloor moving.
Where have you played? What was your first DJ gig like?
I didn’t really have a big first gig, my elder brother managed a club and they had a DJ set so I would play around on it. Sometimes I would play for a few hours and others I would play all night. It got my confidence up big time. Most DJs learn to DJ and start playing at a club after a few months or a year. I started within a few weeks of learning. It was the best way to evolve. When you are playing in front of people constantly, you try your best not to mess up, so as a beginner I had the advantage of having a crowd to watch me.
I have DJ’ed in a bunch of places, from Friday night clubs like Sky to Chinese MT. Last Christmas I DJ’ed in Bali. That was, by far, the most amazing night of my life, playing in front of thousands of people. It was a night to remember.
I moved to Shanghai with my family when I was 12. Growing up here was one of the best experiences of my life.
Are you in college now?
I am not in college and I am not in high school. My family moves quite a bit. And because I was in my last two years of school, it was hard to be sure that my schooling wouldn’t be interrupted so I do homeschool. Well it’s like homeschool but it isn’t. I teach myself so I don’t have a teacher, but I have to sit end-of-year exams in New South Wales, Australia. It is rather difficult as I have to keep myself constantly motivated but I hope once I am finished with my course I will go to university in Australia and do Environmental Law.
What made you want to get into Environmental Law?
I don’t really know. I love the environment and animals. I would have chosen to become a vet but I have a thing with blood. It just seemed like something I would enjoy but I am hoping after school I can take some time off and travel with an organization like Greenpeace and help save the dolphins or something along those lines.
How do you homeschool yourself? Do you set a school schedule for yourself or do you slack off and cram right before the exam (like everybody else)?
Hmmm… Well, a bit of both. I try and set a schedule and it does work for a few days but then I get bored or have something better to do. I try not to slack off, but it’s not easy.
How do you make friends or meet new people if you homeschool? Are your friends in Shanghai mostly “laowai” as well?
Most of my friends are foreign but I have a few local friends. I have no idea how I am going to meet people in Australia but I am hoping that I will while working and at night while DJ-ing.
Why did your family move here? What was it like growing up as a white person in Shanghai?
I moved to Shanghai with my family when I was 12, so 6 years ago. Growing up here was one of the best experiences of my life. I grew up here with my two elder brothers and my younger sister, so even in a strange city there was never a dull moment.
The best part was that I had the chance to see Shanghai develop. When we first moved here there were very few white people. We were stared at constantly. It didn’t help that my sister and I had blonde hair and my brothers were really tall.
My family and I moved here for my father’s job. He does something with safety. I don’t really know what he does, but it’s something really complicated.
Is your father CIA? ASIS?
Ha ha! No, that would be stupid. He is a ninja.
Do you plan on staying in Shanghai?
I would love to stay in Shanghai, everyone does. I don’t think anyone would really wish to leave by choice, but this summer my father’s work is being relocated back to Australia. It is going to be really sad leaving my home behind and starting fresh in another part of the world, but having had the opportunity to spend my whole teenage life in Shanghai is pretty amazing. It will be an experience I will remember forever.
But I will be coming back. If Shanghai has developed this much in such a short time I can’t wait to see how much it will develop in a few more years.
What will you miss most about Shanghai when you move again?
I am leaving mid-July to return to Australia. I am going to miss Shanghai’s crowds the most. I will miss being able to walk down the most random street and see so many random people. Shanghai is the city that never sleeps.
Do you have any other goals?
I would like to set up something to do with helping teens get through that crazy period of life. Teens don’t really have anything balanced to guide them through what they should be doing. They either have douchey nerds explaining things or corporations telling them how to be “cool.” I want to start up a webzine that will help them know what’s up and offer teens advice to help them.
Teenagers are usually seen in two ways. They’re either young and immature and people think they act to much like children, or they grow up too fast and start doing things at such a young age like clubbing or smoking. Teens aren’t given a balance, so I would like to start focusing on teens so they can just have fun and not have to think so much about how they should be, or having to continuously measure up to people’s expectations.
Anything else we should know about you?
I’m awesome and I’ll be back! ✖
(Photography by Oscar Malpica.)
The interview on Tiae is so inspiring! She is only 18yrs old but she’ve already accomplished so much!