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Living And Working In Shanghai China

post #1 of 8
3/14/11 at 12:15am
Thread Starter 
I recently moved to China, got a new job that I should say I rather like very much.

So far, everything is going very well. My only problem is I am yet to get used to my new working environment as well as my living environment that is my house, building and apartment.

I have a little difficulty communicating with like everybody from the taxi driver to cleaners at my building, security guards etc. It is like a happy ending nightmare. Not that I am surprise, because I new it was going to be like that, just didn't know it was going to be this hard.

If you have moved to a new location before, and had to adapt, then I want to hear your advice on this situation. Particularly if you actually move to China.
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post #2 of 8
3/14/11 at 12:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Billyinthehood View Post
I recently moved to China, got a new job that I should say I rather like very much.

So far, everything is going very well. My only problem is I am yet to get used to my new working environment as well as my living environment that is my house, building and apartment.

I have a little difficulty communicating with like everybody from the taxi driver to cleaners at my building, security guards etc. It is like a happy ending nightmare. Not that I am surprise, because I new it was going to be like that, just didn't know it was going to be this hard.

If you have moved to a new location before, and had to adapt, then I want to hear your advice on this situation. Particularly if you actually move to China.

Do you speak Chinese? Is English spoken commonly there?
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post #3 of 8
3/14/11 at 3:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Billyinthehood View Post
I recently moved to China, got a new job that I should say I rather like very much. So far, everything is going very well. My only problem is I am yet to get used to my new working environment as well as my living environment that is my house, building and apartment.
Do you mean the crap building quality or the rather basic toilets? You'll soon get used to it, speaking as someone who's lived and worked in China for almost 2 years. I love it here now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Billyinthehood View Post
I have a little difficulty communicating with like everybody from the taxi driver to cleaners at my building, security guards etc. It is like a happy ending nightmare. Not that I am surprise, because I new it was going to be like that, just didn't know it was going to be this hard. If you have moved to a new location before, and had to adapt, then I want to hear your advice on this situation. Particularly if you actually move to China.
Best advice is try and learn some basic Mandarin, it helps immensely. And be very careful about the drinking and gambling scams, especially in Shanghai. If you go shopping try and take a local with you, you'll tend to get much lower prices that way avoiding the foreigner premiums. BTW are you an English teacher?
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post #4 of 8
3/14/11 at 3:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sofaking9000 View Post
Do you speak Chinese? Is English spoken commonly there?

Some English maybe spoken in the big cities like Shanghai and Beijing. But in the smaller rural cities, some people may know 'hello' and 'goodbye', nothing more.
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post #5 of 8
3/14/11 at 4:44am
I hear you, dude. I moved to Shanghai a several months ago and the first few months were tough going. Where do I find fitted sheets? How do I pay my electric bill? You feel like a newborn baby - a lost ball in the tall grass.

A few pieces of advice.

1 - Rely on other expats. Some of the expats here are too cool for school, but most of us can relate because we've been in your exact position before. Don't be afraid to ask questions, seek advice. They'll have great tips on where to find certain things, best restaurants, bars, etc.

2 - SmartShanghai and Cityweekend are lifesavers. They also have handy things like a taxi printout screen for their listings - so you can hand the taxi drivers the printouts and not worry. (The rare taxi driver will take the long way to try to screw you, but when they do and I can tell, it's usually such a small amount of money that I just enjoy the ride.) Also,TimeOut Shanghai is pretty cool.

3 - Learn Mandarin. It is probably the most bankable skill for a foreigner in China. Don't miss the opportunity to learn it.

Lastly, give yourself a break. It's not easy. Once I was able to tell my elbow from my ass, I have REALLY enjoyed living here. It's an incredible city, and has a ton to offer.
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post #6 of 8
3/14/11 at 5:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Billyinthehood View Post
I recently moved to China, got a new job that I should say I rather like very much. So far, everything is going very well. My only problem is I am yet to get used to my new working environment as well as my living environment that is my house, building and apartment. I have a little difficulty communicating with like everybody from the taxi driver to cleaners at my building, security guards etc. It is like a happy ending nightmare. Not that I am surprise, because I new it was going to be like that, just didn't know it was going to be this hard. If you have moved to a new location before, and had to adapt, then I want to hear your advice on this situation. Particularly if you actually move to China.
What do you do there? Shanghai is probably one of the best places to live in China, if I had to pick a place to be stuck in China without traveling, it would be there. It's expensive and the locals are notoriously pompous, but everything about China has it's ups and downs. You could almost say "Every coin has two sides"... Anyway: Learn Chinese. Make it your #2 priority after work. Don't hang out with the other expats too much, or you will become eachother's flotation devices. Learn specific things first- how to pay your rent/bills, order food, take a taxi and give directions. This will drastically cut down the number of people who fuck you over. Enjoy, Shanghai's nightclubs are the best in China. edit: looking at Billy's other posts he seems kind of like a spammer, though it could just be because he's a non-native speaker.
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post #7 of 8
3/14/11 at 6:01am
Well I am sure you will get along very well as time passes by. My number one advice will be to learn some basics of Chinese and try to stay away from trouble, and I am sure you will be fine. It is never easy when you relocate or move to a new city or country.

I have never been to China, but I have moved thrice so I know very well what it takes to start a new life and how difficult it can be.

Just live your life as normal as possible, and I am sure time will handle the rest as it passes by.
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post #8 of 8
3/14/11 at 9:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeDT View Post
Some English maybe spoken in the big cities like Shanghai and Beijing. But in the smaller rural cities, some people may know 'hello' and 'goodbye', nothing more.

Even in the big cities, I think the number of people who actually speaks English is relatively very small, and you will certainly not have a taxi driver, security guard or any of that kind that can speak any English. So the bottom line is, if you can't speak some Mandarin, then you are screwed.
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