Tips on Living

Communication

• Prepaid mobile cards are available from many street vendors and shops. Look for the blackboard displaying available phone numbers. A China Telecom mobile SIM card will cost 85 Yuan, and even less with a little haggling.
• Prepaid mobile top-up cards are available from many street vendors and shops. They are either in the form of a plastic card, similar in size to a credit card, or a voucher. Instructions are printed in English.

Currency

• Chinese bills are in denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 Yuan. The 1 Yuan note is still in circulation, but is rare.
• Chinese coins are in denominations of 1 Yuan, 5 and 1 jiao. There are 10 jiao in 1 Yuan

• The Yuan, the largest unit of currency in China, is more commonly known as the kwai

• The Jiao, the second largest unit of currency in China, is more commonly known as the mao

Food and Drink

• Do not drink Shanghai tap water
• Wash your vegetables well...really well
• If you do want MSG in your food (almost impossible) let the waiter know "Bu Yao Weijing"

Getting Around

• ALWAYS look both ways before crossing the road, even if the light is green
• To divide roads up into more manageable portions, many of Shanghai s major roads are split according to points of the compass. Huaihai road is divided into Xilu (west road), Zhonglu (central road) and Beilu (east road)
• Travel cards, those rechargeable travel cards you get for taxis/metro/buses, etc, can be bought at metro stations from the ticket office. Be aware that when you pay the initial fee you won't receive change -- any change will be loaded straight onto the card. Watch out for taxi drivers who drop them, because they might exchange them for an almost empty one.
• When hailing a taxi, watch for a light on the passenger side of the dashboard. This indicates that the taxi is available. The light is either red or green, depending on the company
• A taxi ride will cost 10RMB for the first 3 kilometers, then 2 RMB for 10km, then 3RMB a kilometer. After 11pm, the flagfall is raised to 13RMB
• If you need to get somewhere but don't know the address, you can send an sms to Guanxi, which will reply with the address in English. You can also easily get the address in Chinese by replying with 'C' -- useful if you need to tell the taxi driver where to go

Emergency Services and Legal Info

• The emergency number for police is 110
• The emergency number for fire is 119
• The emergency police hotline for English speakers is 6357 7913
• The Shanghai police uniform is dark blue trousers with light blue shirt. Uniforms for security guards are varied, with the most common being black pants/grey shirt
• Foreigners must register their presence at the police station closest to their residence within 24 hours of arriving in Shanghai. This is only neccesary when staying in a private residence

Miscellaneous

• Smoking is permitted almost everywhere. A tip for non-smokers: hold your breath
• Be bold in crowds. Do not be afraid to push people out of your way. As long as you dont push people to the ground, it is not considered rude
• Always bargain. Even when paying a taxi fare, discounts are possible
• When buying DVDs, beware of the most recent Hollywood blockbusters. They are often filmed with a handheld inside the cinema, and are of poor quality
• Voltage in Shanghai is variable. Most powerpoints will accept all appliances. Powerpoint adaptors are not needed
• CCTV9 is China's only English speaking Channel. Other English channels are received through satellites