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onetrini
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Joined: July 30, 2003
Posts: 41
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July 30, 2003 - 01:20 PM |
 
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| Post subject: 10 things you love/hate about Shanghai? |
Help! We may have the chance to live in Shanghai for the next three years or so and we have been debating the pros and cons to the big move. I would really love to get some feedback from other Western expats on thier impressions of living in Shanghai.
What are 10 things you love about Shanghai and 10 things you hate about it? What was the biggest culture shock other than language?
Help! |
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G00se
Rocker
Joined: July 04, 2003
Posts: 712
Location: Probably somewhere I shouldn't be !
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July 30, 2003 - 02:10 PM |
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| Post subject: 10 things you love/hate about Shanghai? |
Where are you coming from ? [literally as well as metaphorically !] What have been your experiences regarding travel and or living in foreign cities to date ? Are you coming through work ?
So many questions, but you would do alot worse to read through some of the threads on this site. Keep your sense of perspective though, some can be a bit tongue in cheek !
Someone-who\'s-been-here-only-two-month s!!! |
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onetrini
Seeker
Joined: July 30, 2003
Posts: 41
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July 30, 2003 - 09:52 PM |
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| Post subject: 10 things you love/hate about Shanghai? |
Good questions G00se, I see your point. We are coming from Columbus Ohio but neither of us are from here. We have both travelled to Europe, and Central America as well as most large cities in the US. My husband has visited Japan and Hong Kong for work. Basically we are pretty open to experiencing new cultures. But there is a big difference between visiting and living somewhere. My husband is going to work, I would like to find some kind of work. (I was a Program Coordinator at a Non-Profit) |
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Michael
Moderator
Joined: Mar 22, 2002
Posts: 5321
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Aug 01, 2003 - 12:49 PM |
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| Post subject: 10 things you love/hate about Shanghai? |
Moved this under questions forum because its a good question and you\'ll get more discussion here.
Of course, this whole site is about the pros and cons of living in Shanghai so I urge you to browse.. read the relocation articles etc. This questions has been asked before in this forum also. There is also a Bests category...
For me, a few things I love are...
exposure to a different culture and the challenge of learning a new language
getting up everyday and knowing it will be interesting
in general, how cheap it is to live compared to the US
the mix of old and new
the international culture
reasonably cheap and efficient public transportation ( including taxis)
I hate....
the pollution
the local TV and movies (excluding the DVD deals)
use to hate the up and down internet connections but it has gotten better.
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EnglishRob
Raver
Joined: Jan 27, 2003
Posts: 446
Location: Bristol, UK
Status: Offline
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Aug 01, 2003 - 05:14 PM |
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| Post subject: 10 things you love/hate about Shanghai? |
Six months in I Love:
1) The safety - Unlike back home, the streets are safe to walk.
2) The girls - It has to be said. Not just Chinese but Singaporean, Japanese etc
3)The food - After a nervous start I learned to enjoy it
4) The climate - I\'ve discovered that I actually love the heat
5) Low living costs - Rent, utilities etc. Peanuts
And I Hate:
1) The nightlife - With a few exceptions I find it overhyped, overpriced and pretentious
2) The government - Censorship, propoganda etc
3) DVD Hawkers - Get in my way and I will remove you from it. No means no
4) Poor hygiene - Nose picking, hawking & spitting, dumping your trash in the street... inexcusable
5) Not being able to communicate. Entirely my fault I know. |
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kellian
Barker
Joined: Jan 05, 2003
Posts: 168
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Aug 02, 2003 - 01:24 PM |
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| Post subject: 10 things you love/hate about Shanghai? |
My turn!
ok- Love:
1; FOOOOOD- Man they have the best food there- a vegetarian\'s paradise, and so healthy compared to American stuff
2: Family values: yeah yeah cheesy I know, but I feel like it improves my quality of life just to see happy families of couples that like each-other taking care of their kids and parents and actually seeming to enjoy it.
3: Less in-your-face sex and violence marketing. No reality tv shows, you can go to the movies or open a magazine and not be embarrassed- I really feel like art and movies are better cause they\'re small scale and can\'t use sex or violence as back-ups. WHAT??! we need a script?!
4: Kids are kids- they play, they laugh, they don\'t wear makeup till they\'re in high school, they don\'t dress like britney, they don\'t ask for land rovers at 16, no serious drug or violence troubles- definitely a more innocent life
5: Opportunity: I can do stuff in China I could never do at home, I\'m comfortable, I\'ve been in a rock band and on TV and can teach what I want to teach and when, there\'s a lot of freedom.
Don\'t love:
1: Being so far from my family: I really like my family and it sucks being a 24 hour flight away from home.
2: Being a foreigner: sometimes it just really sucks always being the outsider
3: The expat community: sorry guys- I know there are lots of nice expats in the city, most of them probably on this forum- but I\'ve met a lot of nasty, snobby, sleazy, weird-o expats in this town (and I\'ve lived abroad before, why Shanghai gets \'em all, I don\'t know). The Chinese have by far been friendlier and more accepting than \"my own kind\", and boy is that a slap in the face sometimes.
4: Hygene: you get used to it, but it still gets me the way that people treat their houses and streets and selves...whooo..
5: Lack of straightforwardness in Chinese culture: This is just the culture, it\'s just the way it is and I\'ve learned to accept it, but the Chinese will lie through their teeth, they\'ll cheat you and never think twice, nothing\'s ever certain and you will never ever ever get a straight answer. That\'s just how they do it and I\'ll be damned if I ever make sense of it- or understand how anyone ever owns any sort of business in this country, but they seem to make it work somehow.
You\'ll seldom hear anyone say \"I Love it here!\" or \"I hate it here!\" cause I\'d probably say most people can\'t even figure it out for themselves. Some days its amazing. Some days you hate everything Chinese. That\'s what makes it fascinating I guess. I\'ll never figure these people out, no matter how long I\'m here I can never predict what they\'ll do- sometimes someone will commit some amazing act of selflessness and nobility for no reason- and then a half hour later so something so small and slimy you just wanna smack them. But I\'m still here, so I guess that means the good outweighs the bad for me! |
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Drizzle
Veejay
Joined: Apr 02, 2003
Posts: 2036
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Aug 02, 2003 - 03:54 PM |
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| Post subject: 10 things you love/hate about Shanghai? |
I love:
1) Feeling safe, not having to worry about getting mugged etc..
2) The architecture, [I get very excited about it...]
3) Smiling, laughing out loud at some of the amusing sights here, it happens at least once a day
4) The friends I have made
5) Not having western tv channels, I never watch tv now, and I find I much prefer this to the way I lived back in the UK, although I do have a quite a \'large\' DVD collection to make up for this...
Things I dislike:
1) Being pushed and shoved around, queue jumpers
2) Some chinese food - sorry - it really makes me ill
*3) Drinking expenditure on a weekend - I will never understand why drinks have to be so expensive here...it is like you are being discriminated against for wanting to relax and have a drink
4) Expat ladies - sorry, but I would say this applies to around 90% of them here, I have never witnessed so much moaning, and whining about maids, drivers etc...PLEASE COME BACK DOWN TO EARTH LADIES...
5) No book shops, like WH Smiths/Borders, or record shops [with lots of choices]...
6) Sorry one more! Marks and Spencers, I miss it, for buying undies and prawn sandwiches...
I really love it here, and would be happy to stay for at least another 2 years...
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onetrini
Seeker
Joined: July 30, 2003
Posts: 41
Status: Offline
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Aug 03, 2003 - 02:02 AM |
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| Post subject: 10 things you love/hate about Shanghai? |
Thanks a mill for your replies so far, they have been quite eye opening. There is obviously much to love and hate in this city (like most places) I guess when it all boils down to it only I can determine what kind of experience I want to get out of this city. Right now I think we are both going to love it craziness an all. Do people really stare at westerners that much?
Maybe its what one chooses to gain from the Shanghai experiences that counts - be it appreciation and knowledge of another very different fascinating culture, or even just a greater appreciation of what you had in the western world.
ps. Drizzle : I will try never to be a whiny expat lady  |
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yu888
Board Deity
Joined: Jan 25, 2003
Posts: 18220
Location: ZhongShanParkArea SH
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Aug 06, 2003 - 02:06 AM |
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| Post subject: 10 things you love/hate about Shanghai? |
Ok, i finally have time to sit down and reply to this one...
Likes (not in particular order):
1) The food. Yes, despite the oily nature of the Chinese foods here, I actuaklly like the somewhat sweet flavors.
2) The Metro- I really enjoy NOT having to drive and sometimes walking is just too much
3) A more simple lifestyle. because the infrastructure is not all in place, AND becasue the local folks live a more simple life, it is easier to live a more simplified lifestyle here than it is say in suburbia USA. Of course this does entail one NOT wanting to live as if one was still in a western country.
4) The down-to-earth expats who by-in-large are on local packages and truly appreciate living in Shanghai.
5) An economy that seems to have some potential despite its bubble-like growth.
6) The energy surrounding this large city and the hope that one can feel all around...kind of like Silicon Valley in 99-00 or so.
7) Low cost of living (ok, so I come from a metro with one of the highest cost of livings in the US so this may be biased due to this perspective)
 Amazing level of sense of personal safety...great to be able to walk home after a night at the bars and not get mugged on the 5km walk home.
9) The chance to see and learn so many new things! and immersion of language since I am here partially to learn Chinese!
10) The availability of a decent nightlife for those who opt to partake. Generally very reasonable priced on an international scale but likely pricey for those on local pay or student budgets.
Dislikes:
1) lack of our level of common sense
2) poor personal hygeine of many local folks
3) Do they know what queues are yet? getting better, but having to yell at people to get in line all the time gets a bit tiring.
4) Poor customer service overall...improving, but they have a ways to go yet.
5) The OTHER expats who are either here temporarily and treat this place as a playground and do thing they likely would not do in theor own home countries...if they even still have one, or the ones who have to surround themselves entirely with western creature comforts to allow them to imagine that they never left what ever place they came from. These folks annoy me FAR more than the locals who just mayy not have the opportunity to develop the common sense that we do.
6) Some food here are just WAYYYYY too oily!
7) lack of foreign language bookstores like a Borders or Barnes and Nobles...
Overall, the likes far outweigh the dislikes... so long as things work out, I will be here for the long haul!
PS- in Shanghai, people don\'t stare as much at foreigners anymore, but once you leave the city to smaller towns (or even some of the out-of-the-way neighborhoods in Shanghai sometimes) people still stare and gawk.
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Thoughts & updates about Shanghai On my Blog for more details:Random Thoughts about Living in Shanghai...and more |
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Becky
Squeeker
Joined: Dec 01, 2003
Posts: 13
Status: Offline
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Dec 08, 2003 - 10:25 PM |
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I enjoyed reading the replies to your post as my husband and I are moving to Shanghai in 3 weeks. I've been an art teacher in the public school system in MD for over 20 years and it was very hard to leave my job and to sell my home and now to leave my friends. I've taken a leave of absence from my teaching job and hope to get involved with taking language classes, painting and calligraphy classes, tai chi, feng shui, and anything else I can find. We went to Shanghai early in Nov. to find a home and it wasn't a great trip, but I'm going over with an open mind and hope to take advantage of the opportunity to learn as many new things as I can so I can bring them back with me when I return. I'm also a jewelry maker, so I'm sure the time in China will bring something new to my work. Best of luck with your decision!
Becky |
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Michael
Moderator
Joined: Mar 22, 2002
Posts: 5321
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Feb 25, 2004 - 08:12 AM |
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MaomingMaster
Board Legend
Joined: Feb 03, 2004
Posts: 11059
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Feb 25, 2004 - 11:52 AM |
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1. My lifestyle here is great. I don't have to do half as much work to live a comfortable life here.
2. The women.
3. The choice of food. Lunch yesterday: Japanese. Dinner: Northern Chinese.
4. Being a foreigner. The stares don't really bother me. At least I can't understand the tedious conversations people are having on the subway, in restaurants, etc.
5. Stuff is cheap. DVD's, computer stuff, clothes, music...
6. The weather. I like the extreme heat and I like the extreme cold - at least it's not boring.
7. Most of the foreigners I've come across are ok. Compare that with other Asian cities like Hong Kong or Bangkok.
8. The locals are extremely helpful. Make friends of your neighbours and security guards and they'll bend over backwards for you.
9. 'Yeah, that's right, look at me!! I'm the different guy!! You're acting like you've never seen a white person before!! Ha ha ha ha!!!
10. Not answerable to anyone. No boss, no fast-tracked manager looking over my shoulder.
Things I hate:
The traffic.
The Shanghainese people's rudeness.
Their personal hygiene. Stop spitting for **** sake.
Their incompetance to do anything properly. It takes 8 people to do a job that one person could do in the West. Go to any reception desk anywhere in Shanghai and you'll see what I mean.
I like the pollution. It's strengthened my tolerance towards Sars. |
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KrAOLo
Newbie
Joined: Feb 25, 2004
Posts: 2
Status: Offline
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| Posted:
Feb 25, 2004 - 04:46 PM |
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| Post subject: LOVE AND HATE |
Take this from someone thats been to over 40 countries thats for more then a month.
10 things I love about Shanghai
1.The costs of living are extraordinarily cheap. No matter where youve lived before the prices here on average % of salary are uncomparable around the world.
2.The Variation in food, for those of you who havent found the non-greasy food in Shanghai. Check other cuisine restaurants that are chinese you will find that souther chinese food and beijing food are not as greasy as shanghainese.
3.Transportation is by far the best publicly now the french definately mest up the cities transportation for lets say private owned cars. Driving a car during the day in shanghai is a torment but at night is definately a sight to enjoy.
4.Entertainment costs. This includes everything from playing computer games at a net bar to going out to a club. If you stay here long enough you will find the places you fit in and ultimately get the best price. Now I've lived in China for 7 years and Shanghai 4. I havent paid for a drink since 2001, so just meet some people.
5.The women are made for all tastes here, fortunate for most I believe. You even have women with an IQ over 50 that can use it which astonishes me.
6.The Shanghainese people are far more clean then you think the largest problem is distinguishing the Shanghainese from some chinese that came over from Xi'an to get crappy jobs just to be in Shanghai. Just about all my friends are Shanghainese, cept for the expats who know me from bringing RnB Hip Hop and Reggae to this city with the E2K boys back in the day.
7. Ofcourse Safety is a big thing for me, whenever I go back to USA I sleep with a glock under my pillow. Here I can get drunk pass out on the street and not get mugged. Incredible. (I wont even mention the middle east on this subject)
8.The abilitiy to bargain on just about any object in Shanghai. Someone said something about Chinese being very adept liers and very sleek. Maybe I'm worse or maybe I just learned to take advantage of what they try to take advantage. Just remember everything in this city thats not in a 24/7store or Large shopping mall is bargainable.
9.How great chinese treat you once you bust out chinese then cover it with the local shanghainese. You've never seen a smile so big before.
10. Overall the best place I've been in the world, only place that compared was Buenos Aires Argetina. But that place is in turmoil now and used to be one of the most expensive places on earth.
10 things I hate.
To tell you the truth I can only think of two things I hate, those are the taxes on cars, the reason I had to get rid of my beamer, and the monotonous music played by the clubs here. Media Player on repeat and shuffle on my computer does a better job. Sorry DJ's you know who I am anyways.
PEACE |
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itv1980
Low Seater
Joined: Mar 05, 2004
Posts: 3355
Location: Revalidation centre
Status: Offline
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Mar 17, 2004 - 03:05 PM |
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Completely agree with you all here, especially on comment on staring at you. Well my area is butuo qu and people now a days know me, quite easy being the only white face in 5km radius.
Still love the city very much and enjoy my time here and you can buy almost anything. Compared to Nanchang were I lived before, choices by clothing, food is more diverse
Enjoy your stay, |
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Arby76
Lurker
Joined: Aug 13, 2004
Posts: 28
Status: Offline
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Aug 13, 2004 - 07:12 PM |
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I think many foreigners have similar comments on what they enjoy and detest here in Shanghai. We like the freedoms and the cheap thrills, we get angered by cultural frustrations and dirty habits.
I HATE:
10) The lack of an open and honest media. Chinese culture has its oddities but the systemic lack of honest reporting remains the biggest obstacle to progress.
09) Stinky tofu and its ambient aroma.
08) People who leave stickers on household installed equipments (eg. ceiling fans and toilet bowls) even though the brand is unknown and the product is not new.
07) Long fingernails on men, esp. one finger, we know what you use it for!
06) Condition of public toilets, no need to explain.
05) All the arcade video games are old here.
04) The pervasive Chinese disdain for Japanese people, although most cannot actually justify the persistence of their scorn in 2004.
03) The expectation that all foreigners should speak English.
02) The absence of common courtesy when queing for taxis, shop cashiers, ATM, etc.
01) The lack of quality live music in Shanghai.
0*) When somewhat advanced locals acknowledge poor behaviour of their compatriots but take no action to help correct it.
I LIKE:
10) The work I do here can result in serious change in the market whereas in my home country there are so many other people above me on the ladder my contributions add up to only small improvements.
09) Any restaurants with all you can eat/drink or bars with open bar deals.
08) Relative ease of getting on a train for a couple hours and being out of Shanghai for the weekend - though I forget to do this often enough.
07) The genuine friendliness of most cabbies.
06) Tea beats coffee!
05) Paying realistic prices for household products like a can opener or a plastic jug.
04) Big feasts with food piled around spinning tables and so many beers.
03) My ayi.
02) Being a short 2 hr flight from Osaka.
01) My apartment. |
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ShanghaiUnderground
StreetBeater
Joined: July 15, 2004
Posts: 2413
Location: Shanghai
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Aug 14, 2004 - 06:09 AM |
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What I love most about Shanghai is that I can leave it at any time. But what I hate most is the fact that I may have to.
Otherwise, the food is great, and the pollution sucks. |
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"And this also," said Marlow suddenly, "has been one of the dark places of the earth." |
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jasonscott
Seeker
Joined: July 19, 2004
Posts: 47
Status: Offline
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Aug 18, 2004 - 02:24 PM |
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Arby76, is that you? The initials R "Bourbon" B? |
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