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How are single, western women treated in Shanghai?

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amyoverseas

Newbie

Joined: Feb 26, 2007
Posts: 9

Status: Offline

Posted: Mar 06, 2007 - 06:31 AM
Post subject: How are single, western women treated in Shanghai?

I am a newbie and have spent a lot of time reading the forums, but I'm not sure if this topic has been addressed. I am considering moving to Shanghai for a teaching position with an international school in August. I was wondering, what is life like for a single, Canadian woman (short, blonde hair, green eyes) in Shanghai? Safety is my primary concern, however, any other infomation is greatly appreciated. Very Happy

bougie
Board Buddha

Joined: Nov 20, 2004
Posts: 13323
Location: Wuhan Hubei China

Posted: Mar 06, 2007 - 07:19 AM

It is very safe in Shanghai .. for sure. Other than petty thief and prostitution in different forms you can feel safe in most areas in many parts of the city at most hours. Probably considered one of the "safer" cities in China

Being a Canadian guy (kinda tall, black hair and brown eyes) I would say you would be welcomed by locals and expats alike .. Wink

TofflerAnn_com

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Joined: Feb 13, 2007
Posts: 61

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Posted: Mar 06, 2007 - 07:29 AM

Shanghai is an extremely safe city--though I have seen pickpockets on occasion--I have walked around alone late at night in my party clothes and felt completely safe. Perhaps the biggest thing you'll notice is you get stared at, particularly is you wear skimpy clothes during the summer. People (both men & women) will take your picture. If you have curly hair, they'll want to touch it. All of this can very annoying and exhausting but if you like being the center of attention, then just enjoy it. Eventually it diminishes and/or you get used to it.

Then the next problem comes for western women is buying pants and shoes...buy a few pairs of your favorite brand of shoes and jeans before you come (especially if you're larger than the average stick Chinese girl).

And the next problem is...unless you want to date Chinese guys, it can be extremely difficult to find a boyfriend (at least for me b/c I'm over 175cm). Most of the Western guys are here to find a Chinese girlfriend and so they'll only see you as a mate.

Anyway, some issues to consider. Good luck

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Boronia

Reacher

Joined: Apr 10, 2006
Posts: 331

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Posted: Mar 06, 2007 - 08:07 AM

Shanghai is inded a very safe city. TofferAnn.com has outlined the problems very weel. The staring is not just if you are in skimpy clothes, but just because you are blonde, western, different. You get used to it after a while. I'm sure the other expat teachers at your international school will help you settle in.
By the way, you make like to stock up on your favourite brand of tampons before you leave Canada.

Boronia

Reacher

Joined: Apr 10, 2006
Posts: 331

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Posted: Mar 06, 2007 - 08:11 AM

...sorry, that's "may like", not "make like"

guel27
Board Royalty

Joined: Oct 10, 2005
Posts: 7470
Location: iwahig

Posted: Mar 06, 2007 - 08:26 AM

be ready to see and hear yucky things on the road. you can also bring a mask, you might not take some of their smell especially if you like to try subways and bus, be ready to be pushed and feel like in hell in the transfer lines.

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djnobody00

Newbie

Joined: Mar 06, 2007
Posts: 6

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Posted: Mar 06, 2007 - 08:44 AM

I can say this, I was in Shanghai for 12 days (I will be moving back there in May) Chinese people will stare at you if you're 6'3 blond and blue eyed. They also think its funny if you are wearing shorts and a t-shirt. That was odd, but I guess you get used to it. The real question is, where do you hang out to find other cool westerners that are looking to date? The clubs were cool, but you can't expect much out of those encounters.

seph_07
Fire-eater

Joined: June 23, 2006
Posts: 2744

Posted: Mar 06, 2007 - 09:24 AM

shanghai is a safe place compared to other countries i guess. but as the others say, prepare for the worst to come. hehe

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elenaelena

Reacher

Joined: Dec 14, 2006
Posts: 293
Location: Shanghai, Jing'an
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Posted: Mar 06, 2007 - 09:55 AM

i agree to toflerann. been here two years..it is very safe...coz punishemnts are very harsh for Chinese people....but if your relocation besides work has another reason like finding nice foreign guy...it is almost impossible...guy has here to many temptations...and chinese girls are more easy available and do not mind usualy to be treated as nothing(ofcourse not all)...so... good luck...

amyoverseas

Newbie

Joined: Feb 26, 2007
Posts: 9

Status: Offline

Posted: Mar 07, 2007 - 05:20 AM

Thank you for the speedy responses. They helped a great deal. I just wish it made my decision easier.

CoffeeHawk_0
Board Buddha

Joined: July 14, 2005
Posts: 14444

Posted: Mar 07, 2007 - 06:19 AM

there's 200,000 expats just in Shanghai, about half are western, maybe 1/4 of those are female, maybe a little less. A western person can create 80% to 90% of their 'normal' western life here, it just take a little more work and some things will be a little rough around the edges by comparison. It is safe. The factors that make the difference between success and stress here are based on the expat's flexibility, open mindedness, and ability to adapt,...and patience. Shanghai is one of the more modern cities in Asia and has been open to the west for hundreds of years.

There will always be a few things you can't resolve here, be it finding good bagels or accepting that pizza here tastes better with alfredo sauce instead of tomatoe sauce. The Chinese people as a whole are more open and often pragmatic about things that the west considers secret, taboo, or 'personal'. If you let those things freak you out then life here will be constant stress, but if you accept and trust a little, and go with the flow, you'll find what it is that so many people like about living here.

Dating is a whole other subject. I don't know why western women think it's harder here, but that seems to be the consenseous of the ladies here.

jklin78

Talker

Joined: Mar 03, 2007
Posts: 119

Status: Offline

Posted: Mar 07, 2007 - 06:36 AM

is this number accurate? 200,000 (or is it 20,000) exapts in Shanghai? That sounds alot more than what i thought?

Sampson

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Joined: Dec 14, 2006
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Posted: Mar 07, 2007 - 09:03 AM

Shanghai is one of the most modern cities in Asia ? I can't agree with that - if you take everything into account (cleanliness , ease of getting around around , english , personal hygiene , quality of buildings , quality of healthcare , quality of education ) I would put it behind a lot of cities in the region . I actually think Shanghai is way behind the curve in many ways .

guel27
Board Royalty

Joined: Oct 10, 2005
Posts: 7470
Location: iwahig

Posted: Mar 07, 2007 - 09:04 AM

maybe a good estimate.

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YariGuy

LoopKicker

Joined: July 13, 2004
Posts: 874
Location: Puxi
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Posted: Mar 07, 2007 - 09:09 AM

There are 200,000 from Taiwan alone.

jklin78

Talker

Joined: Mar 03, 2007
Posts: 119

Status: Offline

Posted: Mar 07, 2007 - 09:21 AM

I know that there are lot of people from Taiwan in Shanghai. But if you read
CoffeeHawk_0's comment carefully:

>>there's 200,000 expats just in Shanghai, about half are western, maybe 1/4 of those are >>female, maybe a little less.

then I dont think he includes those people from Taiwan in this figure. So I guess my question can be rephrased as : are there really 100,000 western expats in Shanghai?

Don't forget the original discussion is "How are single, western women treated in Shanghai?"

Thanks

fox007

Rocker

Joined: Apr 06, 2005
Posts: 602
Location: Minhang, Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: Mar 07, 2007 - 11:38 AM

Quote:

Completely agree with that, Shanghai only looks like a modern city due to a large number of skyscrapers and a maglev line. I could add to the above safety, organisation and general behavior. Sometimes, I try to imagine what would happen if I would have a serious accident. How long it would take to get an emergency vehicle, how long it would need to get to an hospital (no one pull over for emergency vehicles here !), what kind of treatment I would get as there is no emergency services in 95% of hospitals... Generally modern cities do not face such problems. Taipeh, Singapore, Kuala, Bangkok, Hong Kong (I do not mention Tokyo and Seoul) are far away in term of modernity.

However, it is true that if you are open minded and curious, it is probably one of the most interesting city in the world, it is fast growing. It is true that it is a very safe place, rather cheap (except health, school, apt or villa renting) . As being a blond with green eyes should not be a problem, in some rare occasions, people here are quite curious and a few of them may think you are Russian maybe...but for some strange reasons, people (specially local ladies) have a great admiration for "white skin" !

FamilyToBe

Talker

Joined: Dec 05, 2006
Posts: 96

Status: Offline

Posted: Mar 07, 2007 - 11:47 AM

We've been here for 2 months now and I'm tall blonde and 7 months pregnant so I've had to get used to the stare!
You just learn to live with it and smile back
I've felt very safe here as husband works every day and I cruise around by myself most of the time.
I think if you joined one of the many sporting clubs you will be able to meet many expats both male and female
It is just a case of putting yourself out there
If it was me, single and thinking of working here I'd make sure I was in a good location, french concession best, and go for it
I feel almost safer here than I did in Australia
Just have someone that can help translate for you if you get into trouble
Cheers

yingying236

Wonder Wit

Joined: Aug 13, 2006
Posts: 3832

Status: Offline

Posted: Mar 07, 2007 - 12:54 PM

CoffeeHawk_0 wrote:

Dating is a whole other subject. I don't know why western women think it's harder here, but that seems to be the consenseous of the ladies here.

I dont get where this has come from?

My american friend blonde haired dark eyed cute etc... she has been in Sh for over 2 years now and has a very healthy dating life.. as in she dates alot, shes also had a bf for a year whilst here.

She gets expats after her as well as chinese. I dont think dating is harder for girls here... maybe it seems like that compared to the men but its definately not hard.

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MarloweDog

Lurker

Joined: Nov 22, 2006
Posts: 32
Location: Xiujiahui
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Posted: Mar 07, 2007 - 02:06 PM

I agree with the others who say you get a lot of stares in Shanghai if you're blonde. I get stared at a lot when I walk around town, even bundled up in winter clothes. But when it's really cold like the last few days and my hair's all tucked into a woolen hat, the staring goes down immensely. And it's very safe. I walk around by myself fairly late at night and have no problems. You have to keep a firm grasp on your purse to deter pickpockets, but that's about it. I get more concerned about tripping over the uneven sidewalks or hit by a car or bicycle while crossing the street (or even while just walking down the sidewalk!) than anything else.

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TISM

SuperStar

Joined: July 14, 2005
Posts: 1561
Location: often @ the shed
Status: Offline

Posted: Mar 07, 2007 - 03:36 PM

I would say 200,000 would be the official number - like the official population estimate of shanghai i think it would be
highly under reported. There would be many people on tourist visa who are actually living here.

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CoffeeHawk_0
Board Buddha

Joined: July 14, 2005
Posts: 14444

Posted: Mar 08, 2007 - 06:30 AM

The registered number of foreigners working in Shanghai has been rapidly rising in recent years. The 2002 figure rose 51.1 percent over that for 2001, and the 2003 figure rose by 28.6 percent. By the end of September, a total of 11,277 foreigners registered to work in Shanghai, exceeding the total number registered last year.

According to Shanghai's taxation authorities, personal income taxes paid by foreigners reached 1.6 billion yuan (193 million US dollars) in the first half of the year, a year on year rise of 37.9 percent and accounting for 14.28 percent of Shanghai's total individual income taxes.

Japan, the United States, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Germany, Malaysia, Canada, France, Australia and Britain are the top 10 countries of origin. Of them, Japan accounts for 33.7, and United States citizens make up 11.5 percent and Republic of Korea citizens account for 8.7 percent.

http://english.people.com.cn/200410/17/eng20041017_160471.html

Can this be right? I was sure I saw the number 200,000 on a China government website. The article is from 2004.

Ranter

Joined: May 14, 2003
Posts: 559

Status: Offline

Posted: Mar 08, 2007 - 07:45 AM

YariGuy wrote:

There are 200,000 from Taiwan alone.

To my knowledge government here does not assume Taiwanese as foreigners.

spandex

Raver

Joined: June 06, 2006
Posts: 477

Status: Offline

Posted: Mar 08, 2007 - 07:52 AM

yingying236 wrote:

CoffeeHawk_0 wrote:

Dating is a whole other subject. I don't know why western women think it's harder here, but that seems to be the consenseous of the ladies here.

With respect, it is much harder for Western women in Shanghai than back home, unless they can serioulsy compete with the slim, alabaster (white marble) smooth skinned Chinese ladies with slender hour-glass figures, silky black hair and low propensity to whinge, whine and complain. In the West, men put up with over-weight complaining women because they have to (as this describes 90% of the female population). Over here, they have the choice.

Put it this way, if you lived in a fantasy land where 90% of the men were 200 kg aggressive pie eating, lager swilling slobs and were then transported to another fantasy land where 90% of the men were all 75 kg muscular, tea drinking, considerate patient adonises, who would you be dating?