Relocation and Moving - Living in Shanghai for a Semester sypress - Apr 13, 2009 - 04:21 AM Post subject: Living in Shanghai for a Semester
Hey everyone - first time poster and I have quite a few questions!
This summer I will be moving to Shanghai for a semester at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.
I was wondering about the following:
- As far as western toiletries go, should I just bring all my own from the states? i.e toothpaste to shampoo. What is the likelihood of getting some expired / fake toiletries that could prove to be harmful?
- I will obviously need to wash my clothes, and I read that Chinese detergent can be very different from western as far as it damaging clothes. What are your opinions?
- I have read many topics on the air quality. Do you ever find yourselves wearing the masks locals tend to wear?
- How prolific are western toilets in the Shanghai area?
- What area of Shanghai would you consider my university to be in? Any good recommendations for stuff to do around there?
-Where is the silk market (tailor made suits) and the fake market exactly? Also are there any electronic markets in SH?
Thank you so much for the help! I am very excited to be going!
jay_dee - Apr 13, 2009 - 06:14 AM Post subject:
Most places separate the western toilets into private stalls...
this prevents copulation and chance of an unwanted pregnancy in creating a squat toilet.
Boronia - Apr 13, 2009 - 06:59 AM Post subject:
Hello sypress.
a) if you have a particular brand of hair care products that you like to use, you may like to bring enough to start you off. The same applies to make up & deodorant etc. Many brands are available here. Some people trust the toothpaste here, others don't.
b) you have a choice of clothes washing detergent. I don't believe you need worry about it damaging your clothes.
c) the air quality is, to be sure, not as good as it should be. However, unless you suffer from severe asthma etc., in which case you should perhaps reconsider studying here, you will not be needing a mask..please don't wear one...people will think you have something contagious. Masks are only very, very rarely worn by people here & usually only if they have a bad cold etc. You must have seen old news footage of life here during SARS.
d) In Shanghai you will find western toilets just about everywhere. Places such as local schools can have quite basic toilets. Places such as shopping malls can still have squat loos, but, even then, often offer one western loo. Apartments, hotels, western restaurants, cafes etc have western loos. If you travel to the countryside, loos become more basic. It's no big deal.
e) no idea where your university is. Can you post its address?
f)For places of interest like the fabric market etc., I would advise you to buy a good Shanghai travel guide before you come...preferably one which has the names & locations of places in both English and Chinese.
I hope you enjoy your time here.
By the way, what made you decide to study a semester of finance & economics here?
sypress - Apr 13, 2009 - 07:24 AM Post subject:
Thanks for the tips!
The address of The Shanghai University of Finance and Economics is
777 Guoding Road, Shanghai, China
Post code: 200433
Also are there any festivals or expos that take place in Shanghai between June 10th and Aug. 10th?
I was also wondering about the wireless internet access in SH. Is it free / pay per minute / ubiquitous/ reserved?
As far as public transportation passes go, how much would one cost to go in and out of SH a few days a week? Can I get a free / reduced cost ticket as a student?
I was drawn to study in SH, as China not only interests me, but also as it plays a large role in what makes the US economy tick. I am also a travel fiend. I spent a year in Germany and speak fluent German as a result. I am now looking forward to bettering my Mandarin! SUFE is also apparently one of the best schools in China for Finance / Econ. and I found a program I liked (The Alliance for Global Education).
Thanks for the help!
squareface - Apr 15, 2009 - 11:56 AM Post subject:
regarding wireless internet, there are free wifi cafes around if you look, or else you can subscribe to a wireless service which goes by monthly/yearly fees, or else you can get broadband, pay monthly. If i'm not wrong, for broadband it's around 130rmb/month for 1MB speed. if you're staying in the dormitory you might need to buy some internet card that gives you credit to use broadband, check with the dorm if you're staying there.
as for public transportation, since you'll be staying for a period of time, i would strongly recommend getting a transportation card. this card can be used on buses, metros, and even taxis. depending on the journey, a bus trip might cost around 2-3rmb (for instance, from your school to downtown would be 3rmb i should think), a metro from 4rmb, and a cab metre starts at 11rmb. A trip from your school to downtown would probably work out to be around 30rmb. There is no reduced cost ticket as a student as far as i know of.
you're staying in a district called yangpu, there's a shopping area at wujiaochang, where you can find malls that have familiar brands to u and chinese brands, cinema, and i think your favourite might be WALMART.
hope that helps.
LoveBoxStorage - Apr 15, 2009 - 06:40 PM Post subject:
To complement the advice given by squareface, you may be interested in our "Public Transportation in Shanghai Without B.S." guide. We've just published it as part of a series of online guides to help make living in Shanghai a little easier on us Expats. Just call it our way of paying it forward. Hope you find it useful...
Enjoy your stay in Shanghai!
sypress - Apr 20, 2009 - 12:35 AM Post subject:
Lovebox and Squareface thanks for the tips! I will have to give it a gander. I also was looking into going to a few places, and was wondering their current status in Shanghai, as I know things change quickly.
The Bulldog Pub (If anyone knows what it is)
Carrefour
The Fake Market at Century Square
The Fabrics market at Lujiabang Lu
Also, because I have Altell here in the states my Palm PDA won't work in China (it's CDMA). I was wondering if there was a way I could get a cheap "Go-Phone" that I could just buy, and load up with minutes? It will mainly be used to call people inside Shanghai, and not so much state side. Thanks!
squareface - Apr 20, 2009 - 12:47 AM Post subject:
Carrefour is popular, and can be found in many places all over the city. The nearest one to you is about 15 mins away from your school by cab
I'm not sure which fake market you're talking about. Is it the one at Shanghai Technology Centre's metro station aka Shanghai Ke Ji Guan station? Century Park is right above the station so I'm guessing you're actually referring to that one. That fake market is popular among the foreigners, and you can get good fakes there for a good bargain if you're good at bargaining and have a keen eye for good fakes. They sell all sorts of things -- clothes, souvenirs, bags, shoes, etc
Fabrics market at Lujiabang Lu is good for tailoring your own clothes. Bringing a sample of what you want may be a smart move to get the exact design you want. Bargaining power required here as well. I think there's also a tailoring place at Shanghai Ke Ji Guan station if I'm not wrong.
You can buy lots of cheap phones, new or used (or stolen) from plenty of shops in Shanghai. Then you can purchase a prepaid SIM card, which can be topped-up at any convenience store by buying credit.
hawks - Apr 20, 2009 - 11:58 AM Post subject:
Bulldog Pub is on Wulumuqi in the French Concession.
This is a can't miss website: www.smartshanghai.com. Use the search function and print the address in Chinese of places to hand to the taxi driver. Type "Fabric market" in the search box and the one on Lujianbang shows up. A pretty good map too.
Hope you find it useful...