I am often asked by family, friends and new acquaintances why I am where I am and why I am doing what I’m doing. After answering it 10 times, I end up saying the exact same thing, and I don’t think that short answer is nearly adequate to express my interest in my current home, so here is more than you ever wanted to know!
The places I've been
Why are you in China?
I want to see the country now in the middle of it’s growth because it will be completely different in 20 years.
Where in China have you been?
My first trip was in 2008 and we (Nik and I) visited Beijing, Shanghai, Guilin, Longji, Yangshuo and Hong Kong. Since we returned in February 2009, we have been living in Shanghai and have gone to Tongli and Hangshuo on short weekend trips. I also spent a few days Hong Kong again for a visa run. Hopefully we’ll be traveling more extensively in mainland China soon. I want to go farther west into the rural and less developed areas. We’d also like to see what a Chinese beach is like!
Why did you decide to live in Shanghai?
Nik was given a great job opportunity here and after spending 6 months in Asia last year, we knew we wanted to continue living abroad. It also doesn’t hurt that the American economy is in shambles right now, making living in a foreign country much easier and less expensive than living at home. If we had had a choice to go anywhere in China, we probably wouldn’t have chosen to live in Shanghai. Hong Kong would have been our first pick, then Beijing. But now that we’re here, we really enjoy it.
How long have you been here? How long will you stay?
We arrived in February and will be leaving in late October/early November 2009. In the beginning, we weren’t sure how long we would stay, but have since decided that 8 months will be perfect.
What do you do in Shanghai?
For work, I substitute teach at an international school when they need me. Sometimes it is 1 day a week, sometimes it’s 3, and in the fall I will be teaching full time for about a month and a half. Because of the low cost of living, this covers most of my daily living expenses.
For fun, I take a ceramics class at the Pottery Studio on Taiking Lu and LOVE it. I try to explore the city and photograph it as much as I can, which results in at least two blog posts a week. Half of these adventures are solo, half are with Nik and friends. Lately I’ve been searching out the various markets in town. Most of them are geared towards wholesalers and local Chinese, so it’s fun to see the vendors react to me walking through. If the weather is nice, the parks in Shanghai are pretty nice, so I occasionally spend the afternoon outside reading and people watching. On the weekends Nik likes to play jiangzi (kicking a feather), so we’ll try to find a nice open green space to do so.
I also try to find events that are going on every once in a while for variety. It’s often just expats, but I’m probably not looking in the right places. On Saturdays, Nik plays bike polo and I watch. They ask me to play every weekend, and I turn them down each time. 1) Because I don’t want my bike to be ruined, and 2) Because I like chatting with everyone on the sidelines more than I think I would like the competition.
We want to travel more outside of Shanghai, but have found it difficult with Nik’s work schedule. Hopefully we will find a larger chunk of time soon.
What/where do you eat in Shanghai?
I eat most of my meals at home because it’s easier and I don’t crave most of the food here. Breakfast is musli, yogurt and fruit. Lunch and dinner are typically rice, vegetable stir-fry and dumplings. We shop at the Tesco grocery store across the street and I occasionally will go to the wet markets for fruits. If it wasn’t for the language barrier, I would only buy produce from the wet markets, but Tesco does have a really good selection and I don’t have to worry about bartering.
We also have a good hand full of restaurants that we like, and probably go out at least three or four times a week. A few are basic Chinese places, and others serve American or European food. Most Shanghai visitors rave about the street food, and I have certainly had my share of tasty treats. But Nik as well as several of our friends have experienced stomach related problems here, so I try to stay away from anything questionable.
How do you get around?
Buying a good bike our second week here was the best decision I’ve ever made. I bike everywhere. Once I get there, I walk around to see the finer details because hate stopping on my bike to take photos.
A lot of people depend on taxis in Shanghai because there are millions of them, and they’re very inexpensive. 14rmb/$2 will take you almost anywhere downtown. I like to wander without a particular destination, so in that regard, taxis don’t work for me. Shanghai also has a nice subway system if you’re trying to get farther out of the city, but in downtown I’ve found that it doesn’t really take you where you need to go without also having a 20-30 minute walk. This will probably change once all of the new subway lines open for the 2010 Expo.
How do you travel when you leave the city?
When traveling short distances (60-150km), buses and trains are great. For longer distances, we’ve taken flights and overnight trains. First class train tickets generally cost the same as basic domestic flights, so when time is a factor, flights are the best option. But if you have more time and like staring out at the countryside, the trains in China are very clean and pleasant. Sometimes a little loud with chatter, but still bearable. If you’re on a tight budget, 2nd class train tickets are a great deal at about half the price of 1st class and I guarantee that you will have at least one pleasant experience with a local Chinese traveler.
What is the best thing about living in Shanghai?
Every time I walk out the door, I see something unique to China.
What is your overall impression of Shanghai?
Shanghai is in it’s awkward adolescent stage where it can’t decide what it wants to be. It wants to maintain its cultural past, but the draw of money, glitz and glamor is too strong and is tearing down it’s historic landmarks for the short term monetary gain. It wants to be an international city, but the difference in education, skill and wealth between foreigners and locals is still extremely vast making equality and integration complicated. It wants to grow and change, but the toxins being pumped into the air by the construction industry cannot be good for the health of those living here. Eventually, things will settle down and Shanghai will be an amazing city to live in. But it’s still too young and trying too hard for me.
I have also compiled a Shanghai Short List of my favorite restaurants, hotels, parks, shops and relevant websites.