We have been here over two months now! We have really enjoyed our experience so far and are excited for what the future holds for us here. I thought it was about time to recap our first 60 days.
Getting here
Keep in mind if you are coming to visit us, you do need a Visa to come to China. Delta has a direct flight to Shanghai from Detroit which is a major bonus. The flight is about 14.5 hours. There is a 12 hour time difference here, but usually adjusting to it is a little easier since the flights usually arrive at night time.
Food
I think you can find just about every type of food to fit your tastes here. We have rarely been disappointed by any dining experiences. There is an expat discount booklet called EnjoyShanghai which is similar to the entertainment books we all used to get back home but this kicks its butt. It costs around $40 for coupon book which usually pays itself off after 2 or 3 restaurant visits. Most locations in the book are geared toward expats and it also has a great accompanying website where you can find more information as well as reviews for each location. You can also dine at some great local places on the cheap. We have a famous noodle place around the corner that we have managed to find our way around given that everything is written in Chinese, there is really no picture menu and no one speaks English. If we are in the mood to splurge, a visit to a hotel buffet is definitely worth the trip. The Westin is known for one of the priciest but most indulgent Sunday brunchs in town. We found a good excuse to check it out for one of our new friend’s going away party. Bottles of Veuve Champagne and mixed drinks are free flow for three hours while you can stuff your face on numerous types of cuisine and enjoy the provided entertainment of acrobatic performances, opera singers and some other random performers. Our favorite spots that have earned return trips are a Indian fare restaurant down the street from us and a great little Mexican place that both were in our enjoy book. This past weekend we even found a Texas BBQ joint owned by a few expats who have been pretty successful in creating an authentic bbq experience in China. Dining at any Western style restaurant is comparable price wise to back home, but in China there is no tax or tip so there is always some savings there.
Transportation
Kudos to the Chinese government for making public transportation so cheap and easy to use for foreigners. Once armed with a good map there is little problem using the metro here (subway). A ride typically cost less than $.50 and signs are in Chinese and English. However, if you choose to use this method of transport during peak times, expect to be packed like sardines on the train and be forced to move with the flow of the Chinese foot traffic (see The Chinese Hustle post). I do not know what threat was put out to the locals, but amazingly as soon as Expo began here the rules of riding the metro became a lot more civilized and people now form lines while waiting to board and there seems to be a lot less pushing and shoving. A taxi ride can be a bit trickier here for visitors. The cab drivers do not speak English so stating your desired location in English will get you nowhere. Every store/restaurant/etc has business cards for expats to pick up with the location written in Chinese and English for just this problem. SmartShanghai.com is also a great website that can print out a taxi card for most businesses. There is a phone number in every cab that can assist in communicating with the driver, if needed, and most cab rides cost around $2-$5. There is a handy transportation card that is reloadable that you can use on any form of public transit. Shanghai is also home to the Maglev, a magnetic levitation train that can get to the airport in about 7 minutes with speeds topping 260+mph .
Money
We were warned when we came here that banking was going to be interesting (not in a good way). To sum it up, we have run into issues almost every time we have transferred money from our US HSBC account to our local Chinese HSBC account. A transaction that should take two days as taken up to two weeks and left us with a lot of frustration. Money that is already in Chinese rmb is also not easily coverted back into another foreign currency so when we move home I am sure we will have a fun time making that happen. However, for visitors it is best just to take money out of the ATM or covert your cash at the Bank of China. There are ATMs and banks everywhere so spending money is never a problem here.
Relaxation
Some type of massage is an activity that almost everyone takes part in here in China. Foot massage and traditional Chinese massage are the most common and cheapest options available. Keep in mind at an authentic Chinese massage parlor the massage is more for health and not necessarily relaxation. If you ever caught one of the past Amazing Race seasons when the teams were in Beijing, you would know that the foot massage was anything but relaxing and some of the contestants were crying from pain. At the expat geared spas this is usually not a problem. Not all treatments are cheap though. Any western practice will be charged a premium so expect to pay a hefty tab for facials or adding oil to any massage. However, they are still cheaper than back home. This past weekend we decided to hit up the Xiao Nan Guo Spa after dinner which is a Japanese Spa located in a hotel type location. Our 90 minute foot massages were accompanied by a strange variety show that included a Chinese singer, two roller skating sisters performing tricks and a Russian dance troupe that wouldn’t make the cut on any dance show. In a large banquet room filled with 200 recliners you can watch the entertainment while getting papered, enjoy a few beers or even eat dinner. The massage was great but I cannot make any recommendations on the entertainment! Zhu also informed me he gets a massage about twice a week and all the drivers decided to go get their own foot massage while we were enjoying ours.
Shopping
Shopping is quite an experience here and I think I am beginning to appreciate the fake markets a little more. Once you develop relationships with a few of your favorite vendors, shopping is definitely easier and they are usually more than happy to point you in the direction of one of their friends if you are looking for something specific. One of my favorite markets that I really have not taken advantage of is the Shanghai South Bund Soft-Spinning Material Market. Besides tourists items, jewelry and other finds, there are 3 floors of tailors that specialize in different clothing items. Jeff has had a few suits made here with shirts for around $100. A custom made cashmere coat will only set you back around $80. It is much easier to negotiate here since their starting price is usually already reasonable and you can still knock it down.
Overall it has been a great ride so far. There are Chinese holidays almost every month so we are hoping to take that time to explore Asia as much as possible. We already made it to Sanya in April and are heading to Guilin this weekend. Looking forward to seeing everyone in a few weeks!
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