How to: Use Didi Dache

Kristin December 2013: I hate taxi apps. They are ruining my life.

Kristin September 2014: I looooove taxi apps. They are the best thing ever.

Yes, that's right. I'm totally switched sides and am now addicted to using Didi Dache to get around Shanghai. I'd be hanging my head in shame if it weren't for the fact that I'm sniping taxi cabs off the street on a regular basis now.

The main reason I resisted the taxi apps for so long was because my ability to read Chinese characters is pitiful. However, Didi Dache is fairly straight forward and easy to use. You must be able to speak basic Chinese to use the app. Fair warning.

You can use Didi Dache to book taxis in advance or as needed. This tutorial will simply cover booking a taxi for immediate use.

Step 1: Download the app from the app store (available for both Android and iPhones)

You'll need to search for it using the Chinese name so either change your phone's language to Chinese or simply copy and paste the Chinese name (滴滴打车) into your search box.

Step 2: Register your phone

After you download the app, you'll need to sign up for an account. This simply means inputting your phone number the first time you open the app. If it doesn't automatically ask when you open the app, click on the person icon in top left corner.

After you enter your phone number, press the button immediately to the right of your number. Within seconds, you'll receive a text with a confirmation number in it. Enter the confirmation number as shown below and then press the button marked 开始 (Begin).

Step 3: Call a taxi

Yes, you are all ready to call your first taxi! The home screen will display a map showing your location (the blue dot) and the location of taxis in the area around you using the same app (the little taxi icons). Your address is technically listed in the middle, after the characters 我在, meaning "I'm at...". However, you can ignore this and state in your message where you are located. Make sure you know your current location as well as where you want to go. And yes, you must say it all in Chinese.

Press and hold the orange button with the microphone icon on it, located at the bottom on your screen.

The screen above will pop up, recording your voice. This is where you need to state your location (example: Wǒ zài Huaihai Zhong Lu Sinan Lu) and where you want to go (example: Wǒ yào qù Yueyang Lu Dongping Lu Lùkǒu).

When you are finished, release the microphone button. You will be brought to the following screen. If you press on the blue dot, you can listen to the message you recorded. If happy with it, press the orange button on the bottom on your screen. If you want to record again, press the < button in the top left corner. At this stage, you can also decide to leave a tip if you would like by pressing the ¥ icon. I usually do not.

Step 4: Wait

You screen will display how long you have been waiting in addition to the number of taxis that have received your message. If your wait time is long, you have the option of adding a tip again.

Step 5: Confirmation!

Fairly quickly, you should get a response from a driver. The following screen will pop up, showing you the license plate of the cab, the driver's rating, and a phone icon if you would like to call your driver. 

Step 6: Jump in your cab

Make sure you are in the location you specified to the driver. You can view the location of your driver on the screen and should look for the license plate number on the car. Your cab driver may call you so keep your phone out. Generally they just want to confirm your location. 

Step 7: Enjoy your ride

Technically, you can pay for your fare using Didi Dache but that gets more technical than most people want. When you ride ends, simply pay as usual. If you feel like it, leave your driver a review.

While it might seem complicated at first, using Didi Dache is quite simple. Try out my steps above and let me know if you have an easier time catching taxis in Shanghai.

FAQ: Part 1

I receive quite a lot of emails from people who are looking to move to Shanghai or China. Many of these people ask the same questions so I thought I would put together a little FAQ for those people who are feeling a little too shy to email me (you can, really!).

Where should I live?
The housing situation is a bit tricky. Overall, my advice is to live within a reasonable commute to your office. You will be making this trip twice a day so settle on something that works for you. Matthew works in Minhang, which is about 45 minutes away from where we live. There is NOTHING down there and we decided that we would both be happier living closer to "downtown" and having access to Western amenities and the subway. That being said, it is sometimes frustrating for him when his commute balloons to over 2 hours on a rainy, Friday night.

Other things I would consider is your location to public transportation and basic necessities. We have a Western grocery store in our basement, a wet market within five minutes, and a Chinese grocery around the corner. It still takes me 3 hours to grocery shop some days but when I just need milk, it only takes me 5 minutes to get it. My friend lives 25 minutes away from a Western grocery and when she runs out of something while baking, it pretty much ends the process. My subway stop is only 10 minutes from our apartment. Honestly, this is the one thing that really helped to open Shanghai up for me because I was free to initially explore the city without understanding the language or the geography. I simply jumped on the subway and rode around until I became more comfortable.

Is it better to live in Pudong or Puxi?
There are two sides of the city where you can live, Pudong or Puxi. Pudong is the "newer" side of the city where the new skyscrapers are being built, apartments are larger, and there is more green space. Puxi is "older" but is the area most people consider to be downtown.

Everyone will have an opinion on whether Puxi or Pudong is better. I obviously love Puxi since this is where we live, but both sides have merit. I tend to go to bars and restaurants on this side of the river, but there are certainly many in Pudong as well. If you live close to a subway stop, it's not hard to take the train to the other side (taxis aren't as willing to cross the river but will do it when needed). Many families tend to live in Pudong as you have more access to green space and more of the international schools are located there, but you will no doubt find a community no matter where you end up.

Is living in Shanghai expensive? Will xxx amount be enough for housing?
I would say Shanghai is comparable to any big city. As for costs, the answer is that is varies. Anything from 12,000-25,000 rmb is reasonable to pay for a 2-3 bedroom apartment, depending on amenities and location. You'll pay more for amenities like an English speaking receptionist, an oven, or a compound with a pool. Just remember that when negotiating, you can have other things thrown in. For instance, you may want to insist they install an oven (most apartments won't have one), pay your gym membership, or cover your ayi costs. Don't be afraid to ask for what you want.

Food costs also vary. If you want to eat foreign, imported foods, your grocery bill is going to cost more than it does now. If you buy and eat local ingredients, your bills will go down. We buy a blend of local and imported foods so I would say our grocery costs have gone down but our restaurant costs have significantly increased. A meal at a local Chinese restaurant for two people should cost less than 100rmb while you will pay at least double that at a western restaurant.

Is public transport efficient? 
The most efficient I have ever used. Everything is well marked in English on the metro and it's cheap! I use it daily to commute. I am also a fan of using the public bus system as well.

Did you experience a major culture shock when moving there? 
Of course! China is about as far from my previous life as I could have imagined. But as long as you come in with a positive attitude and open mind, you will do fine here. You have to accept that things are simply the way they are, and not try to change them. Sure, the kid peeing on the street is gross but you just have to learn to adapt and not step in puddles!

Is the air consistently bad? Or are there enough good days to still be able to go outside?
If you have a iPhone, you should download the CN Air Quality App. It allows you to see what the air quality is like. The US Consulate also has a Twitter account which they update with information about the air. Most of the time it's ok (today is 78) but it can get high (over 300, I stay inside as much as possible). We bought an air purifier for our apartment and I hope that helps! And yes, I do run outside on the street sometimes and we bike quite often, we just make sure to check the air quality first.

Autofail

The following conversation took place recently between my husband and yours truly.

For the record, I actually typed wing. But apparently living in China made my autocorrect assume I meant Wong. On the bright side, at least it didn't change to Wang.

Essential iPhone Apps

I'm not very trendy with it comes to technology (okay, when it comes to anything) but even I have to admit that my iPhone has saved my perky backside on numerous occasions while living in Shanghai. While I'm sure everyone and their cat has an opinion on what applications are best (Snowball recommends Cat Toy), I've compiled a list of my five favorite iPhone apps for living or traveling in Shanghai. And since I'm cheap, all of my apps also happen to be free. That's right, not a one of these apps costs a single thing (other than your soul, which I'm pretty sure you sign away when you agree to the iTunes terms and conditions).

1) Hi Shanghai: To be honest, this might be my favorite application. It's a handy guide of places to go and things to do. You can search for places near your current location or if you know the name of what you are looking for, you can simply type it in.

For example, let's say I'm looking for my favorite spinning studio in Shanghai. I type in spin and up pops the listing for SpinShanghai. The app gives me a few details about the place I have looked up as well as the address, phone number, and closest subway station.

Then, if I click the little taxi icon in the right hand corner, a taxi card is displayed with the address in both English and Chinese. I've used this feature on numerous occasions when I'm either unable to pronounce a street name correctly or my taxi driver pretends to be deaf.

2) Explore Shanghai Metro: Even with a driver, we take the subway a lot. It's cheap, it's efficient, and I'm allowed to shove people. This app is basically a map of the metro system in Shanghai which you can use to figure out a line transfer, see how long your trip is going to take, or estimate how much your ride is going to cost. It's also useful when trying to calculate how many more stations you are going to have to endure the karaoke beggars for.

3) Google Maps: I have a horrid sense of direction. I could get lost in my own driveway. In fact, I lived in our last town for six whole months before I figured out how to get to the gym on my own. True story. Anyhow, this is why Google Maps is essential. The lovely blinking blue dot shows me where I am and the flag shows me my destination. Easy as can be. While I do sometimes use the built in Apple Map, I still find Google to be more accurate at this time.

4) Waygo Visual Translator: This app is blowing my mind. Seriously. You use your camera to scan over Chinese characters and it translates them into English. The free version only translates food but for me, that's the main reason to use this app. I can now walk into pretty much any restaurant and order off the menu without simply pointing and hoping for the best. My digestive tract thinks this app deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.

5) Google Translate: I had been in Shanghai for about a day when the taxi I was in drove past my hotel. I started wildly waving, grunting, and yelling stop. The taxi driver apparently thought I was dancing to his music and turned up the radio. I quickly pulled out my phone, opened Google Translate, and figured out the word for stop. Sure, a translation app isn't going to make communicating easy but it can help you figure out a word here or there. Or save you having to walk a few extra blocks.

Those are my essential apps for Shanghai. Does anyone have other ones they can't live without? Did I leave your favorite off the list?