FAQ: Part 2

Today I present to you the second half of the questions I am most frequently asked. Click here for part one.

Should I bother bringing appliances like my espresso machine, Kitchen Aid Mixer, and food processor?
The short answer: No.

For any of the large kitchen appliances, the transformer would be just as large or larger than the appliance itself. You’d be smarter to buy the items here (check Shanghai Craigslist for secondhand options) or you’ll find yourself adapting to life without it (though I still dream about my Kitchen Aid).

What about curling irons, straighteners, blow dryers?
Again, no. General rule of thumb is that if it heats up or has a motor, you are better off leaving it behind.

Can I drink the tap water?
China’s water sources are amongst the most polluted in the world. A World Bank study found that 13 of the 15 major cities (including Shanghai) in China are affected by severely polluted water.

The most common pollutants in Shanghai drinking water are high levels of chlorine, bacteria, lead and toxic heavy metals. According to PureLiving, Shanghai’s water authorities have publicly acknowledged that tap water potability is compromised largely by secondary contamination from old piping. So no, you should not be drinking the tap water in Shanghai.

Can I drink the water if I boil it?
Nope. When heavy metals are the main concern in your water, boiling it will only concentrate the metals. Boiling water works to kill bacteria, but does nothing for removing heavy metals.

So is the water safe in bathe in? Can I rinse my toothbrush?
Other than the water being a hit hard on your hair and skin, it is absolutely fine to bathe with. And yes, I do rinse my toothbrush with tap water in Shanghai. When traveling to other areas of China however, I err on the side of caution and rise with bottled water.

Where can I find books in English to read?
You can buy Kindle books to download here (though you may need to be on a VPN, I’ve never tried without). Also, does your current library allow you to take out ebooks online? I’ve saved a ton of money by simply “checking out” ebooks via my small, hometown library.

There are also some book stores that stock English titles such as Shanghai Foreign Language Bookstore (390 Fuzhou Lu) or Garden Books (325 Changle Lu). Additionally, there are a number of spots where you can pick up second hand books. I recommend Apleines Mains, a charity which operates a used book sale on Jiangsu Lu or the small Shanghai Book Traders Used Books shop at 36 Shanxi Nan Lu.

How do I watch my favorite American TV show?
You can watch almost any TV show you want here. You can buy cable/satellite packages but to be honest, your best bet is to visit your neighborhood DVD store. As soon as movies are released in theaters, they will have a copy in the store (no, it’s not exactly legal but it’s what everyone does). For many series, you can watch them online via Youku (it’s like Hulu for China). I wrote an entire post on watching TV that you can read here.

Is there a question that I missed? Anything else you are wondering about? Feel free to shoot me an email or leave a question in the comments. Perhaps I'll even cover your question in a part 3 in the future!

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.

How to: Watch Foreign TV in China

I enjoy watching TV. Probably a little too much. The hours (and brain cells) I lost while watching The Real Housewives series will never come back. Which is why I was worried about how I would be able to watch my favorite TV shows from abroad. 

So what are your options if you want to watch American or other foreign TV shows? If you live in a large expat residential compound, you may have access to a few international channels but will be mostly limited to Chinese TV shows. But like most things in China, there are a few hacks that will allow you to get around this obstacle and resume your couch potato ways.

Use your VPN to Stream Online
A VPN will replace your actual IP address with that of the VPN's, making it appear to websites like Hulu and Netflix that you are physically located within the United States (if you pick a US spot for your VPN that is). Just turn on your VPN and you instantly have access to these websites as well as those of all the major TV networks and their online videos. The downside to this solution is that China has notoriously slow internet connections for non-Chinese websites. Video streaming is often slow with frequent stops for buffering. While convenient, this isn't the best way to watch the newest episode of House of Cards.

Stream Online Through Chinese Websites
This is my preferred method of watching TV. You simply visit one of the Chinese website like Youku, PPTV, or Sohu with your regular internet connection (not on your VPN) and browse away. The sites can be a little intimidating if your Chinese isn’t great but many shows can be searched by their English names (or you can download Google Chrome which will automatically translate the pages for you). Because the servers for these sites are located in China, streaming is quick and often without any buffering needed. Each of the sites offers slightly different TV shows, so it is worth bookmarking each of them.

Buy from the DVD Store
Pretty much every recent movie and TV series is available at your local DVD stores. Yes, you will need to wait until the end of the season to watch the whole series, but frankly, I prefer this method. Then I can speed my way through an entire season of Game of Thrones in 3 days and not have to wait weeks to find out what happens next.

Enhanced Cable or Satellite 
Enhanced cable is handled right through your regular cable TV provider and will usually offer non-Mainland Chinese shows such as HBO, HK MTV, National Geographic, and a variety of news channels such as CNN, BBC, MSNBC.

I do not have personal experience with this, however, I have heard that you can obtain a satellite dish and a hacked box from a local provider. Usually you buy the dish and the box for a couple thousand RMB and then have access to thousands of TV stations. Sometimes a small annual online subscription enables automatic updates to the hacked box.

Slingbox
Another popular option is Slingbox. Slingbox is a device that connects to your TV and streams the signal to another machine in real time, anywhere in the world. Obviously this is only a solution if you maintain a house with a cable/satellite service back home, or if you have a friend or family member that wouldn’t mind you using theirs.

With all these TV watching options, you have no reason not to be well versed in the latest happenings at Downton Abbey.

DISCLAIMER: I recognize that some of the methods above may be construed as advocating media piracy. To be clear in my position on this, I view the items above simply as tools by which to obtain various television shows and movies. It is your choice whether you want to utilize these methods, I am simply providing you with information regarding how some people access foreign media in China.

Accidental Tai Tai

When Matthew and I decided to move to China, it was a joint decision. We said yes fairly quickly to the opportunity, but then spent the next few months figuring out the details. One of those details was my job.

A photo from our house hunting trip over 2 years ago

I have worked since I was 14 years old. I held jobs throughout high school, college, and graduate school. I've been a thrifty saver all my life and have always had a bank account, well padded with hard earned cash. I remember my mother instilling in me from a young age that I needed to be able to take care of myself and that I should never rely on a man or anyone else for money.

Which is why moving to China was a challenge for me. Matthew and I looked at our finances before moving and discovered that thanks to our savings, the profit from selling our house, and the benefits that came along with an expat package, I didn't have to work. Financially, we were fine.

The problem is that I wasn't. Our first indication that unemployment would be a challenge for me came at the rental car agency a few days before our departure. I had quit my job two weeks prior and was filling out the paperwork for the car we would take to the airport. The kind teenager behind the counter innocently asked, "Can you please provide your employer and position title on this form?" I blankly stared at him for a moment before writing HOUSEWIFE across the paper. I then promptly burst into tears.

The few first months in Shanghai were wonderful. I embraced my retirement, as we came to call it, and enjoyed leisurely lunches with new friends, explored the city, practiced my Chinese, and spent slothful afternoons snuggling my cat in bed. I was happy.

Life as a tai tai

But after a few months, that same unsettling feeling from the rental agency came back to me. Only this time it wasn't quickly squashed by an opportunity to ride first class on an international flight. The feeling was persistent and I found myself having an identity crisis. All the titles I held back in the states (worker, advisor, colleague) and the ones I still held (daughter, sister, friend) seemed as distant as the people who used them in reference to me.

During this time, I began to be addressed by a new title: tai tai. While this word is used throughout China to mean Mrs., in Shanghai it takes on a particular meaning. The assumption here is that a tai tai is a woman who doesn't work and spends her days shopping, getting massages, and generally emptying her husband's bank account. I quickly learned that mentioning I was a Shanghai tai tai would earn me a discount at most stores, because sellers assumed that meant I would be back often for more shopping.

Further complicating the matter was the fact that joint bank accounts are uncommon in China and our bank refused to give us two debit cards for Matthew's account. This meant that not only was I not contributing to our family income, I had to ask my husband for money. As a woman who has always seen herself as independent, having my husband give me an allowance was a tough pill to swallow.

After a year, I found a job. I had spent a few months researching positions but wanted to ensure I found something that made me feel valuable and where I would make a contribution. I contacted a small company that specialized in the field in which I hold my master's degree and was hired shortly after. I also took up a part time job as a cycling instructor at a local spin studio.

Overnight, I felt a renewed sense of self. Suddenly, people were once again looking to me for guidance and treating me as an expert in my field. Suddenly, I was needed.

When you make the sacrifice to allow your partner's career to grow at the detriment of your own, you can find yourself struggling to maintain your identify and sense of self. I didn't know how to be a housewife and frankly I wasn't very good at it (ask Matthew about my ironing skills).

My journey back to the working world isn't for everyone. Many people live extremely fulfilling lives here and abroad as housewives/husbands. But it wasn't the right path for me. I need the stimulation and challenge of a 9-5, even if it does interfere with my social life.

And yes, I still use my tai tai discount when shopping. Only now, it's my money that I spend.

Pet Care in Shanghai

When moving to Shanghai, bringing our cat along was non negotiable. If we were moving, so was she.

I previously outlined the steps we took to bring her overseas, but also wanted to share some resources we have found since moving here.

Pet Supplies

Wills Pet: I order all of my cat food and litter from Will's Pet. Their website is bilingual and they offer free same day delivery service. That's right, they deliver 25 lb boxes of cat litter to my door. They also stock a nice variety of imported pet food, treats, and accessories. And they text me when the food I buy is in stock. This is by far one of my favorite vendors to work with in Shanghai.

Pet Zoo: Before discovering cat food delivery, I bought Snowball's food and litter here. And I probably would have continued to buy her food here if they hadn't stopped stocking the food I was using. They offer a number of different imported food brands, all of which Snowball stubbornly refuses to eat. They also have in house grooming and veterinary services, none of which I have personally used.

Mignon Boutique: I loathe pet stores and firmly believe in adopting pets not buying them from stores. So while I do not endorse them as a pet shop, I have found Mignon Boutique to stock imported foods, treats, toys, and litter. Plus, they are around the corner from my apartment which makes it easy to for me grab food if I am in a pinch.

Veterinary Services

Shanghai Pets Are Wonderful (PAW) Veterinary Clinic: Snowball goes to PAW for her checkups for a number of reasons. First, they follow international standards for veterinary medicine. Many local vet training and licensing standards lag behind those in Western countries and I wanted to ensure she got the best care possible. Second, PAW came recommended by Second Chance Animal Aid, one of the animal rescue organizations in Shanghai. PAW takes care of all the shelter kitties which endeared them to me immediately. The staff here speak English and are all well trained.

Doctors Beck and Stone: I have not personally used this vet however, they also follow international standards for veterinary medicine and employ a large number of Western educated doctors. Their staff speak English and come highly recommended from JAR, another animal rescue organization located in Shanghai.

Pet Sitting

I have a good friend who looks after Snowball when we are out of town. She snuggles her, watches movies with her, and loves her as much as we do. However, if she is unavailable, we turn to:

Pet In Shanghai: Offers reasonably priced pet sitting in your home while you are out of town. They come 1-2 times per day and even water plants if you ask them. Very trustworthy and worth the peace of mind when I'm away from my baby.

Do you have any favorite pet vendors in Shanghai? Anything I left off the list? Feel free to leave a comment below with your tips for taking care of our furry friends in Shanghai.

How to make friends and influence no one

After a few posts (like this one) that were borderline love letters to our friends in Shanghai, I thought perhaps I should talk about how we have managed to form our support system here. As an article this summer in The New York Times pointed out, making friends gets harder with age. Throw in the inability to fully converse with a large percentage of this city and your possible social network shrinks further.

Thankfully, Matthew and I have been fortunate enough to develop strong friendships here. But we also worked hard to create them. We endured countless social events and went on dozens of coffee dates to meet our Shanghai friends. So while there is no perfect science to finding a person who will laugh at your lame jokes while dancing to Korean pop music, here are a few places to start.

1) Sign up for a class: Signing up for a class is a great way to meet other people who have similar interests as you do, plus you get the opportunity to learn a new skill. I met my first Shanghai friend while attending a Shanghai Orientation held at the Expat Community Center. I've also met similarly nice people through a dumpling class as well as my photography course at the Expat Learning Center. While I have not personally taken any courses at the local universities, quite a few offer Mandarin classes which will allow you socialize while learning the local language.

2) Find your home country's association: The Americans have AmCham and the American Women's Club of Shanghai, while the Australians have AustCham and The Australian Women's Social Group, among others. Numerous countries have a presence here in Shanghai where you can meet people from your home country, connect over shared experiences, or lament about the things you are missing (like cheese and turkey burgers). During the US Presidential Election in November, a number of American organizations teamed up to hold a party where fellow Americans could come together to watch the election results. Groups like these can help you stay connected to your home even when thousands of miles away.

3) Join an organization: In a city full of expats, there are endless organizations that will allow you to connect with other people who share your interests. There are social organizations such as Shanghai Dolls, which puts together a great happy hour for the ladies (and is where I have personally met a number of my closest friends in Shanghai), as well as Shanghai Expat, which holds weekly coffee meetups, and the ever popular Shanghai Mamas which will give you, as well as your little ones, a chance to connect with others in this vast city. And if you have a special interest, there is everything from running groups like Shanghai Hash House Harriers and Happy2Run to the Shanghai Guild for knitters. Heck, even your alumni association may have a local chapter. If you have something you are passionate about, chances are there are other people in Shanghai that feel the same way.

4) Volunteer: You're bound to connect with another good Samaritan like yourself if you spend your free time helping others. Plus, you'll have an opportunity to learn about resources available in the community. Bean is a great spot to start as it is a networking, volunteering, and social group for young professionals. There are countless other organizations looking for volunteers such as Heart to Heart, which works with children undergoing heart surgery, Second Chance Animal Aid for the animals lovers, and Shanghai Sunrise, which works with underprivileged children in Shanghai.

5) Other: This last category is for all the people that don't fit into the above mold. The friend I made in yoga class. The neighbors who invited us for dinner. The girl who went to grad school with a mutual friend and happens to live in Shanghai. Be open to meeting new people wherever you are. You are likely both expats, which means you already have something in common. So say hi to people in the elevator or trade numbers with that girl at the bar. Who knows, the guy in line behind you at Starbucks just might end up being your best friend.

Making new friends can feel like a series of blind dates and I've always hated dating. But eventually you'll start to meet others who share your interests and meeting up for lunch won't seem like a chore. And one day soon, you'll see pictures of your friends hanging out together while you are away in the US. And you'll suddenly realize that you wish you were back in Shanghai with them too.

Bringing Your Pet to China

As you all know by now, we were fortunate enough to bring our cat with us to Shanghai. We knew that having her along for this journey would help make Shanghai feel like home. Plus, I told Matt I wasn't going unless she was. While not too hard, there were a number of steps we had to take in order to bring our favorite furball with us.

First, I should mentioned that we did contract a pet relocation company to help us figure out the logistics. While I am pretty sure we could have navigated the import process on our own, we both felt better knowing someone else was helping us along the way.

In order to bring Snowball into China, we needed two forms of paperwork: a rabies vaccination record and an international health certificate. The requirements for each of these were fairly specific. 

The rabies record was easily obtained from our usual veterinarian. Animals entering China must have received a rabies vaccination at least 30 days before your departure to China and no more than 1 year prior to entry to China. Thankfully, our cat had been to the vet in November for her usual shots and was fully covered for her rabies requirements.

We also obtained an international health certificate, which was needed by the Chinese government upon our arrival. We were provided this document by our relocation company. No more than seven days prior to leaving, we had to have Snowball examined by our vet to ensure she was in good health. Once the vet had signed our international health certificate, we sent the form to the USDA office in Albany, NY. Once the USDA had certified her certificate, they shipped the form back to us. While not a hard process, we only had a short timeline to complete this form.

There are a number of ways to actually transport your pet into China. You can ship them as air cargo, you can check them as excess baggage, or like us, you can carry your pet onto the plane. Just not in your actual luggage as my cat apparently thought.

Once we arrived in Shanghai, we had to take Snowie and the certificates to the Plant and Quarantine Office. Because we had used a relocation company, our agent took care of the quarantine fee (about 1000 RMB per animal) and had already provided copies of our information to the quarantine officials. After a quick photo shoot of us and our cat (to ensure she was returned to the proper owners), we had to leave Snowball in order to complete her mandatory quarantine. All pets are required to be quarantined for 30 days. The first 7 days are completed at a government quarantine facility. After the initial 7 days, if the animal is approved as healthy, home quarantine may be allowed for the remaining 23 days. Thankfully, the vet gave Snowball the stamp of approval to come home to us after one week. While we certainly did not love the idea of being away from her for a full week, our pet relocation company checked on her each day and reported back to us in order to let us know she was okay.

And how is Snowball doing now that her entire 30 day quarantine is up? Well, you can be the judge.

Top 5 Things to Bring to China

Until our residence permits are official, our air shipment cannot be released from customs. However, we were able to bring a whopping five suitcases of supplies onto the plane. Most of these were full of items that we learned were not readily available in Shanghai. So here are the top five things you should bring with you when you move/visit China:

1. Makeup: There is plenty of makeup available in Shanghai. The problem is that most of it contains bleaching agents. The standard of beauty in China is to have very white, porcelain skin. Dark skin here represents manual labor, or time spent out in the field, whereas white skin signifies wealth. As someone who is already fair skinned, extra bleach in my night cream isn't needed. Also, thanks to the luxury tax on certain items in China, makeup here is is about 30-40% more expensive than you would pay in the US. 

2. Pharmaceuticals: While there are many pharmacies here, over the counter and prescription drugs may not have the same ingredients as you are used to in the US, nor are the regulations on them the same. There have been numerous issues in the past with pharmacies selling fake drugs or or ones with mislabeled ingredients. In order to avoid any issues, we had an entire suitcase packed with everything from Sudafed to Pepto Bismol. I was also able to have our insurance company authorize a year supply of my medications so I did not have to worry about filling them abroad.

3. Deodorant: Guess what I managed to buy a year supply of for my husband, and neglected to buy for myself? Yep, deodorant. And now, I cannot find it anywhere. If you notice that I smell like Axe for the next few months, you'll know why. I'm going to have to use Matthew's deodorant until my mother ships me more of it, because trust me, no one wants to smell me after a cycling class if I don't have deodorant on. Not that you want to smell me after a workout at all, but you get the point. I really wish there was a black market for deodorant in Shanghai.

4. Shoes: You might wonder how one of the largest shopping centers of the world could be lacking in shoes. Well, they aren't. They are lacking in shoe sizes. With my size 10 hoofs, there isn't a shoe in Shanghai that will fit me. And while Matthew wouldn't let me bring every pair of shoes I own, I have more than enough to last me through our time here.

5. VPN: This is essential. In today's digital age, I cannot fathom being cut off from the rest of the world by the Great Firewall of China. Because unless you use a VPN to route your internet traffic somewhere else, there is no Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, or access to countless other websites. I would recommend setting this up before you leave in order to ensure you have the correct router, software, and computer settings to stay connected to friends and family back home.

There are obviously many other things that we brought with us, but I have found these five items to be the ones we are the most glad to have brought along. Except the deodorant. I forgot to bring that. Ugh.