Ingrid in Shanghai: "People eat dinner so early here!"

Where are you from, Ingrid, and what are you doing nowadays?

I come from California, in the United States of America. I was actually born in Taiwan but immigrated to America with my family when I was young. I work for a large consulting company and moved to China on an assignment with the company.

Why did you choose to move to China?

China actually chose me. I had always wanted to live abroad but never actively sought it out. Two years ago, I was contacted by someone in my company who wanted to know if I would be interested in this position in China.

What motivated you to accept the offer ?

Knowing that we would be living in a city like Shanghai definitely helped us make the decision to accept the offer. I'm not sure if I would have been brave enough to live elsewhere in China. There is so much to see and so much to do around Shanghai.

What were the procedures to follow for a US national to move there?

There is so much paperwork! My company hired an immigration firm and a law firm to help us, and it was still awful! We had to submit lots of paperwork prior to leaving America in order to get a one-time Z visa. Once we arrived, we had to get health checks and go to several different offices to complete the process and obtain a residence permit. It's a lot of copying and a whole lot of passport-sized pictures.

How long have you been in the country?

I've been in China for about a year and a half. My husband is here with me. We have no kids. He also works for the same company in China.

What are the local labor market's specificities?

There are lots of expats working here in Shanghai. There are professionals like us who come for specific job assignments. There are also quite a few English teachers here. It can be challenging to find a job if you don't speak Chinese.

Was it difficult to find accommodation there? What are the types of accommodation which are available there?

It's not difficult but it is a headache! It's hard to trust people here in China, and we've known multiple people who ran into scams while trying to rent homes. My advice is to find a reputable agent to help you. The accommodations range from basic rooms to amazing executive villas.

How do you find the Chinese lifestyle?

Haha. I think we still live a somewhat western lifestyle. It's easy to eat western food and hang out at western establishments. I guess that could be viewed as both good and bad.

Have you been able to adapt yourself to the country and to its society?

Sort of. I will never get used to the crowds in China. I'm still amazed each day how many people can fit into a subway car.

What about the food and eating habits?

I love Chinese food! We've learned so much about different regional cuisines and tried all kinds of flavors that are not available in Chinese-American restaurants. Xinjiang food is one of my current favorites. As far as eating habits go, people eat dinner so early here! If you try to go out at 8.30 pm at a Chinese restaurant, chances are the restaurant is already half empty and they are running out of food.

What does your every day life look like in Shanghai?

On week days, we work, work and work. During the week-end, we explore Shanghai or something around Shanghai. We try to do something different every week-end!

What has surprised you the most at your arrival?

The pollution. It is so bad! Everyone says Beijing and the North-east is terrible, but it's also terrible in Shanghai! We have to plan our outdoor activities around pollution, and it has completely stopped me from running outdoors. I've complained about pollution quite a bit on my blog.

Any particular experience you would like to share with us?

Hmm. There are so many! One of my favourite days is when we biked around Pingyao in Shanxi Province. We saw corn fields, piles of coal, factories, ancient temples, and so many interesting people. It was such a Chinese experience, a little bit of everything!

What is your opinion on the cost of living in Shanghai? Is it easy for an expat to live there?

I think it's definitely do-able. There are plenty of cost effective options for housing and food. But at the same time, Shanghai has some crazy expensive apartments and crazy expensive restaurants. You just have to be mentally prepared that some expats have amazing work packages and you cannot keep up with that kind of lifestyle.

How do you spend your leisure time there?

Travel! We're always on the go. If it's a long week-end, we try to fly somewhere. On regular week-ends, we will explore the area around Shanghai.

What has motivated you to start your blog WorkTravelBalance? How does it help?

I started blogging initially to share China experiences with our family and friends. It's kind of amazing, but more and more people started reading my blog! I realized that people were very interested in reading about our travel adventures around Asia. So in addition to talking about expat life, I started writing more about our travels and how to fit that into two very demanding full-time jobs... Thus the name Work Travel Balance. I hope you like it. Please don't be shy and leave me a comment on the blog!

What are the differences between life in Shanghai and in California?

So much! We used to live in a single family home and have two cars. Now we live on the 29th floor with no car.

Do you miss your home country?

Definitely. Especially when the pollution gets bad. I also miss fast and uncensored internet.

Would like to give any advice to soon-to-be expatriates in Shanghai?

You may have some really bad days in the beginning, I know that we certainly did! Hang in there and things will get better.

What are your plans for the future?

We'll be moving back to America at some point. However, we both would love to live abroad again. Living in a different country has been an incredible experience.