| xyzah,
That was a prompt reply! You must be on line when I sent you the above comment. So you did come to SH before and know at least what it looks like - mobs of people for sure. But I must tell you being a tourist on short visit (less than one month I mean) is totally different from living here as a long-term resident. Of course, everyone sees things from a differnt perspective. I happen to like very clean neighborhood, which in SH only exists in some remote locations with mostly single-family houses within a gated compound. They are so far fetched you need a car. We didn't choose to live in those neighborhood mainly because they are inconvenient in spite that we do have a car and a driver. For the most part of Shanghai districts, streets are crowded with vehicles, shops, peddlers and people too. And most streets are quite dirty with trash and phlegm. I live in an very nice wide street in Shanghai about one mile west of People Square; nevertheless, our street becomes very littered by the afternoon. Plus, the city is terribly air and noise poluted from cars honking and dusts. The traffic seems to be forever in gridlocks except during the wee hours. Yes, I know there are many people here, but if drivers and pedestrians would just obey the traffic signals traffic wouldn't be so bad. It's a very disorderly city; many don't queue, which bother me to hell. I don't know if you smoke, but two thirds of the male smoke and increasingly more females smoke too, so everywhere you go, indoors or outdoors, we are forced to become second-hand smokers. Don't get me wrong! Not everything is negative, but definitely negatives outweighs the positive. Ecnomically, there are good oppoutunites out there, but you have to be very talented to fetch the good jobs. I don't like telling the locals my feelings toward this city as they might just say why don't you leave. We moved here because of my husband's employment, so I have no choice. If the locals would just improve or get rid of the bad habits, SH can be a great city to live in. You asked me what I do here. Well, I don't work anymore cause I travel out of China frequently. Plus, I'm close to my retirement age. I also like to within China. People in some other cities are much nicer and helpful. In Shanghai, if you ask people for street directions, at best you get someone pointing one direction without telling you how many blocks you need to go or where to turn or what some landmarks are. If you have determined to come to SH, you should find housing close to transportation (buses or subway lines)as Shanghai is a massive city. Getting around from one part of the city to another can take a long time. And don't rent a flat long term before you land with a suitable job. Shanghai's subway system has been expanding in the past few years, but can be extremely crowded. Living close to your work can save you time and aggrevations. From your Pingying, I suspect you speak some Manderin, which comes very handy doing business and getting around. Percentage wise, fewer people in SH speak English than those in Taipei. Tamie |
Flying to SFO