| German expat Carola has been living in China since 2003 and has learned quite a lot about the local language and culture. Here she describes her experiences as a foreigner in the city of Shanghai, her observations of the city and its people, and gives some advice about what to consider when planning a move to China. |
 Dr. Carola Hantelmann Nawa |
-Where were you born?
1972, in Wolfenbüttel, Germany.
-In which country and city are you living now?
Shanghai, China
-Are you living alone or with your family?
Emigrated here alone, met my Zambian husband of 3 months last year right here 
-How long have you been living in China?
Since Feb 03 in Ningbo, Qingdao, Yantai; came to Shanghai July of 2005.
-What is your age?36
-When did you come up with the idea of living in China?
In 2002 due to my job as a headhunter in real estate and due to the fact that I am a Cultural Sociologist. Originally...
-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?Not at all. If you have an employer - smooth. Health inspection is hilarious.
-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?No. However, pure Chinese med. ins. is not what we expect from it in Germany, so I have an international one, too.
-How do you make your living in China? Do you have any type of income generated?
It's impossible to come to China for work and not have a work visa already. Plus I got hunted from job to job, which is how I came to have the privilege to know 4 Chinese cities and cultures so well. I always worked as the coordinator for the industry networks of Chinese-German University Co-operations: Networking, Marketing, HR-Fair Orgaisation, Placing of interns in both countries, etc. Currently on remaining holiday I am looking for a new challenge.
-Do you speak Chinese and do you think it's important to speak the local language?Yes and YES. Otherwise they won't respect you ever completely. And it is of utmost importance to respect Chinese customs.
-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
Home is, and always was, where I live - and now where my husband and I live. But I do miss my family sometimes. What's Skype for...?
-Do you have other plans for the future?
Travel as much as possible, learn as much as possible, start business again in new places...there is still a LOT to experience!
-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?We pay rmb7300 for a 3-bedroom, 149sqm (Chinese calculation), sunny, 31st floor, next to the metro station, 10 minutes from People's Square, one of Shanghai's centres. However, if you don't know how to deal with local agencies, you can easily end up paying a "friendship price" as high as $3000 for the same place. 
-What is the cost of living in China?
Depends. If you can digest MSG, than it's cheap. If you care for clean food, or even organic, it's doubling Zurich's Bahnhofstrasse. Same for health care.
-What do you think about the Chinese?
You can experience everything: utmost impoliteness and incredible hospitality and generosity. Lucky for me, so far the absolute touching friendliness in personal encounters outnumbered racism (which is a ghastly but existing feature) and cheating by far.
-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in China?
Please refer the mentioned above plus - the environment here is amongst the 10 unhealthy places on earth. A pity.
-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in China?
Check out their legal restrictions for visas CLOSELY before you enter. Catch up with expats who are already here - and with several, to get several points of views (which can extremely vary due to their occupation). Once here, remain polite and quiet and observe until you dare make a move or comment. Chinese really do not like to lose face and you really don't want to be treated weird.
-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about China?
hey there
hello there I'm an american and I do graphic design and I was just wondering if you knew of any companies that might need an american graphic designer, or any good websites that might help me get a job in china or southeast asia. thanks
Sorry...
...I really don't! MAybe you can check the website of CHambers and companies due to their job listings? But only addess the foreigners, they are more likely to give you any answer at all!
GOOD LUCK!
Ok thanks!!
thanks for the advice, I'll check it out!!
Welcome ;-)
...just remembered -since South would also be ok for you: The "South China Morning Post", based in HK is FULL of job offers, check their website and / or subscribe to their jobs listings, I did to, it's really informative.
Good luck!
Carola
Thankyou for your info
Dear C.
It is always good to know... the good the bad and the ugly... when getting around to moving to another country. MSG and polution..oooo
Is the Pudong area REALLLY that much better (as far as the air?)
I would sugest going into the busines of giving women, traveling on contracts a "newbie" help. Post your services online via Facebook. I would pay alot for some help in taxi-ing me around to the stores, schools, ...giving advise on the customs ...ext... Like a Nanny job for a grown person. Moving is difficult, especially for women who are "trailing" but carrying the brunt of the stress of the set up of domestic life and children who are in crisis and the husband ,,,who does not want to hear anything ,,, upon returning home...
You could even set yourself up as a sort of counselor. THOSE are very hard to come by and is so needed when all the stress comes along.
Just a business idea. You could gather alot of resources that woman have missed or have not seen. I have alot of info...
AGAIN thank you for your info... your time learning the culture and language is valuable!
Robyn (currently in Sweden)
The good, the bad and the ugly...
Hi Robyn,
thank you for the feedback. There are actually A LOT of those counsellors here already. I am happy that there seems to be still some demand, though ;-) But almost every company has their own, even now in these tough times.
Yes, Pudong can be a lot better, and much quieter and family friendlier than Puxi, in JinQiao, f.ex. - I prefer it to the overcrowded Honqiao, and not just because Hongqiao was built on the ancient graveyards of Shanghai...but of course it depends on where you work and your kids go to school.
We are expecting our first baby now - and as interesting as our life here is, THAT IS is a big challenge in this dirt, from Western sized maternity bra over finding an understanding Gyn (and yes, I am referring to te so-called "Western" clinics) to a simple stroller, I will have to do most of the preparing in Germany...
Give me a shout if you come back to Shanghai woud be fund to catch up :)
Cheers
Carola