Blog No. 2 – Life in Shanghai

Many of our friends and family have asked us “What is Shanghai like?” and “Do you like it?” Well Shanghai is a very urban and dense city. It has over 17 million people living in an area about the size of Delaware. It is the most Westernized city in China after Hong Kong. It is on the cutting edge of modernization, so it isn't loaded with historic sites like Beijing. A good US city analogy would be, Shanghai is like Manhattan while Beijing is like Washington D.C. About a quarter of the world's construction cranes are located here. They are constantly demolishing old three to four story buildings and constructing modern high-rises.

Here are some negative things about Shanghai.

The traffic is worst than Orange County/Los Angeles. Most of the drivers are crazy! They like to flash their lights and honk their horns at you to get you out of their way, even in gridlock. Cars have the right of way, not pedestrians. So you need to be very careful when you cross the street. It is like playing Frogger. The air quality is bad as well. The sky is usually gray from the pollution. So we rarely let the kids go outside. Also, for a country that loves kids, it is not a children friendly place. It is difficult to take the kids places. Most restaurants do not have high chairs and pushing the stroller around is a challenge too.

However, Shanghai does have some great qualities.

Almost everything is within walking distance. So not owning a car has not been a problem. We just take the elevator down and walk outside. The streets are conveniently lined with restaurants and stores. If we need to go somewhere farther, we just hop in a taxi cab. They are everywhere and inexpensive. Also, there is no sales tax on merchandise! We love not having to pay the government 7.75% on our purchases.

Now and then you may hear us complaining about Shanghai. Yes, there are some nuisances, but it is a great city. So, we are truly excited to have this opportunity to work, live, and raise our family here.