Welcome to A GUIDE FOR LIVING AND WORKING IN Shanghai SHANGHAI, CHINA SHANGHAI COMMUNITY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Table of Contents Section 1: Introduction ............................................................. Page 1 • Arriving in Shanghai • Luggage & Shipping Allowance • Relocation Orientation: What to Expect • Visas and Residency Section 2: Welcome to SCIS .................................................... Page 3 • Hongqiao Main Campus & Neighborhood Map • Pudong Campus & Neighborhood Map • Apartments Section 3: Life in China ............................................................ Page 8 • Packing for Life in China ........................................ Page 9 A. Cooking and Baking Items B. Toiletries C. Medications D. Clothing Items E. Other Personal Items • Electronics and Electricity ................................... Page 10 • Banking .................................................................. Page 12 • Internet and Virtual Private Network (VPNs) ........ Page 12 A. VPN Providers B. Internet your first few days C. Internet and WIFI in your apartment • Helpful Websites ................................................... Page 13 • Cell Phones ........................................................... Page 13 A. China Mobile and China Unicom B. Shanghai Call Center C. Helpful Phone Apps for Shanghai Living • Shanghai Online Shopping ................................... Page 14 A. Groceries B. Food C. Household and Other Items • Health Care .......................................................... Page 16 • Fitness ................................................................... Page 17 • Transportation ...................................................... Page 18 A. Shanghai by Metro B. Shanghai by Taxi C. Shanghai by Bus D. Shanghai by Bicycle E. Shanghai by MoBike F. Shanghai by Electric Scooters G. Shanghai Walking Tours Section 4: Ayis ........................................................................ Page 20 Section 5: Culture Shock ........................................................ Page 22 Section 6: Learning Mandarin ............................................... Page 25 Section 7: Learning Mandarin ............................................... Page 29 SECTION 1 Introduction We wish you a warm welcome to our SCIS community in Shanghai. We’ve created this guide as a helpful orientation and resource for your transition to China. < Top view from the Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Flair Rooftop Restaurant & Bar < Top view of Shanghai Tower and Shanghai World Financial Center 1 SECTION 1 AT THE AIRPORT and submit all your receipts at once. You don’t need to When arriving in Shanghai before entering immigration, do this immediately, but do keep your receipts. you will be directed to machines that will take your Please let the HR Manager know in advance if you fingerprints. Take the fingerprint receipt with you. On plan to bring extra luggage. This way, we can make the way to the immigration line, complete the yellow sure to prepare for your pick-up accordingly. entry card if you have not already done so on your flight. Take the yellow immigration card and the fingerprint RELOCATION ORIENTATION receipt with you to the immigration desk. The immigration During new hire orientation, we will cover sessions officer will keep the yellow card and you should keep on living in China. Additionally, we will support you the fingerprint receipt for future reference. You will in setting up your phone, internet, and bank account. not have to use the fingerprint machines again upon You can also expect shopping trips for household reentering China. items, groceries and even a trip to IKEA. After receiving your luggage and going through customs, look for a sign with your name at international arrivals. It’s important to remember that you are going to A SCIS Leadership Team member will pick you up with experience a bit of culture shock upon arrival. This a van, a driver, and keys to your new apartment. You will is natural, and to be expected. Be prepared to receive USD1,000 start-up fund in local currency, so interact with your colleagues to get through these you won’t have to get to a bank immediately. tough times. VISA AND RESIDENCY You will be asked to turn in your passport upon your arrival. You will get it back, but will have to return it in one more time within the first month. At that point, you will also have to make a visit to the visa office in order to receive your resident visa. You will be notified ahead of time regarding the time and date of this meeting. Please be sure you bring the LUGGAGE / SHIPPING ALLOWANCE required number of photos and information requested The Human Resources (HR) Manager will email de- by the HR Manager. Please do not make travel plans tailed information about your shipping outside of China until after the October holiday. allowance. If you are only bringing items as extra bag- gage on flights, you may turn in your receipts, but if you < Night view of Jingan Temple surrounded by are also shipping other items later, you will want to wait modern business buildings 2 SECTION 2 Welcome to SCIS Welcome to the SCIS Hongqiao Campuses. The following photos should help give you a perspective of the SCIS Campuses. Hongqiao Main Campus Hongqiao ECE Campus Pudong Campus Indoor Swimming Pool 3 SECTION 2 Photos of the SCIS community. 4 SECTION 2 HONGQIAO MAIN CAMPUS & NEIGHBORHOOD MAP 1. King’s Court 6. Lian Hua 9 2. Carnival Gardens – Chinese Grocery Store 3. Hengshan Gardens 7. Takashimaya Mall, Yili Metro, Line 10 4. Wet market – Food court & imported goods grocery store (Local Fruits & Vegetables) 8. Gubei Garden Plaza unyi Road Xianxia 5. Songyuan Metro, Line 10 – Element Fresh, Japanese Food, Other restaurants Over pass Road 9. The Place shopping mall – Grocery Store, Restaurants, Stores 8 SCIS 4 Yili 1 Over pass Yili Road Park 5 6 Hongqiao Road 7 Yaohong Road Hongbaoshi Road 2 West hongshan Road West Golden Street Huangincheng Street (Pedestrain Street) A map of the SCIS neighborhood, Guyang Road courtesy of Jessica Dunbar. 3 HONGQIAO ECE CAMPUS & NEIGHBORHOOD MAP 1. Longxi Road Subway Station 11. Peter’s Tex Mex Grill 2. Prince Garden 12. Amphora 20 3. Parkway Health Clinic 13. Burkhara Indian Restaurant 4. Bubba’s Texas Style BBQ 14. Honqiao International Pearl Market Chengiaqiaozhi 5. Marriott Hotel 15. Hongmei Entertainment Street 18 19 Road 6. Wet Market 16. Costa Coffee 7. 7-Eleven 17. Paris Baguette 17 8. Little Huia Restaurant 18. Starbucks 16 9. Royal Thai Kitchen 19. Cold Stone Ice-cream 10. Dragonfly Retreat 20. Cityshop Supermarket Huaguang Road 15 14 13 Yanan Road 12 7 8 9 1011 2 Jianhe Road Hongmei Road 1 SCIS 3 4 5 Hongqiao Road 6 5 SECTION 2 PUDONG CAMPUS & NEIGHBORHOOD MAP Hunan Road S20 Highway (outer Ring Road) Sebs, Alsace & other restaurant Xiuyan Road SCIS String of 20 restaurants Da Ren Fa Apartments Grocery Store and Holiday Inn Hotel Xiupu Road Haifu Apartments ikang Road Shangnan Road Wanda Plaza Mall and Tesco Grocery Nianiabang Road houkang Road SCIS Pudong Campus Hengqiao Road Apartment: We’ll help you unload and get situated. You will also have a few items… • Your apartment will have inexpensive bedding, pil- lows, towels, and place settings for all members of your family. Enough water and small food items will be included to get you through the first few days. • You might want to buy a mattress topper for your bed right away. These are available at IKEA. • A trip to IKEA will be included on the orientation schedule. Bring your address card and know your IKEA at Cao Xi Road bed size before you go. A small tape measure will 6 SECTION 2 be very helpful when preparing for IKEA. IKEA can English speaking service agents. The phone number deliver your mattress topper and other items you near the Hongqiao campus is: 02161646888. Follow decide to purchase. the directions and know your address. You pay a • You will have basic furnishings. Every apartment is deposit for the bottle the first time, which is different. about 40 RMB. Many faculty have their ayis house • Don’t expect an oven in your apartment. You keeper handle water orders. can buy a toaster oven or counter top oven at Carrefour. • Utility Bills and Other Mail • There will be a washing machine, but most Bills will come to your apartment mailbox. You will apartments don’t have a dryer. You might want want to check this regularly to ensure bills get paid to buy a drying rack if you don’t have one in your on time. These can be paid in a variety of ways such apartment. Some of these are built into the ceilings as your WeChat or Alipay apps, at some conve- of your balcony or outdoor area. nience stores, and often your ayi will be able to • You will have a TV, but no cable, and all TV channels help with this. There is more information on mobile are in Chinese. Some people have ordered a payment systems such as WeChat and Alipay later in satellite TV package (there are a few options.) this guide. • You can have water delivered. Nestle Water has 7 SECTION 3 Life in China As you are looking for information about what to bring with you, what kinds of items you may not be able to find, or how you will retain your connection to “home”, there are plenty of items available in Shanghai. As noted in the next page, it’s a good idea to bring enough items to get you through the first month, so you don’t have to go searching immediately for your preferred brand of shampoo, toothpaste, or other items. This will give you some time to shop around, get a feel for what you will need, and where you can buy it. 8 SECTION 3 PACKING FOR LIFE IN CHINA 2006 © Stuart & Barbara Strother, from Moon Living Abroad in China, 1st Edition. Used by permission of Stuart & Barbara Strother, and Avalon Travel. All rights reserved. Deciding what to take will, of course, depend on how long you will be in China and what sort of a shipping budget you are working with. To get you started in your selection process, there are three broad categories that will help you decide what to pack: AVAILABILITY availability, an initial supply of necessities, and personal China is a shopper’s paradise: cheap clothes, items.