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What to beware of?
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Total Votes : 18

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mgafunnell



Joined: 29 Jun 2007
Posts: 89

PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 6:42 am    Post subject: What to beware of? Reply with quote

Greetings,

I'll be in Shanghai September 1st. Is there anything I should beware of? Also, how much money will I initially need bearing in mind my roundtrip ticket is paid and I don't drink?
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7969



Joined: 26 Mar 2003
Posts: 5782
Location: Coastal Guangdong

PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 6:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

question: to answer your second question, did you read p1 of this forum yet?
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eslstudies



Joined: 17 Dec 2006
Posts: 1061
Location: East of Aden

PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 6:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Have you got accommodation or do you have to find your own? If your own, bond and advance rent will be expensive. If you're off the public transport grid, taxis will be a factor. Which district will you be living in? You can spend as much or as little as you want on food. Great LaMian noodle and HunTun shops are 3-5 a bowl at the cheap end. Mum and dad restaurants, 15Y for a couple of dishes with rice, school food free, but expensive at the price.
So many questions. You might want to take up drinking: one of China's more affordable pleasures.
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7969



Joined: 26 Mar 2003
Posts: 5782
Location: Coastal Guangdong

PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 7:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

at the low price of beer in china, you'd be crazy not to drink while there.
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HunanForeignGuy



Joined: 05 Jan 2006
Posts: 989
Location: Shanghai, PRC

PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 9:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Actually, I have had great luck with most of the Chinese. I have enjoyed them.

I would encourage you to exercise extreme caution and prudence in dealing with many of the foreigners that you will meet in Shanghai and elsewhere in China. The ESL crowd here is in need of gentrification and for the most part they come from small towns and villages in the heartlands of their own countries and China is a big culture shock for them, just as if they would have move to the premier cities in their countries of origin. Sometimes you will feel, in dealing with them, that it is the lunatics running the asylum but you will experience that quick on your own. Just exercise judicious caution.

Otherwise, enjoy Shanghai, it's a great city; it has a great feel to it, and as a New Yorker, coming from a great city, I can say that Shanghai stands right up there at the top. It's a Class A city, getting better all the time.

What to beware of -- maybe English First...ha.
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cj750s



Joined: 26 May 2007
Posts: 701
Location: Donghai Town, Beijng

PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 9:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

no matter what country..the police
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eslstudies



Joined: 17 Dec 2006
Posts: 1061
Location: East of Aden

PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 9:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
I would encourage you to exercise extreme caution and prudence in dealing with many of the foreigners that you will meet in Shanghai and elsewhere in China. The ESL crowd here is in need of gentrification and for the most part they come from small towns and villages in the heartlands of their own countries

My own university colleagues in Shanghai came from Mumbai, Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver, London, SF, Melbourne and New York. I can't speak for those of the poster's acquaintance, even though he seems to have done considerable research in this field.
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tw



Joined: 04 Jun 2005
Posts: 3898

PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

eslstudies wrote:
Quote:
I would encourage you to exercise extreme caution and prudence in dealing with many of the foreigners that you will meet in Shanghai and elsewhere in China. The ESL crowd here is in need of gentrification and for the most part they come from small towns and villages in the heartlands of their own countries

My own university colleagues in Shanghai came from Mumbai, Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver, London, SF, Melbourne and New York. I can't speak for those of the poster's acquaintance, even though he seems to boast considerable expertise in the field.


Well, the Greater Vancouver Regional Dictrict is made up of 12 cities, 1 township, 3 districts, 1 corporation, 1 municipality, and 3 villages. So, just because someone claims he/she is from "Vancouver" doesn't necessarily mean he/she is from the actual city of Vancouver. People are more familiar with Vancouver than they would with, say, Coquitlam.
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therock



Joined: 31 Jul 2005
Posts: 1266
Location: China

PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

HunanForeignGuy wrote:

The ESL crowd here is in need of gentrification and for the most part they come from small towns and villages in the heartlands of their own countries and China is a big culture shock for them, just as if they would have move to the premier cities in their countries of origin.


There is a bit of ignorance in this comment.

While it's true some foreign teachers are here for questionable reasons. The part that the majority are from small towns and villages is totally wrong. The majority of foreigners I have met in China are not from small towns and villages.
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