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living in shanghai, how is it?
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Kuros

Joined: 27 Apr 2004

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 11:59 am Post subject:

amanda114 wrote:

What is the saving potential (on average) in Shanghai if your accomodation, health insurance and plane ticket is all paid for?
Has anyone heard of a company called EF English First?

Thanks

Amanda

I've heard of it. They have ads all over Shanghai (and to a lesser extent Beijing). Its a big and reputable company, but I wouldn't know from having worked there or having been at all involved in it.

D.D.

Joined: 29 May 2008

Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 1:09 am Post subject: EF

EF sucks I taught with them in Wuhan. They made me teach the same 9 kids 4 hours at a time. Teaching 4 hours to the same kids is hell. The care about money not quality. They make you sit and do heaps of prep time that you don't get paid for.

Tiger Beer

Joined: 07 Feb 2003

Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 10:37 pm Post subject: Re: living in shanghai, how is it?

Swiss James wrote:

I'm the guy from http://ispyshanghai.com

Compared to Seoul, Shanghai is dirty, hectic, has bad traffic, too many people, and stinks.

Compared to Seoul it also has 10x the foreign food options (and you can still get good Korean food), 10x the local food options, many more kinds of bars, many more kinds of expats (Germans selling industrial parts, French selling advertising space, Nigerians selling- *cough*), and of course you're in China which is....big.

Going from Seoul to Shanghai is definitely the right way round to do it IMHO. I think if you went from Shanghai to Seoul you'd find it too parochial and a bit limited. Going this way round is like out of the frying pan into the fire- but if you wanted an easy life you'd stay at home right?

I loved Seoul, I'm loving Shanghai.

Tips to give:

live in Puxi not Pudong (a bit like the distinction between Manhattan and New Jersey- or Gangbuk and Gangnam when I lived in Seoul)

Start learning the language sooner rather than later- (all of the other foreigners do so you'll look stupid if you don't know at least a bit),

train travel is great fun, you can get a few beers on the train from Shanghai and wake up in Beijing.

http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/shanghai/listings/nightlife/bars/has/c-s-bar/

htttp://shanghaiexpat.com

http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/shanghai/

http://smartshanghai.com

The Itaewon equivalent is XinTianDi if you mean (expensive) foreign restaurants, or Tongren Lu if you mean bars full of hookers. Both have their good and bad points. I ain't judging.

after

Have a blast, it's a great place

Great info!

amanda114

Joined: 18 Apr 2006

Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 6:30 pm Post subject: Re: EF

D.D. wrote:

EF sucks I taught with them in Wuhan. They made me teach the same 9 kids 4 hours at a time. Teaching 4 hours to the same kids is hell. The care about money not quality. They make you sit and do heaps of prep time that you don't get paid for.

What is the money like? Any chance of saving while you are there like Korea? I have an interview with EF on Thursday. They are being really quiet about telling me anything about the school until the interview.
Any information would be appreciated.

Regards
Amanda

Tiger Beer

Joined: 07 Feb 2003

Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2008 5:55 am Post subject: Re: living in shanghai, how is it?

Swiss James wrote:

[list]on Nanjing Road (the main street from the Bund to People's Square) anyone who talks to you is probably trying a scam. "We are students, let's have some tea together! Oops the bill is 1000 USD- how did that happen?" or something similar.

I've heard this often...Nanjing Road also appears to be the MAIN area with all the neon lights and all the people, right?

Is that also the place you want to explore day or night? I mean, tourist stuff and bars/clubs? Or other places are better....?

princess

Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: soul of Asia

Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2008 6:41 am Post subject:

To the poster who said Itaewon is like Xintiandi that can't be right at all. Itaewon is scummy and dirty, and Xintiandi is more upscale, and it kicks Itaewon. The two don't even compare.

mheartley

Joined: 18 Oct 2008

Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2008 6:45 am Post subject: Re: living in shanghai, how is it?

Tiger Beer wrote:

Swiss James wrote:

Nanjing Rd isn't worth more than a couple of hours visit. Yes you can do it day or night, it's something you should do while you're there but don't expect too much in the way of things to see and do and buy. At one end is the bund which has a nice view of the river, there are also some upscale clubs and restaurants in that area that for the most part aren't really worth the visit. If nobody here can help, search some Shanghai-based websites for bars and clubs to visit, it seems to change quite a bit from year to year.

princess

Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: soul of Asia

Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2008 6:46 am Post subject:

freeridden wrote:

Shanghai is a really dirty city. The streets are dirty. The air is horrible. There are tons of 20 year old Chinese girls hanging on old 70 year old foreigners. Shanghai is money in its purest form. Good luck.

And Seoul isn't dirty? When you walk outside in Seoul, in many places all you smell is sewer, and the air is so thick and gross, it feels like you are breathing through a screen, especially when you walk to work with a cold. I didn't find Shanghai to be that dirty when I was there for Lunar New Year this year. But the people there did spit all over the streets more than they do here in Seoul. That surprised me. I didn't think there could be such a place where the locals actually horked and spat more than people in Seoul. I also saw more beggars especially around the Bund and I saw a mentally disabled old lady walking down the street yelling out loud. Sad.

RACETRAITOR

Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea

Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2008 7:56 am Post subject:

China is naturally more dirty than Korea. I've heard Shanghai is cleaner, but sterile and boring with no interesting nightlife. Everyone I know who's visited or lived in the city has said the nightlife sucks compared to Beijing.

pest2

Joined: 01 Jun 2005
Location: Vancouver, Canada

Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2008 12:34 pm Post subject: Re: EF

amanda114 wrote:

D.D. wrote:

It depends on your qualifications. If you have a TEFL/CELTA, and a year of experience, you can make 12,000~15,000 RMB (like 1800$ to 2200$ with the current ex rate?) in Shanghai, but NOT the rest of China; unlike Korea where the salaries are more or less the same all over the country, there is a huge difference between city and countryside.

You can get a pretty damned nice apartment in Shanghai for 4000rmb per month; like, a near-luxury furnished flat with a wide-screen TV, jacuzzi bathtub, balcony, leather furniture, etc... but you need to know a Chinese person to hook you up with a reputable real estate place or you might get charged alot more for being a naive foreigner.

Besides rent, cost of living, ie groceries, eating out, other basic life necessities is ALOT CHEAPER than anywhere in Korea. That is, I mean, life necessities. Yes, it's true, luxury items or going out to a bar for a drink or going to a great club will cost about what it costs in Korea, I guess. So, if you wanted to live a frugal life yet still have fun, you could save maybe 800$ to 1000$ per month, I guess....

If it doesnt work out with EF, there are some other pitfalls to looking for jobs there. First, I vehemently warn you to stay away from stay away from "Shanghai Pacican BSK" company. They're an outfit that places teachers in public schools around the city. The owner of the company also happens to be a government official and member of the education board... in other words, if you have any legal problems working for them and/or they screw you over (which happens quite alot), THEY ARE THE LAW so you are screwed. The jobs they have there are not like EPIK; they dont help you get an apartment, they dont pay as well as other jobs in the city, you teach alot more classes, you have to travel around to up to 5 different schools -- up to 3 in a single day -- all around the city on the hectic crazy mass transit system... BEWARE!

Next, its much better to get a salary position than an hourly position. Hourly places will cancel classes, add new ones, and adjust your schedule whenever they see fit. Total lack on continuity.

Finally, I would recommend an adult school in general over a kids place even if you like teaching kids because the money is better and the companies seemed to be alot more organized and professional...

Agree with pretty much everything everyone said on here about Shanghai. It's way different than Seoul, but I rather prefer it, overall, and with the caveat I'd only have to stay there for a couple of years. One thing, I preferred to live in Pudong (the new side) over Puxi. You can get a much nicer apt there for the same price and its actually cleaner and has some really nice places such as century park and the science/technology museum, etc... you can always take a super-cheap taxi to the french quarter or ppls square anytime you want... Just my preference, though.

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