Becoming an Expat While Avoiding Culture Shock - Making the Most of Your First Few Months in China

Moving is always difficult. When moving from one city to another, there are many important decisions that have to be made before the move. Simply planning the move can be exhausting; everything has to be arranged perfectly for it all to work out at the other end. What to bring? What to put in storage? Which tasks are most urgent? Then, the move itself can be equally exhausting, and expensive.

This is all just a foreshadowing of what's to come, though, as starting from scratch in a new location can be equally difficult and exhausting. Your daily routine from your old home has been completely turned around. You have few contacts in a new place full of strangers, yet are filled with questions to ask the locals. Everything is new, and simple everyday tasks like grocery shopping can take considerably longer as you learn the ropes.

All this becomes complicated even further when moving overseas. You not only have all the issues mentioned above, but have culture and language barriers to overcome. Every year, hundreds of foreigners successfully expatriate to Shanghai. What is their secret to a successful move? Below are some tips to quickly become a knowledgeable expat in a new city.

1) Stay optimistic:
Making a to-do list can serve two purposes: it can help you arrange your time and priorities to accomplish necessary tasks before and during your arrival in Shanghai. The list can also become an object of frustration, a seemingly endless amount of things to be done such that you don't even know where to begin. Visa and residence permit issues, finding an apartment and getting acclimated to your new job can be huge chores. Remember to look at these tasks on an individual basis rather than as one herculean mission.

2) Pack half of the belongings you think you will need:
Then after packing these belongings, halve them again. When moving overseas, you want to avoid bringing too much stuff. This is especially true when moving overseas, where you will start to acquire keepsakes, souvenirs and mementoes from your life and travels abroad. Very few expats move to Shanghai with a plan to remain there for the rest of their lives; therefore, you do not need to bring a lifetime's worth of belongings. Besides, Shanghai is not Tibet, and most of the items you may think are difficult to find in Shanghai will be actually quite easy to locate. Those that you cannot find you can bring back to Shanghai after your trip back home at Christmas.

3) Take advantage of the internet
With a place that is developing as rapidly as China, books about the subject go out of date before they are even published. Fortunately, the internet has a wealth of information about moving to Shanghai. Forums, blogs, and articles on-line offer recent first-hand experience, tips from those who have been in the same situation as you, and even the chance to meet a contact who can help you get adjusted after your arrival. Reading up on internet resources will surely simplify your move. Don't forget to find some good maps on-line as well. Spending a few minutes looking at this map each day before you go will make it much easier for you to find your way around the city, figure out the subway system, and look for a suitable place to live after you arrive.

Making contact with someone in Shanghai is especially important, as this person can help solve a lot of immediate problems. Hopefully this person has a lot in common with you in order to help get your social network started.

4) Be patient:

As said in #1 above, part of being optimistic is being patient. With jetlag, a new language and culture, and a new way of life, you will need some time to adjust. Make sure you do not spend every day trying to get your new life up and running; instead, occasionally spend some time wandering the streets and just absorbing the new city. This will help put your mind at ease and help you avoid diving in too deep too quickly, which is what leads to culture shock. Whether you have a major task, such as looking for an apartment, or a more minor task like finding a maid service, make sure you search extensively so that you get it right the first time. By rushing through all these particulars, you will only end up with a mediocre living situation.

If you do need a little extra help, Yoyoor (www.yoyoor.com) offers mobile phone rental and service packages specifically geared toward expats. With Yoyoor, you get practical mobile services, low international call rates, and unlimited free access to their live bilingual Call Center. The English-speaking Call Center is advertised as your "personal secretary" while in China. The Call Center staff can professionally assist customers with translation issues, accommodation and dining suggestions and reservations, visa questions, transportation logistics and related matters. Yoyoor is not only great for new arrivals; seasoned Shanghai expats can also make use of the company's services.

By keeping these tips in mind, you will be an expert expat in just a few months' time. Despite all the red tape, moving overseas is exciting and you will find that there is something new to learn everyday. So get started, and don't forget to take it one step at a time.

Posted at 09:37AM Oct 13, 2008 by admin in China Travel  |  Comments[0]