Shanghai FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) Moving to Shanghai Q: How do I find a job in Shanghai? A: Network. Seriously. Only crap jobs get posted publicly, all the good positions go by word-of-mouth. If well-connected in Shanghai, the job offers can be overwhelming; if not, non-existent. To get started, print up a box of name cards, have a clue what you want to do, and then pick up your nearest English expat rag for their community listings. Get on the mailing lists of the Chambers of Commerce and professional organizations relevant to your goals, and go to their more social events. Who's quit where and if there's an opening is a perennial favorite in industry gossip. Or be even more proactive: research relevant companies in your desired industry, and accost one of their top managers, not for a job but for lunch and career advice. That way, even if they don't have an opening, they might be able to refer you to a friend in another firm who does, and they'll keep you in mind for when something does open up. Q: What is transportation like in Shanghai? Do I need a car? A: Shanghai is one of the world's largest and densest metropolises. Public transportation is pervasive, taxis are ubiquitous and cheap, most places downtown - where most foreigners spend most of their time - are walkable, and the rest are bike-able. So, unless you live in the distant suburbs or your company provides one, a car is unnecessary and impractical. You're better off with one of those scooters so trendy with Shanghainese teens. The subway, or ditie in Chinese, is the form of public transit most accessible to foreigners. There are three lines: Line 1 runs north-south from Xinzhuang to the Shanghai Railway Station, with main stops at Xujiahui, Hengshan Lu, Huaihai Lu, and People's Square. Line 2 runs west-east from Zhongshan Park to somewhere in Pudong, tracing Nanjing Lu including Jingan Temple, People's Square, and the Bund. Line 3, the elevated train, skirts the western part of the city from south to north, touching Zhongshan Park, the Railway Station, and Lu Xun Park. I prefer buses to the subway: they're less crowded, they go everywhere, and the scenery's better. Especially on the tourism and air-conditioned buses, one almost always can get a seat. Navigating the bus network does, however, require enough Chinese to recognize your destination on the bus-stop signs. Or invest in the blue-and-orange bilingual Transportation Map available at the Foreign Languages Bookstore. Also, the numerous ferries that cross the Huangpu at various docks are among Shanghai's many little-known delights. Taxis are annoyingly ubiquitous (except when it rains), but very convenient and cheap. Meter starts at 10 RMB, and one can get most places downtown for within 20 RMB. Beware, however, that there are dishonest taxi drivers who will seek to swindle a foreign face, and even more who are just plain clueless and don't know where they're going. Fortunately, the city has instituted a ratings system of up to five stars for taxis: one star is okay, two is decent, three is excellent, and fours and fives are rare enough to draw crowds. Also, to be safe, stick with the big companies - Dazhong, Jinjiang, and Bashi, and to a lesser extent Nonggangshan - as they care about reputation, have strict rules, and will discipline drivers who receive complaints. Another safety measure is to check the number on the license to the right of the driver: if starting with 0 or 1, he's an old timer, but if 22 or above, he's a fresh driver, probably just migrated from Chongming, and has no idea where he's going. Q: What if I don't speak Chinese? A: Basic Mandarin skills immensely improve one's chances of finding work, good housing, and an interesting social life in Shanghai. However, a large proportion - possibly a majority - of foreigners here come speaking little if any Chinese, and many of these manage to build fulfilling lives and careers without ever learning much beyond "taxi and restaurant Chinese". That said, expatriates who can't be bothered to learn the language and go a little local miss out on 90% of the myriad joys Shanghai has to offer. And there's nothing sadder than an expatriate whose spent a decade in China and still can't speak Chinese, so get thee to a language class if you have any self-respect. Q: What is the price of housing in Shanghai? A: It varies amazingly depending on how gullible, lazy, and desperate you are. In other words, whether or not you act like a foreigner. There are people who actually believe the developers' propaganda that property in Shanghai is more expensive than Hong Kong or New York. They are suckers. If you're an expat on a package from a company na?ve enough to still consider Shanghai a hardship assignment, go ahead and waste thousands of USD a month on a suburban villa or a flat in 41 Hengshan Lu or a pink monstrosity in Gubei, but be advised that you could rent a charming historic mansion for the same price. For the rest of us, with more modest finances, Shanghai is full of residential treasures. Many of my friends and I live in incredibly charming 1930s and 1940s flats at a price tag of between 2500-4000 RMB a month. There are problems with older places, like heating and plumbing, but you'll find the same and worse in new Chinese buildings. The trick to finding a bargain rental is to use local agencies, which are everywhere, and to be perseverant. Whatever you do, don't use any of the expat-oriented agencies, which at least double the price tag on every rental they offer. Keep in mind that there is no set standard of what a place should cost, and you'll see much the same caliber of places at 5000 RMB as you would at 3000. A good base to measure cost is 1000 RMB for living room, bathroom and kitchen, then adding another 1000 for each additional room.