In case you haven’t guessed it by reading some of the past articles here–such as my review of Jim Bainbridge’s Above the Sea: Expat in China in March and my spotlight on Dan Washburn’s site Shanghai Diaries in April–Shanghai is now the-place-to-be in terms of the Asian Economic Boom. (In fact, it may be the only place in Asia where the economy is booming.)
Ready to pack your suitcases and rush off to make your fortune in Shanghai?
Whoa, hang on a minute. Let’s be practical. Where are you going to stay? Where will you make business contacts with other foreigners once you’re there? How are you going to find out the best places to eat, drink, and be merry?
Not as easy to pack up and move to Shanghai as you thought, eh?
Not to worry, it’s the web site Shanghai Expat to the rescue!
Shanghai Expat is one of the most comprehensive and active “online communities” for foreigners who live - or are thinking about living - in Shanghai. Far from being a mere list of statistics and links, the site includes housing listings, job listings, restaurant reviews for the greater Shanghai area, personal ads (such as “Looking for a nice girl to share some laughs”), tips for shopping in Shanghai, suggestions for making the best of your sight-seeing time, and much more. In the site’s forum, you can even ask questions about moving to or living in Shanghai and get a flurry of answers from folks already living and working there.
July 2003
