Some background / questions / concerns. Please bear with some silly concerns...I'd just rather know more than less!! Since my husband's office is in Pudong, my 4 yr old son has been admitted to the British International School , we would be staying in that area. We have not been able to take a fix on a house as yet. Houses really do seem to be in short supply right now! Is that a fact or should we look at another real estate firm??? Our relocation agent is in the process of showing us a villa in Tomson right now. Had seen one there earlier and liked it, but the deal did not work out…..
We are am not sure about houses being in a short supply there. But Thompson would be very nice and convenient. You can also look at Shimao and Seasons that side. There are very nice apartments by the river side but it will nice for your kids' sake to be in a compound which has small children. You must advice your husband to look at places which has lots of small kids in the pool/play area. Thompson will be the best address-has a nice golf course and club house. But we are not sure how it is small kids wise. Apart from beautiful villas, The Emerald has the big plus point of being close to the British School
On Puxi side you have a wide variety of choice of either living bang in downtown around the lovely French Concession, Nanjing Road , etc. or be on its fringe in Xujiahui area. Lots of expats live in the Gubei/Hongqiao area. If you are keen to be near lots of Indians you can choose to be in the Kingswell or Prince Garden. Also check out the three beautiful compounds offered by Windsor . Right next to the very up market La Chateau. For those of you wanting to be near the American School area in Minhang you have lovely housing to choose from- Forest Manor and Shanghai Racquet Club.
How do you manage without knowing Mandarin or have you learnt the language?
It's a good idea to learn Mandarin –individual lessons are more expensive than group. All the same we know people who manage without the language so it will be totally your own motivation level. It always helps to know the language - at least the basic.
How available and reliable are the domestic workers?
Getting maids is not a problem. The most reliable ones come from a province called Anhui . Most of them don't speak English.
Do they speak English? If not, is it easy to find help that does speak English?
You can find English speaking maids from agencies. You may need to go thru a few if u are not lucky to find a good one the first few rounds. Philippinas are available but with their own visa issues. All the guidance will be available at the agencies.
Can I find a domestic worker who can make Indian food? I realize that one would have to pay more for specialized services. Could you give me a general range of salaries for domestic workers?
You do find some maids who make Indian food. But you will need to be lucky to find one. That means your coming in should coincide with an Indian leaving Shanghai ! She may cost you around RMB 1500+. Otherwise the maid will cost you anything from 600 to 800 RMB. Part-timers are also available from 6 to 15 RMB an hour. The price difference will be dependent on the compound. But as help is available in abundance you have enough scope for negotiating –at least with the lady doing the top job. If you get someone who entertains a lot and finds someone who cooks Indian food, you may just take her on at her asking price! But we have heard that most of the Ayis are very good at following instructions if given clearly and precisely. They will reproduce things you show them exactly as they have been taught which is a great talent and gives one hope. The English speaking maids will be slightly more costly.
One more cost you have to keep in mind it the food. They will make their own mostly and the way it work is that they go and shop for their own veggies and meats when they shop for yours. It costs around approximately RMB 50 per week per head. Part timers bring their own food mostly. Lot of ladies do seem to be managing very well with the mandarin speaking ayis as house work is so repetitive. Although if one is going to leave kids with them it is a good idea to have an English speaking maid thru an agency. But with a good mandarin speaking maid, if you pick up basic mandarin, you will manage very well. The instructions should be very clear and precise and the girl should be smart.
While we are not big on Indian food, I am sure that a local Indian spice supplier would be appreciated. Where do you get your Indian food supplies from?
Please have a roll over stock for 6 months at least. See addresses on the website for stores carrying Indian grocery. Our advice is to bring in rice, dals , ghee, and masalas in your container. Atta is a slightly tricky and may not last in the ship's humid transit. If you negotiate well with landlord you can get an extra fridge to store grocery. It gets very humid here so you do need the fridge to keep the stuff-esp besan/sooji/atta/masalas and dals.. The custom regulations are stricter now. But they may let you pass whenever/if ever they check and are convinced that it is for individual consumption. Paneer is not available here Bhindi/Curry Leaves when available are pretty steeply priced.
How would you rate the medical facilities there in terms of availability, experience and diagnosis?
Medical facilities are ok. At Huashan Hospital and at World Link you will find fully English speaking staff and doctors. (Look at the list given in the Website). Shanghai United Family Hospital in Puxi comes with strong recommendation. Good things have also been heard about Shanghai East in Pudong. We can help you connect with people with small kids for peadiatricians .Dentists are many and pretty good it seems. You may want to think about going back home or abroad for surgeries. We believe that diagnosis may be a problem area. You may hear some horror stories but over all ignore these and focus on the brighter side.
Are emergency medical facilities good?
We don't know. These are the gray areas and a reason why China is still considered a hardship posting. But even in the last two years hospitals are carrying a better look. Chinese are fast learners and things are changing fast. We can understand your anxiety with small kids but be positive and don't worry too much. There are tons of people with small kids here. You will meet them and know them and they will guide you every step of the way.
Are over the counter drugs easily available?
Not really. Some stores carry imported drugs. But do get your own supply of basic medicines-paracetamol, cold and muscle pain relievers, anti allergics, some antibiotics like Ciprofloxacin, stomach stuff and any other medicines you need to take regularly. With the kids you should carry a supply of basic medicines. Please ask your pediatrician to guide you and also your general physician. Take the basic vaccinations at home and come. On your first visit you should go and speak to the pediatrician here and find out about vaccination for your kids. Get a list from the doctor at home about what they need over the period of a few years and cross check with the docs here. Many people buy their medicines / vitamins in India and US or anywhere. Imported drugs may be expensive here.
According to you, what are the "must-gets" other than personal effects and specific medication etc that we should carry from here?
If you wear contacts only soft are available here. Specs are not an issue. We have told you about the medicines above.
Are there a lot of activities / classes that I can enroll my son into? Here he has a swimming instructor, art class, computer class etc.
Check out the website of Active Kidz: www.activekidz.org This is an organization which conducts sports and other activities. Check for the lYou will find English speaking swimming coaches and I do see summer things and activities for kids. There will be plenty of info in the schools so he will be fine.
