In preparation for this trip, I spent a lot of time reading about Shanghai, living abroad, expat life, etc. I think I spent a couple months just trying to figure out exactly what I was getting myself into with this move.

Some people may say, “where’s the surprise?! This takes all the fun out of experiencing a new culture.” Well, there’ll be enough surprises to work through. In fact, I think the quote below accurately describes the new trials I’ll be facing:

(Photo from hunterlytravels.com)

Here are a few things that I’ve read that were interesting/surprising/shocking:
– There’s no concept of a personal bubble. This makes sense as there’s a crazy amount of people living in Shanghai. How crazy is that amount? Well, there are about 24 MILLION people living in the 2,700 square miles of Shanghai. That’s roughly the same population as the whole state of Texas (27 million), which is 268,000 square miles!
– Air quality is an issue, particularly in the winter months. This is mostly due to the reliance on coal to heat the cities. In December 2015, they had “Airpocalypse” when the AQI (air quality index) reached new levels and hit over 300 (hazardous level). Schools and construction were stopped. This is why vogmasks are a thing. Look it up.
– The Golden Shield Project aka The Great Firewall of China. Because China is a communist country, censorship prevails. Some of my “I’m bored” or “I’m procrastinating” websites (Facebook, Instagram, Gmail, Netflix, YouTube) are blocked because of this. Praise the Lord that Pinterest is not blocked. Maybe being blocked would be a good thing…it would keep me from wasting time on the internet! Most expats get around this Firewall with a Virtual Private Network (VPN). It’s been recommended that I set one up before I leave…that’s probably good advice…
– Spitting in public is common. I read about this. A LOT. Seriously, every expat website and blog I read mentioned this. I think this will be a case of “knowing” versus “seeing”…I might know that it will happen, and yet still be shocked when I see it.
– The Avocado Lady. She’s another constant repeat on Shanghai expat websites. She has an open air store on the Puxi side of Shanghai that sells a number of imported grocery items, but she’s most well known for selling avocados at a reasonable price. I think her and I will become good friends. 🙂
– “Split crotch pants” are used instead of diapers. An old-world style of potty training dating all the way back to the Qing Dynasty. The method behind this training is that the adult looks for signs that the baby may need to go to the bathroom, help the baby squat (wherever they may be), and then make a slight whistle or Ssss sound to signal that it’s time to go to the bathroom. Apparently, it’s effective. Diapers are becoming more common, but it looks like it’s a method still used by a number of local families; so, we’ll see how many little baby bums are running around town…
– Ayis. This word translates to “auntie” and is essentially the term for a maid. For about US$4-5/hour, you can have someone come and clean your apartment and wash your clothes. As clothes dryers are basically non-existent, everyone has to air dry their washed clothes. I dislike doing laundry greatly and I only have to do it for one person. For this reason alone, I will hire an ayi when I get there. This is definitely going to be a new experience!
– People staring and taking pictures of expats. I’ve heard about this, and experienced it in my own travels to Japan and Hong Kong. Being a ginger will make me a bit of a unicorn, I imagine. With Shanghai having a lot of expats, I suspect this won’t be as big an issue, but we’ll see.
– Fabric markets can make basically any clothing item you want. This I’m most excited to try…but I also think it’s something that can easily overwhelm me with options. I already have a hard enough time picking clothes that are already made, let alone choosing fabric and deciding on every detail of the garment.
– Disneyland is coming to Shanghai! My Disney-nerd genes are showing. So excited. Scheduled to open in mid-June 2016. I can almost guarantee I’ll be there within the first month I arrive.

We’ll see what else is surprises me when I arrive. I am fully prepared to experience the wonder and the frustration of walking into the unknown. I’m ready for my “whole existence to become a series of interesting guesses.”