What is your name?Cisca
What is your current age or age range?
56
What country are you native to
U.S.A
What area of China do you current live (Providence, City, general area etc.)
Shanghai
How long have you lived in China?
6 years
When you moved to China, did you bring your family? What do they think?
Spouse, at first he was reluctant, now he loves it.
Did you leave your family behind? How do you handle the separation?
Yes, children and grandchildren. It is not easy, we use Skype a lot and try to go back a few times a year or meet each other in different places.
What made you decide to relocate to a different country?
Curiousity about life in China.
Why did you choose China, or what factors helped you to decide to choose China?
I thought that China might at some point become a major world power so I wanted to learn more about the language and the culture.
What other countries did you consider? Why didn't you choose those?
Mexico, I had been there before but thought that China would be more challenging and it has been.
Was it difficult to get the documents you needed to live and/or work there? (residency and/or working permit)
No, we started out as English teachers, the school that hired us did all the initial work for us.
What was the most difficult part of the transition?
The language barrier and learning the cultural nuances
What was the biggest mistake you made in the transition to living in China?
Not spending enough time learning the language prior to coming here.
What was the easiest part of making the transition?
The people are great and very willing to help foreigners. We lived in a small town at first, Zhangjiagang. We met so many wonderful people who are still our friends six years later.
Do you plan on returning to your home country? Why or why not?
Eventually, because our family is there.
Do you miss your family, friends or old home and habits?
Family and friends yes. Other things less so. Our first trip home 6 years ago, we wanted to eat the foods we missed most and stock up on things we could not live without. Now we hardly think about those things.When we go home we no longer need to fullfill our food cravings or bring too many things back from the States.
What do you miss the most about your home country?
Family and friends
Are there the same recreational activities in China?
Pretty much, except for movies. We do get everything on DVD's but it is not the same as watching a movie on the big screen and eating popcorn!
How easy has it been to make new friends in China?
Very, the Chinese people are really eager to make friends with foreigners and we foreigners easily befriend one another.
Do you have many friends from your home country in China?
A few, we really have a more international circle of friends
What are your favorite activities that are available?
Bike riding, going to the gym, swimming, travel around Asia, eating out at great restaurants.
What are the top ten things you miss about the place you left behind?
People, our house, conveniences,books,movies,good wine, food, certain holidays, blue skies and cleaner air,good medical care
What are the top ten things you DON'T miss about the place you left behind?
The homeless, violence, all the gun related accidents, the religious right,road rage, gangs, politics,fast food,
Do you speak the language of China?
Yes
Do you think it is crucial to know the language in China, or can you get by with a handheld translation dictionary for a while?
I learned the language, my husband did not. He gets along just fine. I just think that he misses out on really getting to know the country and its people.But you do not need to know the language to get by in the major city.
Was medical insurance difficult to get before you went or after you first arrived?
No, it was provided for us.
Did you move to your new location after retirement, or are you currently working or looking for work?
We left after retirement, but are currently working. We both found pretty neat jobs.
How do you earn your living in China?
I manage the Shanghai branch of a relocation company in China. We help expats find housing, schools, and anything else that they may need to thrive in China.
Do you generally earn your income the same way, or in the same profession, as in your home country?
No, I was in the food business for over 20 years. It is neat to get to reinvent yourself after retirement
How did you go about finding a job in China? Was it easy or hard to locate work and get a job?
China is hungry for talent and it is pretty easy to find a job. We started out as English teachers, to get our foot in the door so to speak. We then later branched out into jobs that were more suitable for us.
What types of sources did you use to find a job there? (agency, newspaper, website?)
We started out with finding jobs on the internet
If you are telecommuting, what obstacles, if any, did you face in setting up your communication methods?
N/A
Are there local customs that would make it difficult for foreigners to fit in?
Not really. We just try to always be polite and that goes a long way.
What are the top ten things you like about China?
People, how quickly it is growing, rapid changes all around, how well we are treated, the food, it is inexpensive, massages are cheap, the architecture, culture, the history,
What are the top ten things you DON'T like or find strange about China?
People spitting, staring at you, bad air, traffic, people are not used to getting in line, crowded subways-but what can we expect in a city of 20 million people, the different perception of personal space (there is none!)
Do you have plans to move again or travel in the future or what are your future business plans?
Perhaps
Did you buy a new home or did you decide to rent?
We rent
What is the average cost for housing in your area?
The housing in Shanghai for expats varies, if you want to live in an expat compound, the rents will be average about $4000 a month. If you can live in local housing such as ours, you can find a pretty nice place for around $2000. We live in a 3 story penthouse for about $1700 a month
Was it difficult to find housing in your new country?
No, buildings are going up every day.
Is the cost of living comparable to what you experienced before? Explain the difference.
Not at all, we came from San Francisco, California, which has to be one of the most expensive places on the planet to live. Shanghai, which is a very cosmopolitan city is relatively inexpensive, which affords a nice life style, including a daily house keeper, car and driver and lots of travel.
List some things that are more expensive in China
Imported goods,such as food and clothes and automobiles.
List some things that are less expensive in China
Food, household help, travel, rent, tailored made clothing and shoes
How do you feel about the local people? Are they friendly?
We really like them, they are very friendly and loyal as friends
What is the best thing about people in China?
Once they are your friend, they will be a friend for life.
Do you have any suggestions for people who are thinking about moving to China?
Come her with an open mind and you will have a great experience.
What are the good or bad things about living in China?
China is a very large country, your experience will of course depend on the individual. For us the good things have been learning about the culture and meeting the people and enjoying the food. We have seen a lot of changes over the last six years, some
Do you think you will stay in China, or it is not suitable for the long run?
Yes
If you are living there for the short term, what other countries are you considering?
We would love to live here as long as possible, hoping that our good health continues.
Do you have any blogs or websites that you find enjoyable about China for people living there?
Expat Shanghai,That's Shanghai are to very informative web-sites about living in Shanghai
What else would you like to say?
I urge everyone to try living in another country. I was born in Holland and moved to the US in my teens. The last few years in China have added invaluable life experiences.Living in another country is truly a rich and rewarding experience.
Please enter the name of your Blog
http://expatcisca.blogster.com/
Please the url of your Blog
[404 Check: was link to http:/ / blogster. com/ cgi -bin/ blogapp/ blog. cgi, anchor: http://expatcisca.blogster.com/]
Index for 
