The wonderful experience of working in Shanghai
Hi! I’m Yap Kooi Siam, I’m from Malaysia. I never thought that I would work abroad. I was so fortunate to have the opportunity offered to work abroad in Shanghai. This was a life changing experience. While working in Shanghai was one of the best decisions I have made, it was not easy as I had expected- especially in the beginning. I left my home country, my family and friends in September 2014. Packing up all my things into two hand-carry bags, and two checked pieces of luggage was a big struggle. Moving to an unknown city, not knowing anyone; not knowing the surroundings; dealing with unfamiliar people and cultures; coping with totally different climate; not having the same access to internet, websites and social medias as I had from home. These were the challenges I faced in the new environment. Every day was a new adventure that was completely different from my life in my country.
Winter in Shanghai
In Shanghai, it was surprisingly cold in the winter. There is no central heating. The air conditioner was inefficient to keep me warm in my apartment. It was so cold that I was shivering every night. I was touched by the generosity and kindness of my colleagues. They helped me to get all the stuff that I have never used in my life, such as portable electric heaters, lamb’s wool mattress, electric mattress pad, down comforter, and all sorts of winter clothes and down jackets.
Walk in Shanghai
It is very common for the locals to walk from place to place. I prefer to walk in the city when I’m not travelling far. Shanghai is easy to get around, and the streets are generally safe days and nights. I enjoyed walking along Hengshan road during the evenings, especially autumn season when the weather is cool. Hengshan Road is one of the most famous and popular roads in Shanghai. The road was lined with bars, shops, restaurants, boutiques, hotels, and Chinese parasol trees or phoenix trees. It is a quiet spot in the noisy city. It has many European style buildings with small beautiful gardens. Walking down the street gave me a feel of walking through the old time memory of Shanghai French Concession, in touched with its historical features. The walking was enjoyable and a stress relief activity!
Work in Shanghai
I am glad that I’m part of the team to be working in Shanghai. Shanghai is China’s most westernized city. The nature of my work gives me the opportunities to meet and deal with many people from diverse backgrounds. I have developed communication skills and learned to build positive relationships with people from different parts of the world, and Chinese from different ethnic groups.
My recommendation
While I miss home and my family and friends, in Malaysia, I feel that I am gaining so much from my choice to live and work as expatriate in one of the world’s leading, growing, and ever changing cities. My personal experience living and working in Shanghai has been both rewarding and challenging so far. It forces me to adapt to things that are unfamiliar and unusual, traveling, meeting new people, doing things I never imagined myself doing, and so much more. My recommendation to everyone is to take up the challenge and come and work in China when the opportunity comes, and stay as long as can be.