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aussiefamily
Lurker
Joined: Feb 20, 2008
Posts: 26
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July 13, 2008 - 02:39 PM |
 
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| Post subject: newly arrived in shanghai! |
Hi,
We have made it! just arrived in shanghai, pudong to be exact last week and we will be moving into our house in Seasons Villas hopefully next week as we are staying in a hotel till then. I am very keen to meet up with other mums with children as it has been very exciting but very daunting at the same time!
My son will be attending YCIS grade 1 in August, and i also have a 2 1/2yr old son. One of our great difficulties have being trying to get around with 2 boys in tow, we have been lucky to have a driver these past few days provided by my husbands work which made it a little easier. We did catch a taxi to the superbrand mall as it was not far from us and even though i swore i wouldnt catch a taxi due to the fact of not having any seatbelts we thought we would try it as we were not going far. How do people handle the no seat belts in taxis? are there any other options of getting around apart from the obvious driver and car. We have thought about it but we wouldnt need one all day and its a bit of a waste for us as the driver would be sitting around most of the day....
Thank you all in advance for your advise! |
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monalisalee
Rocker
Joined: May 10, 2005
Posts: 643
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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July 13, 2008 - 03:50 PM |
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Welcome Aussie family. actually I am from across the ditch as you can see by the avotar, but been here more than 4 years, and learnt many things the hard way. Anything you need to know just p.m. me There is lots of good info' for you on this site.
The most important thing is to keep your sense of humour, and take the good with the bad, and you will be fine.
Yes, like you, I was appalled at no seat belts in most of the taxis. Bit different back home. Heavy fines for not wearing them, and the driver pays if his/her passengers are not using belts. Just have to accept it and hope the law changes eventually.
Good Luck.
John. |
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johnboy88 |
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yu888
Board Deity
Joined: Jan 25, 2003
Posts: 18042
Location: ZhongShanParkArea SH
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July 14, 2008 - 04:06 PM |
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The seatbelts thing is really interesting. Same laws in the US, tighter actually with car seats now required in some states for kids up to 80 pounds i think. But a few things that we do have to our advantage and thats within town the speeds are a bit slower, and as frantic as the traffic seems, most drivers here really are more alert than they are back home.
On a side not, I grew up in a no-seatbelts period inthe IS as did many of my friends...its just a slow evolution process... we made it, so will our kids.
Other than that, welcome to Shanghai!  |
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Thoughts & updates about Shanghai On my Blog for more details:Random Thoughts about Living in Shanghai...and more |
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Sirva2008
Squeeker
Joined: July 14, 2008
Posts: 12
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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July 14, 2008 - 04:30 PM |
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Welcome to Shanghai. Just noticed you will move to Season Villa, heard many expats love to stay there, but still a few big MNCs try to blacklisted it due to the potentiona property sale, maintance issues etc. Besides that, it is really a nice compound to live.
Hey, u should at lease be happy the company provids transportation with a driver. TRUST me, sooooo difficult to grab a cab when Shanghai rains, and local folks will directly cut in front of you. |
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aussiefamily
Lurker
Joined: Feb 20, 2008
Posts: 26
Status: Offline
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July 14, 2008 - 08:23 PM |
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Thank you for all your thoughts, lack of seat belts are a worry but today we had to go in a taxi for our health checks for our visa and well the person from my husbands work who was escorting us there turned up in a taxi and we had no choice but to go. We survived and i must say i do marvel at the near misses we had all the way there, it trully is amazing they dont hit each other! |
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p1atl10
Board Royalty
Joined: Mar 18, 2005
Posts: 6293
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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July 14, 2008 - 11:02 PM |
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Give it a year...what seem like near misses by "western" standards are just normal traffic flow here.
You will become oblivious to it eventually....just another day. Yawn.
Noticed it one day when I had a friend in Shanghai in a tax for the first time for him. I have been here 3+ years.
We were driving down the road in what I have become accustomed to as the "Shanghai Style"....no big deal. Just another taxi ride.
Looked over and both of his hands were "white knuckling" it on the door handle....
BTW...never been in a fender bender yet... |
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Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer.....Dave Barry |
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MoonOverMiami
Raver
Joined: Jan 07, 2008
Posts: 461
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July 14, 2008 - 11:28 PM |
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Welcome to Shanghai!!!
No worries on the taxi drivers, or drivers in China. Control chaos is the best way to describe it.
Another thing you will need to get used to is when you go out to a restaurant with your entire family, they only give you one menu. What's that all about? Been here for nearly 2 years now and still not used to it.  |
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"One who falls asleep with an itchy backside, will wake up with smelly fingers..." |
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yu888
Board Deity
Joined: Jan 25, 2003
Posts: 18042
Location: ZhongShanParkArea SH
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July 15, 2008 - 02:00 AM |
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yeah, just ask for more menus. some places are starting to at least not l;ook at me funny when I ask for more than one menu. |
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p1atl10
Board Royalty
Joined: Mar 18, 2005
Posts: 6293
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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July 15, 2008 - 06:53 AM |
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^ Are you sure they are looking funny at you because of the menu?
 |
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Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer.....Dave Barry |
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yu888
Board Deity
Joined: Jan 25, 2003
Posts: 18042
Location: ZhongShanParkArea SH
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July 15, 2008 - 08:44 AM |
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caramello
Seeker
Joined: Apr 17, 2008
Posts: 70
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July 17, 2008 - 06:51 AM |
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i don't mean to sound like a kill joy but i have to disagree with almost everyone else here... 
i see a LOT of accidents on the roads here and plenty involving Taxis...
they look minor in most (but not all cases) and are often rear end collisions on the highway. But they would certainly kill a small child not wearing a belt when he or she hit the dash board. I KNOW I sound like an over-protective mum but i would not risk it, get the driver.
And yes i do let my kids climb trees, ride bikes, play in the park dig in the dirt
Shanghai has MUCH to offer |
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yu888
Board Deity
Joined: Jan 25, 2003
Posts: 18042
Location: ZhongShanParkArea SH
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July 17, 2008 - 12:06 PM |
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^ agree actually. My comments were limited to taxis in town. Highways speeds are a whole other ball of wax. ideally, a driver with car seat. But its rather challenging at times for the local runs so its a hard choice we need to face as parents. Again, I grew up in an era when seatbelts were not required and cars travelled 80-100mph on the highways, even my mum did it once with snow tires on no less! Anyhow, nothing wrong with being protective. |
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Thoughts & updates about Shanghai On my Blog for more details:Random Thoughts about Living in Shanghai...and more |
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etm
Barker
Joined: May 17, 2005
Posts: 127
Location: Shanghai, China
Status: Offline
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July 17, 2008 - 01:33 PM |
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As many others have said before, you get used to the no seatbelt thing after a while. I just hang on to my kids whenever we are in a taxi and touch wood, no mishaps in the 4 years we have been here.
Seasons Villa is a nice place I hear, I know of a few families moving in there this summer. We live in Yanlord Town which is not far from you, just after Thumb Plaza. If you have any questions about the area and where to find what, feel free to PM me.
esther |
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MikeinChina
Lurker
Joined: Aug 04, 2007
Posts: 27
Status: Offline
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July 20, 2008 - 09:17 PM |
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I have lived in Jin Qiao for 1 year with my wife and 8 and 11 yearold boys. the SAFEST place i've lived in 40 years!! With the exception of crossing the street (remember they turn right on red, do not slow down and YOU do not have the right of way even if your walk light is green).
There are very few Expat families with kids here over the summer, they escape the heat and go home. 1-2 weeks before school starts they swarm in. For those that do stay, a good place or 2 to find them is 1) blue frog in Jin Qiao as it has an outdoor playground for all the kids, 2) Cafe Du Monde 2nd floor outside in Thumb Plaza, 2) flying Fox in Jin Qiao with a wooden swing set.
Mike |
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ladylady
Barker
Joined: Aug 29, 2007
Posts: 152
Status: Offline
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July 20, 2008 - 10:32 PM |
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About the driver having to wait around... I still often feel uncomfortable making him sit around and wait for me, but my husband assures me that this is normal and that the driver will consider it his job - so if the company is paying for it - take the driver! |
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aussie4
Newbie
Joined: July 24, 2008
Posts: 3
Status: Offline
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July 24, 2008 - 06:10 PM |
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Hi aussiefamily,
We are Australian too, from Sydney, and will move to Shanghai (or Shangers as my husband and I have nicknamed it!!) in September. We just returned last week from a house hunting trip and I loved it. I was so apprehensive but am now so excited. We will be living at Willowbrook or Vizcaya (still negotiating) and our two sons will be going to Concordia. They are 5 1/2 and 4. So funny you mentioned the seat belts. We had a driver last week and everytime we got in the car we put our seat belts on and then tried to work out how we would put the boys car seats in. I too felt bad about the driver hanging around waiting for us - but to be honest - loved getting into a nice cool car after walking around in 37 degree heat.
Hope you are enjoying it, we can't wait to get there.
Cheers
Nicole |
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madeinoz
Newbie
Joined: Oct 30, 2008
Posts: 6
Status: Offline
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Oct 30, 2008 - 12:58 AM |
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Hi Aussie family, welcome to Shanghai. I, myself moved to Shanghai from beautiful sunny Sydney following my husband relocation last year.
Hope you enjoy your stay in Shanghai and if you do miss Aussie food like we used to be, please come and visit our restaurant, which I and some friend started and just open last week, serving Aussie food like fish and chips, pie, oz burger, pavlova, lamington, etc.
It's called Sydney Restaurant & Lounge, you can check it out on [http://www.syd-ney.cn]
We also have kids play area (indoor sand pit) which I think would charmed your sons as it would to my daughter.
Again, welcome to Shanghai, hope you enjoy it! |
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SnappySammy
Board Legend
Joined: Nov 01, 2007
Posts: 10108
Status: Offline
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Oct 30, 2008 - 01:49 AM |
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| p1atl10 wrote: |
^ Are you sure they are looking funny at you because of the menu?
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I think it might be the double doo rags....
Do you think Mrs Yu also wears a doo rag... |
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Yank My Doodle It's A Dandy |
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SnappySammy
Board Legend
Joined: Nov 01, 2007
Posts: 10108
Status: Offline
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Oct 30, 2008 - 01:53 AM |
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| yu888 wrote: |
| ^ agree actually. My comments were limited to taxis in town. Highways speeds are a whole other ball of wax. ideally, a driver with car seat. But its rather challenging at times for the local runs so its a hard choice we need to face as parents. Again, I grew up in an era when seatbelts were not required and cars travelled 80-100mph on the highways, even my mum did it once with snow tires on no less! Anyhow, nothing wrong with being protective. |
Wow your mom was a lead foot....I forgot about snow tires, and chains... |
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Yank My Doodle It's A Dandy |
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SnappySammy
Board Legend
Joined: Nov 01, 2007
Posts: 10108
Status: Offline
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Oct 30, 2008 - 01:57 AM |
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| MoonOverMiami wrote: |
Welcome to Shanghai!!!
No worries on the taxi drivers, or drivers in China. Control chaos is the best way to describe it.
Another thing you will need to get used to is when you go out to a restaurant with your entire family, they only give you one menu. What's that all about? Been here for nearly 2 years now and still not used to it. |
The Tour Tip of the day...Try asking for more menus...
I'm not sure how it works, but I think when a family or group of Chinese people go out, only one person does all the ordering.... I know when I go out, one person does the ordering, and never ask anybody what they want..there's always plenty of food and many different dishes... |
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