Shanghai "In Conversation" Views, News & Reviews

[SGPshanghai69]

Originally Posted by tionggoklan

Yo Bro,

Guess most of us sporeans agree that the our local companies offers r damn jialat, and bloody hell, sum1 still can say $600k p.a. is peanut!

From what u say, then yr package is quite good I guess. Hey, it doesn't matter to me whether is 1 lump sum or segregated into diff items, as long as the amt is acceptable, its good enuff. Think really must look for Ang-moh gongsi liao, if not sure let local companies squeeze until flat flat.

To show u my appreciation, (hahaha, yes, me gonna write chinese again), this song is specially for u: (use the tune of 蜗牛与黄鹂鸟， u know, the tune use in that taiwan variety show 综艺大哥大 where the guy try to imitate 张帝 singing）

SGP呀你真行，
解答我所有的问题，
我一定会更加努力，
不然真的说不过去。
希望有天与你相遇，
请你吃饭或lim kopi,
或者也可以一起出去，
去找美眉或KTV，。。。。。。。。。。。。谢。。。谢。。。你！

Bro TGL,
Thank you for your kinds here for me. I'm merely sharing what I have encountered before with u, nothing to it pls.
I perosnally believed that having a job now is a blessing as compared to many outside there in the world, having to look for job aimlessly, without any outcome for months....

Hope you will eventually land yourself a job of your choice in time to come....happy job hunting bro, and once again wishing you best of luck in your new endeavours!

Feel free to email me if you need any further info.
Best regards,

[SuperFriend]

Posted to Shanghai permanently for more than 6 months now, I have discovered one very interesting phenomenon :

Before working in China (before 2004), many friends told me not to disclose your identity as foreigner in order to be safe and not to be cheated by the local Chinese. However, based on my personal experience, if you are working and living in Shanghai, it is sometime positive to let others know that you are from overseas and not one of them, you may get much more respect and better service. Example : my colleague lost his wallet in a taxi, he asked his secretary to track down the driver and guess what, the same night, two policemen (Gong An) visited his house and handover his wallet to him and behave very politely ! According to his secretary, such spacial treatment only because my colleague is a foreigner (Singaporean).

Also, because of my level of understanding in Chinese language as well as my spoken Mandarin, many Chinese people in China mistaken me as local Chinese from China. This has created some problems for me, such as :

* making phone calls to check address, when I told them I am foreigner that do not know the actual location, one guy shouted at me over the phone and said :"U are foreigner ? And you are speaking in PuTongHua ???"

* once I went to a slightly hi-class health centre usually visited by the Japanese, when I change and walk into the main hall, few staff approached me and speak in Japanese : "^%$#@!@$#%$##", I told them in Mandarin : "Sorry, I am not Japanese", guess what ? Their attitude changed suddenly and one guy said, "Oh, he is local Chinese" and seem not so keen to serve me...

* if I goto pubs and KTVs, it is sometimes difficult for the chicks to know that I am actually Singaporean from overseas, many of them thought I am from Southern China. I remember reading one very interesting post from this forum that, in order to woo the chicks in the pub, rule no. 1 is; you must speak "brokern PuTongHua" !

Hence, my advise to bros who like to work in SHANGHAI, especially for those who like to enjoy higher level of service, do not be shy to let them know that you are from overseas. Furthermore, if you are approaching local chicks, convert your standard PuTongHua into Singapore Mandarin + Singlish, you will most likely succeed in the venture !

[nongho]

Good day to all bros...(shengge, shanghaian, SGP, PTR and others)

Pardon me for my late reply.

Thank you all for the insight to the mobile phones market. So HKG does have cheaper mobiles...ok will try to find an excuse to go there if possible...heehee

I'm asking about locally due to the fact my mobile will die on me anytime soon, and I won't be at HKG or SGP when it happens, so i will probably need to get one when my mobile decided to call it quits (hopefully it can still tahan until then)...hahahaha....

I have also heard that laptops are cheaper in HKG too...can have it custom made to ur specification for a laptop....hmm time to make a trip to HKG i guess....

Once again thanks to all bro for the info...

cheers
nongho

[ChinaAlleWay]

Originally Posted by SuperFriend

Posted to Shanghai permanently for more than 6 months now, I have discovered one very interesting phenomenon :

Dear Bro Superfriend,

Firstly, Welcome to China (A Very Complicated place with lots of unbelievable things !) haha
I kinda agreed what most of ur friends said.

Sometimes, the Chinese over here are like very funny, u need to “foloso” them.

Example, like ur experience in the jap hi-class health center, speak to them in English ! they will turn change their attitude towards u 360.
Just turn to them and said 为什么你们中国人那么奇怪 ? they will like, are u some ABC or from other countries.
( even im local chinese, what’s wrong with that ? How I wish I was born in China, ermm, that's another story) Also, is it The way u dress ? Ur way of communicating ?

I also believe that most Shanghai local people or most of them will know that we are from the south based on our accent. (ya 我的祖先是广东,但我以是华义了)

Yes, when they know that we are from oversea’s, of couse, we Might enjoy higher status in da club or some restaurants.

Well, I would still like to keep a low profile in public !

Sorry for my blunt comments on e sunday morning!
If any guys are offended, pls correct me !

[nongho]

Originally Posted by SGPshanghai69

Bro TGL,
U r most welcoem bro. Nothing to it pls...merely sharing with u the info I got from the website that's all.

Indeed SGP firms offer the worst of it here for SGPoreans expats to be here, heard alot from my clients & friends. Which is also why this time round I stick to working for foreign firms (i.e.ang-mohs firms, not even HKG or TPE firms!)....SGP firms here are simply looking for SGPoreans to 'squeeze' from like 'sponge' to them bro..agreed totally with u! Like what u said Bro TGL, SGP firms are simply 'buay gan'!!!!

The so-called 'local' packages foreign firms that r offering to expats like us here are usually a total package amount inclusive of wage, housing, annual home trips & income taxation taken care of. That's what it is for my present package whom my an-moh boss offered me. In terms on an overall amount, it is definitely alot more than alot of SGP firms would offer!

Hope the above helps bro.
Regards,

Bro TGL,

I would like to add on to what Bro SGP had said recounting from my own personal experience.
I do agree that most SGP firms or chinese firms are a bit ngeuw (stingy), its like no different that u look for a job here. Thats why when I started looking, I target those ang mo and international firms.

Like what Bro SGP had said, the so call 'local' packages are inclusive of all the things mentioned. But don't forget you are getting a higher wage than the locals here. Moreover as Singaporeans, we are bilingual which give us a good advantage. My basic wage would be a bit more than anything I can find in SGP. For me I don't even spend a single cent a day as I walk to work which is only 10mins from my place and lunch boxes is provided for, I go home for dinner, so I don't spend anything during my work week.

Back to job hunting, I did my search on the net as well. Send out my resume and got calls the following week. Yes I must say it does have an advantage if you are here. I went to about 5 interviews and got 3 offers. But my current company is the one I had been eyeing badly due to the fact its walking distance from my place..haha....

But let me warn you in advance. Some companies I went to may have international ang mo names but they are somehow not affliated to the parent company. They are using the name only and work more on their own. Example like the name is international ang mo firm but the boss is a local chinese. 1 such firm even dare to offer me a local 'local' pay package. I asked him to go and fly kite (but politely).

I reckon it also depends on what kind of industries you are in. Different industries and company may have different criteria. I'm not in any manufacturing or sales so I may not know.

job 163

Baile

Shanghai Job

Job 51

HR

Above are some websites for you to start with if you are serious. International firms do advertise in it too. If you are really serious, send out your CVs via email and see if there is any response, making it clear to them that you are in S'pore. Then try to arrange all the interviews within a week appropriate to your schedule. Make a trip down and go for the interviews at one go. If you have not come to Shanghai before its good to come down and take a look (as well as take a break from Spore...heehee). Take a look at your prospective offices, location, get a feel of living in Shanghai. It also shows your future employer that you are sincere and serious about the job. And hopefully something good will turn out from this trip.

I hope this can be of some help to you.

Cheers
nongho

[shengge]

Originally Posted by nongho

I would like to add on to what Bro SGP had said recounting from my own personal experience.
job 163
Baile
Shanghai Job
Job 51
HR

Hi,
Finally you are back. I am waiting for you to share on ths topic.
Well Glad to see you again.

Cheers!
SG

[shengge]

Originally Posted by ChinaAlleWay

I kinda agreed what most of ur friends said.
Well, I would still like to keep a low profile in public !

Dear Bro ChinaAlleWay,
I agree with both of u, each has its pro and cons. Sometimes, speaking English can really get job done much faster.
It looks like you have been settling down very well, know how to rebut to their questions. It is always good to use our + points to our advantages, but it also mean inviting risk.
It is not abt our language that help us to woo the girl, just that most ladies are keen to know foreigners. If you think further, what else do they have in mind, especially those working on night shift type.....gang du or (tai)-bazi?
After all, we speak Mandarin to make friends.

Rgds,
SG

[ChinaAlleWay]

Originally Posted by shengge

Dear Bro ChinaAlleWay,
I agree with both of u, each has its pro and cons. Sometimes, speaking English can really get job done much faster.
It looks like you have been settling down very well, know how to rebut to their questions. It is always good to use our + points to our advantages, but it also mean inviting risk.
It is not abt our language that help us to woo the girl, just that most ladies are keen to know foreigners. If you think further, what else do they have in mind, especially those working on night shift type.....gang du or (tai)-bazi?
After all, we speak Mandarin to make friends.

Rgds,
SG

Haha.. Bro Shengge, thanks for the points...
just read the asiaone "Ugly China tourists: Why are they like that?"
"Ms Yang Jian, 30, a clerk from Shanghai who is on a two-day stopover here, has an interesting take on her countrymen's behaviour. She said China tourists may come across as aggressive because they feel that they are being snubbed.

'If anything, it's the Singapore sales staff who think they're too good to serve us. It's exactly how Shanghainese sales staff would treat those from the poorer provinces upon hearing their accents.'

well, at the end of the day, what type of things you really want ?

hmmm.... interesting conversation !! haha...

Brdgs,
china china !

[tionggoklan]

Bro Nongho,

侬好，tk u very much for yr help also for providing the job site below, n will heed yr adv pertaining to the arrangement if can get interview over there.

Well, Shanghai is not totally alien to me though it changes at a really amazing rate over the yrs. I was once based there in the 90s n also went there twice for biz trips in 2001.

During that time, I was staying at 虹桥路 in 闵行区，behind was actually farm lands. However, in 2001 when I pass by the 延安高架 in a cab, I can see that area has been converted into residential estate wif endless buildings in sight, really fantastic man!

Originally Posted by nongho

Bro TGL,

I would like to add on to what Bro SGP had said recounting from my own personal experience. ..............................

job 163

Baile

Shanghai Job

Job 51

HR

Above are some websites for you to start with if you are serious. International firms do advertise in it too. If you are really serious, send out your CVs via email and see if there is any response, making it clear to them that you are in S'pore. Then try to arrange all the interviews within a week appropriate to your schedule. Make a trip down and go for the interviews at one go. If you have not come to Shanghai before its good to come down and take a look (as well as take a break from Spore...heehee). Take a look at your prospective offices, location, get a feel of living in Shanghai. It also shows your future employer that you are sincere and serious about the job. And hopefully something good will turn out from this trip.

I hope this can be of some help to you.

Cheers
nongho

[tionggoklan]

Bro ChinaAlleWay,

I agree wif u too, though my personal exp. is quite sumtime back oreli.

In foreign land, it is good to keep a low profile so as not to invite unnecessary attention. As the saying goes, 入乡随俗，otherwise, u might be a big sore in the locals' eyes. Especially when I take a cab, if the driver ask me if I'm from Southern china based on my accent, I will definitely say yes, I'm from FuJian n cum to shanghai regularly, if not he might take me on a merry-go-round.

Of course, if we r at places where mostly foreigners go, then it's ok to admit u r 1 so as to get the deserved treatment. But still, i will talk to them in PutongHua, to show them that we r not unfamiliar wif their national lang. Hahaha, but can't do that in Shanghaiese cos still dunno the lang well.

Also, when I go out, I dress very normal like a local, cos I'm usually alone, so it is very advisable not to get those unwanted attention. Though never see it in Shanghai, but when I was stationed in Beijing, ever see a youngster pickpocketing a lady handbag in broad daylight abt 50m in front of me. I actually wanted to do sumthing but my local colleague stop me, asking me not to cos these ppl usually got a gang ard, they r ppl from 新疆， and they carry dagger wif them, so even the GongAn also dun dare to interfere. So if u dress chincai chincai, usually u wun be the target.

Originally Posted by ChinaAlleWay

Dear Bro Superfriend,

Firstly, Welcome to China (A Very Complicated place with lots of unbelievable things !) haha
I kinda agreed what most of ur friends said................................Yes, when they know that we are from oversea’s, of couse, we Might enjoy higher status in da club or some restaurants.

Well, I would still like to keep a low profile in public !

Sorry for my blunt comments on e sunday morning!
If any guys are offended, pls correct me !

Originally Posted by caffeine

Anywayzz I'll look forward to going back soon and meeting all of u again... for the cook-in and the parties... heehee
caff

I must be one of the lucky gers to have enjoy meals cooked by three wonderful chefs.. too bad i cant be around for the next "cook-in" storm session.. but hey guys, many thanks!

Gosh.. loved the delicious spicy curry made by Sha69 and yummy pork chops by caff.. wat's more can a ger asked for right..

[nongho]

Originally Posted by shengge

Hi,
Finally you are back. I am waiting for you to share on ths topic.
Well Glad to see you again.

Cheers!
SG

Hi Bro shengge,

Thank you for the welcome.
Bo bian leh...u know my problem....thats why need laptop lor....
Glad I can share with the bros out here....

cheers
nongho

[SuperFriend]

I am adopting different strategy when taking taxi in Shanghai (pls note, only in SHA), when I usually tell them I am foreigner if they start asking me which route to go, since in the first place, I am not bother about the additional RMB10 or RMB30 if he were to charge me extra to go via long-cut, however, I always give them a very harsh lecture (in proper standard PuTongHua) when they commit the following acts :

* keep telling me not so sure about how to goto the destination
* winding down the window with no air-con
* smelly and dirty taxi (such as smoking in the car)

I believe probably I have "lectured" more than 30-40 taxi drivers so far in the last 6 months in SHA due to the above "sins", and I have also provided them benchmarking between taxi drivers in Singapore, HKG, Seoul and +++yo, telling them what are the basic expectations that business travellers like us will demand from taxi drivers in SHA. So far my strategy is working, I have since gathered a list of 4 taxi drivers in which they are providing excellent professional service to me and my overseas colleagues, such as; airport pickup at PuDong (including carrying our luggage), waiting for us for a few hours at different office locations, searching & recommending fun and happening places, etc.

Different people have different survival skills in the great China, so far my strategy of identifying myself as foreigner does work for me very well because I can communicate quite fluently (100% no English word used) and minimum foreigner accent, may be because of that, I can understand clearly what they trying to do, hence, so far my stay in SHA is quite an effective and enjoyable one !

[QUOTE=tionggoklan]Bro ChinaAlleWay,

I agree wif u too, though my personal exp. is quite sumtime back oreli.

In foreign land, it is good to keep a low profile so as not to invite unnecessary attention. As the saying goes, 入乡随俗，otherwise, u might be a big sore in the locals' eyes. Especially when I take a cab, if the driver ask me if I'm from Southern china based on my accent, I will definitely say yes, I'm from FuJian n cum to shanghai regularly, if not he might take me on a merry-go-round.

Of course, if we r at places where mostly foreigners go, then it's ok to admit u r 1 so as to get the deserved treatment. But still, i will talk to them in PutongHua, to show them that we r not unfamiliar wif their national lang. Hahaha, but can't do that in Shanghaiese cos still dunno the lang well.

[tionggoklan]

Originally Posted by SuperFriend

...............Also, because of my level of understanding in Chinese language as well as my spoken Mandarin, many Chinese people in China mistaken me as local Chinese from China. This has created some problems for me, such as :

* making phone calls to check address, when I told them I am foreigner that do not know the actual location, one guy shouted at me over the phone and said :"U are foreigner ? And you are speaking in PuTongHua ???" .......................

Bro,

Since u mentioned that yr spoken Mandarin is good, should have bombarded the bloody guy over the phone wif this:

"汝言差矣！正所谓，知己知彼，百战不贻。汝之言犹如孩童，吾不愿与汝论之，速去唤你主来！“

Then I think the guy sure blur n dunno what to say.

[nongho]

Bro tionggoklan,

Hope you find the links useful.

Well since you are not new to Shanghai, then I'm sure you would be able to find and feel your way around.

I wish the best to you in what you are searching for. Hope you can join the bros here in Shanghai soon.

Cheers
nongho