Cultural Hub

My favorite thing about living in Shanghai, thus far, is its fascinatingly diverse expat population. I've never been to such an international city that has so much to offer. Timeout, a local expat magazine in Shanghai, stated that the foreign population here is over 200,000 and growing fast. My roommate and I were talking the other day about how we feel Shanghai is the cultural hub of the world. We have met people here from all over, from Russia to Africa and Argentina to Lebanon. In fact, in the last few weeks, we have met at least one person from every continent in the world (minus Antarctica). It's exciting to hear about what has brought everyone to Shanghai. Some are here passing by on business trips, some also to teach English, some to attend one of the universities and some -like my friend from Melbourne, Australia- have moved out here on a whim just to see what all the hype is really about.

There is a palpable energy here that I would best describe as opportunity meets hustle. The endless opportunity for foreigners, especially English speaking Westernes, has drawn expats to Shanghai for countless reasons, but everyone seems to have come to become apart of one of the fastest economic booms the world has ever seen. Jobs are abundant here. And people work hard. If you're looking to make money teaching English, it's not uncommon for job offers to come to you, without even having to search for them. Chinese parents enroll their four-year-olds into extra English Sunday classes before their children even know how to correctly use Chinese tones. Everybody is searching for an English tutor and they're willing to pay extra for a foreigner. As a result, the demand for foreign English teachers is through the roof. If you're willing to put in extra time and, often times, cut your weekends short, there is money to be made.

The best part about being part of such a massive foreign community, are the hundreds of restaurants, clubs and shops that are directed towards Westerners. Several local magazines, written for expats, keep everyone in the know about the newest openings and latest events. On any given night, there are a ton of bars and clubs packed with people from around the world. Although Western food is significantly more expensive than the local Chinese cuisine, sometimes it is just necessary. After being surrounded my millions of Chinese people everyday, there is nothing like the feeling of escaping to Element Fresh, where I am able to enjoy some peace and quiet, a more familiar western crowd and a nice salad.