shakh your bootie

I got asked today if I'd consider doing an assignment there..... With this shitty British winter I'm kinda tempted....

Blue Cat

I have a friend on facebook who I can put you in touch with, she was there for two years with her family, she just said today how much she is missing it

Bahtatboy

A colleague has been here (AD) 6 months now, after a couple of years in Shanghai with his family. He's mentioned a few times that he misses it, especially the cost of living (particularly cost of services) and ease of making things happen. No IBM (insh'Allah, Bukra, Marlesh) there.

Norm_uk

Is it fair to compare Shanghai with Abu Dhabi?

One city is in a developing country that is host to the oldest continuous culture in the world in a civillisation that was up until the 1700s the most advanced technologically for the better part of 2500 years. It's also one of three nations that can put a human in space independently. Despite a fierce reputation as a single party state it's not illegal to sleep with another adult who consents, co-habit or even have children outside of marriage.

The other city is a small oil rich theological monarchy inhabited by people who have an inflated sense of their worth and contribution to humanity. Most work gets done by foreigners who are usually only there for the sunshine and tax breaks. Currently they excel in manufacturing plastic cups and tissue paper and can't grow enough food to support their population. It's presently illegal to co-habit and even kissing in public and land you in jail.



N.

kittycat1

Never lived there but go a fair bit for work, I would recommend the Shangria La hotel (I didn't want to leave!) or the Westin. Shanghai is incredibly busy- especially during the world expo (i like hustle and bustle but that was horrific!).

If you don't speak, read or write the language then make sure you get a driver with the position as you are screwed!

Fab architecture and it has some fab bars and nice things to go and see. Also close to Suzhou which is a lovely city (20 million population.)

I'd be more inclined to relocate to Hong Kong purely because of the communication (well and I prefer it personally) but could well be tempted by Shanghai- you just need to link into the expat community.

It is busy, busy, busy though.

shakh your bootie

Thanks for the tip about the driver - I read on some other expat sites that most people have drivers because of the road signs. Wot? No GPS????!!!!

Off to Paris on Friday to meet the guys setting up the project - hopefully they'll offer me the gig....

The Dean

...... and one has Chinese prostitutes.

The other has.... er.... Chinese prostitutes.........

Madam Medusa

ohhh, sounds fab, syb, good luck...!

MM, xx

Norm_uk

Whilst the elderly and crusty Chinese prostitutes you tend to see in the UAE might be the high point of some expatriates experience here I would say that even this comparison won't work because in Shanghai you'll likely find same half decent looking ladies under 90

Meanwhile all the hardworking normal Chinese women in the UAE have to settle with being compared to crusty old hookers in the York simply because they share nationality with them. Isn't the UAE wonderful?

N.

Bahtatboy

Apparantly there are some 200,000 Chinese in the UAE, although I suppose 95% of them are construction workers. Unless there are multiple versions of the Ally Pally which Millhouse and I haven't discovered yet...

Norm_uk

Indeed, because the 30 girls in Ally Pally and the few hundred probably spread out over other shitty bars in Abu Dhabi are definately indicative of the Chinese construction workers, bankers, business owners, oil & gas companies and hoteliers who work in the UAE

The reason you won't see many Chinese socially here is because of said girls in Ally Pally. A normal, half-respectable Chinese woman will go out once or twice here, get accosted by middle aged drunk Brits and sleazy Arabs who feel they can buy them on the basis on their nationality and then never go out again unless with an armed escort Generally they leave after a few years regardless of how good work is because even grocery shopping is an event where you walk around a supermarket trying to avoid being mistaken for something for sale by men.

N.

Bahtatboy

Its not just that I don't see or meet many socially, but I haven't come across that many in business. Bankers: I doubt they account for that many. Business owners: probably a fair few. O&G: probably a fair few, too, but I haven't met so many. Hoteliers: really? A few chinese bar staff in AD.

Maybe its an old figure and took into account a lot of construction workers in Dubai before it crashed. Nevertheless, unless they're kept under lock and key (which I guess is possible), I'd imagine they'd be more visible, especially of an evening coz they do like a beer or two..

Norm_uk

I know a few socially and have met a number of Chinese business owners in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. They don't tend to socialise like westerners in the same context (pubs, bars etc) - socialising is done over dinner with plenty of tea or booze depending on the time and place and can go on for hours and hours.

Last time I was in Bambu there was at least 15 Chinese men and women sitting around a table eating and drinking like heroes. I chatted to one and found out they all work for an Oil & Gas company I've never heard of here. They tend to get quite loud when drinking, especially the north Chinese (who are usually also of the same average height as Europeans...like just to annoy people who think they are all short or something hehe). Most of the O&G lot don't speak much English well though so you're more likely to meet a translator - also they tend to deal directly with the government here not western concerns.

There's an Embassy in AD and a Consulate in Dubai so I'd say that tells us there's quite a few of them over here. Aren't most of the stores in Dragon mart Chinese owned and run too?

N.

Millhouse

Potentially, yes, but I know that some of staff in dragon mart have other forms of part time work - I was proudly told by a girl in the Trap Bar that 3 days a week she sells garden furniture in dragon mart, so I did the right thing: took her number and bought some garden furniture off her.

The construction workers probably do account for the bulk of them - Samsung tend to use Chinese workers. Although now the Burj is done I wonder where they will be placed next... shit, a Chinese built nuclear power plant. I'll be leaving the gulf the day the fuel rods arrive - 2017 I think.

co durham boy

China State Construction has the most workers in Dubai , they tender for everything and the build quality is shite....and they treat their workers like Dogs.
They've just been kicked off this project in Doha for taking massive shortcuts with concrete structures.

Average wage for them is around 600 AED , not bad if you're a Chinese farmer..!