I have really enjoyed myself here in Shanghai. I was expecting to like it and instead I have loved it. I have met some wonderful people at both my accommodation and at work. The nightlife is incredible, never experienced anything like it. The city itself is spectacular, I have always lived in a big city, London, but this place really took my breathe away. Skyscrapers everywhere mixed in with old authentic streets. You can feel absorbed in a Buddhist temple and look ahead and see a huge glass skyscraper. It’s bizarre but really interesting. If the hustle and bustle gets too much, Shanghai has some amazing parks, my two favorites being Century Park and my local Zhongshan Park. You can also take short day trips to more scenic locations such as Hangzhou. Its so well connected that its even possible to take weekend trips to places like Beijing.

There is always so much happening in Shanghai, the city feels so energized and alive, you can’t help but feel it rub off on you. I have never been bored here, the metro is simple and accessible so if you have a metro card there is no reason to be bored. If you are worried about a culture shock, no need, Shanghai is very multicultural, may not be on the same scale as London, but nearly every time I am in a carriage in the metro there will be another ethnic minority in there with me. Chinese people are very used to Europeans here, there are large ex pact communities here, so no-one stares at you, I have very rarely felt uncomfortable here.

My work has been a useful step for me in what I want to do in the future, I am so happy I took the opportunity to come and work here, a completely different experience to being a tourist and something I will never forget. It has really made me want to pursue a career that will provide a lot of opportunities abroad.