June 2010

This will be our family’s sixth year in Shanghai, making it the longest I’ve lived in a city since leaving my parents’ home in Beijing 21 years ago. For our kids, Shanghai is where they’ve created most of their childhood memories even though they were born in the U.S. However, no matter how long we’ve been here, we always hear the question, “Are you thinking about moving back to the U.S. soon?”  

I DON’T RECALL ever having talked so much about moving plans, mine and others, in any of the five cities I’ve lived. It seems as though the topic of “what to do after Shanghai” is a big piece of the puzzle of life here. At times, the question is not so much about the move itself but instead, “When will we return to a more real world?”

Compared to my life in Shanghai, my parents’ place in Beijing and my sister’s home in Chicago feel more real to me. One reason may be that they don’t take long breaks from their residences at least once a year, another is that they don’t live that differently from the people around them, and yet another reason might be because they don’t feel the need to pack as many activities as they can in their schedules.

Education Equation

Education is a huge consideration when thinking about a move, especially for those of us who have kids in a bilingual or local school. Along with “When will you move back” is the question, “When is the best time to switch to the school system back home?” Even though it’s easy to imagine that China will play an important role globally when our kids enter adulthood, we still assume that a good education is based on international standards.

While learning Mandarin and the experience of having lived in China will surely benefit them in the long run, at a certain point, whether it’s middle school, high school or university, my kids will need to switch to the international system. And when costs of such are put into the equation, moving back home starts looking more like an inevitability.

But things are constantly changing in Shanghai. As with most everything in this city, more school options are opening up each year. International schools are expanding, with their campuses ever more modern and rivaling schools elsewhere. Schools are also acquiring a bigger pool of highly experienced management and teaching personnel. Local schools are also stepping up their game. More such schools are establishing international or bilingual divisions that benefit expat families as well as local families who want to eventually send their kids overseas for future study.

As growth in the education sector catches up with the economy, we’re hopeful that some of the world’s top schools will be at our doorstep. More importantly, these schools will be more common and accessible, helping decrease the distance between local and expat families.

Starting Over

When the time finally comes when we do leave, how long will it take to start over in our new lives? It was longer than expected when we moved to Shanghai. I still remember that after the excitement of getting together with family and childhood friends over a great variety of Chinese meals, we started to crave for a simple good old sandwich.
 
What would we miss once we move away from Shanghai? Our ayi, her homemade dumplings that taste as good as those in our childhood, the 15 Rmb car wash, and of course the friends and families we’ve been so fortunate to have met here. No matter where we go, I’ll always remind myself and the kids of how hard the Chinese children worked on their school work, and how committed their parents were in pushing them to do their best.

Before coming to Shanghai, I rarely paid attention to where my food and water came from. I had forgotten how crowded it could get in China. And I now question the value of high-priced goods and will never pay full retail price for them. I know better! And I know I’ll also miss Shanghai whenever I see a brand new skyscraper.