I don't really live in China. Not really. Shanghai, although it is of course in China, is a bit like a bubble. The rules here are a little different; the standard of living, generally speaking, is higher and as a result a wide range of people from all over the world choose to make Shanghai their home. This brings advantages and disadvantages, which I will discuss in a later article.

Let me start here by giving a little background to how I arrived at this booming international city.

It had long been my dream to travel to Asia, with the hope that I could enjoy a few years of peaceful travel and meditation. In 2003 I finally got myself sufficiently organised to save the money I thought I would need for three years of travel in South East Asia. I travelled to Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Cambodia, met some wonderful people, saw sights and did things that I had never imagined I would see or do. However, my budget proved to be woefully inadequate and at the end of my first year, I found I was nearing the end of my savings. I was not at all ready to leave Asia, and certainly not ready to return to the United Kingdom so I started to search in earnest for work which would allow me to stay in the East.

Now let me state at this point that though I had yearned to visit Asia, the one place I knew I did not want to go was China. In my school years, China's image was one of sterile grey buildings, poverty and staunch communism. I should add that I was in school in the '80s so this bleak depiction may have already been somewhat out of date. Still, this was all I knew about the middle kingdom and I had no wish to go there.

What can I tell you? They offered the best financial deal for teaching English!

I arrived in Shanghai having spent some time in less developed areas of Asia and I think this may have been my first major advantage. So many people seem to come here straight from their home countries and the culture shock seems to be their major problem. If you are thinking of coming to China, or perhaps have a job opportunity here, you really must arrive with an open mind, realising that you are in a different continent, let alone a new country. The social rules and norms are far removed from what you may be used to.

You have to accept a lot of this!

There are many complaints, at least initially, about spitting in China. People spit here, it's perfectly normal for them and they may do it anywhere. A taxi driver might spit outside his window, or may even spit inside. People spit on the streets and occasionally in shops. Not everyone does it, and you don't need to expect a constant cacaphony of hawking and expelling. But here's the thing - just because it is not acceptable in your own country, do not expect the Chinese people to change their habits to fit in with you. We are guests here and it is up to us to fit in, not to teach China how another country does things.

In my next article, I will detail a few more hurdles and pitfalls that can easily be avoided, along with some coping strategies for adapting to life in China.

Al McDowall has lived in Shanghai for over four years. He works teaching English, Drama and IT and is also the webmaster for Reddo Chinese Translation. http://reddo-translation.com/