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Margery Marshall
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backGLOBALtalk July, 2012
Making The Move To: Shanghai
What makes you want to move to Shanghai?” asked James Gooding, general manager of Santa Fe Shanghai, during my initial job interview. I told him I had heard so much about Shanghai: its culture, its people and, of course, the rapid economic developments. I wanted to experience it all myself, to live in a city that forms part of the 1.3 billion population of China and soak up the best (and try to manage the worst) of Shanghai. It must have somehow worked, because here I am!
When Santa Fe offered me a position as immigration manager in Shanghai, however, I could not imagine how challenging it would be to move to another city when you know very little of it and have no friends there. It took me quite a while to decide to make the move.
I’ll never forget my first impression of Shanghai during my “look-see” trip in November 2010. With 23 million people, Shanghai is the largest city proper in the world. I found the city huge, colorful, and exotic. There were endless roads, and even more endless seas of people.
I am originally from Malaysia and until 2008, had spent my entire life there. But I often thought of what it would be like to live in other regions, and that December, I took my first step out of my beloved home country and moved to Singapore. Although this neighboring country wasn’t far, moving for the first time was exciting. It was easy, too; my personal belongings fit in two suitcases. It took me less than a week to learn my way around Singapore and at the time, I had no intention of moving again for a while.
There were some clear differences between my first move and my second. For one thing, I no longer was a light traveler. My two-suitcase life was a thing of the past. But I had wonderful support, and all my personal belongings were efficiently packed for delivery to me in Shanghai. The Santa Fe staff in Shanghai told me my belongings could not be shipped until my work permit and residence permit in China were ready. As a rookie mover, I was glad to have this important information. I knew what I absolutely needed to take with me and what could wait.
Finding A Home
When I arrived, I was provided temporary accommodations at a hotel near my office. Then I began my search for a home. That was a new experience, but with the expert help of one of our company relocation consultants, I managed to find a two-bedroom apartment only a five-minute walk from the office.
I came away from my home search experience with good lessons. It’s important to be very selective and clear about the kind of accommodation you want, especially in an unfamiliar country with extreme weather conditions. Just imagine being stuck in a disappointing living situation and adapting to a new work environment at the same time. I think I would be utterly miserable. Fortunately for me, I had a pleasant experience and found a home away from home.
Coming from a different organizational background and culture, my new role was definitely an eye-opener. In my work, I am responsible for managing and developing the visa and immigration business in Shanghai, as well as in China’s central and southern cities. It was helpful to go through the visa and immigration process myself in China. I understand more fully what my clients face and can share my experience with them.
Making Adjustments
Having always lived in cities with year-round tropical weather, it took some time to adjust to Shanghai’s climate. I enjoyed the mid-range warm and cool weather, but was certainly not a fan of the strong breeze and polluted air, the former for messing up my hair and the latter for a host of reasons.
With all the transitions to go through, I will admit that my first month as an assignee was rather bumpy. Besides living in a new culture and climate, I was adapting to a new work environment, getting to know new colleagues, and digesting new information, responsibilities, and challenges. But with a focused two-week training session provided by my company, I pulled through and got to know my team and organization better.
In a great opportunity from Santa Fe China Chairman Mdm Wang Fangqiao, I visited Santa Fe Beijing, where I learned about Santa Fe’s internal policies and operations. This trip was priceless to me as an assignee. It helped me understand the big picture of our company’s moving and relocation business in the region as well as globally.
Relocating here (so far!) seems like a good decision. From the wonderful shopping and entertainment in Xintiandi to the riverfront architecture of the Bund to the fabulous dumplings, Shanghai has so much to offer. Apart from experiencing the occasional culture shocks, I constantly remind myself to look forward to what the future has to offer and embrace every single moment to make it an exciting, unforgettable experience. I am fortunate to be part of the mobile talent population and am definitely excited to be part of the constant growth of our company. I look forward to one day proudly proclaiming, “I love Shanghai!”
Source: Mobility magazine - GAI
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