Australian.
My husband (of about 6 weeks) has been offered a job (within the same company) in Shanghai. (we live in Sydney). He has accepted it and can start when he likes but has told them early May (to give him/us a month to finalise stuff back home and move and stuff).
My sister has previously lived there and everyone who I've spoken to about it (and read online in expat blogs/sites) says that the summer is horrid with an average of 90% humidity. For even a normal healthy person this is bad, but I suffer from a weird kind of eczema (dyshidrotic/pompholyx) on my hands and fingers and this ONLY flares up when the humidity level rises above a certain level (about 70 or 75%). a good example of this is, we went to Brisbane in January and the whole week I was there I had this hideous, intensely itchy rash but as soon as I came back to Sydney it died down. We recently had our honeymoon to Hawaii an I was fine on Oahu but as soon as we go to the Big Island the eczema started up and then died down when we got back to Honolulu. No I am not kidding!
I have a LONG history of asthma, allergies, hayfever and anything related to that.
I'm also not liking the prospect of mosquitos in the hot humid summer as I am extremely allergic and the bites swell up huge, not to mention are extremely painful and itchy and red.
OK.
Now my dilemma is this. I want to, and I know I should be with my (new) husband but the thought of THREE MONTHS of this skin-allergy hell (1 week is already hell enough) would drive me to tears. I guess I would be housebound forever with the air-conditioning.
So my thoughts were:
1) I could go over there and stay for as long as I could bare it, then come back, then go over in late Sept or Oct when the weather became nice again.
2) I could not go until September (but then I wouldn't see him for 4 months!!)
3) My other dilemma is. He will be there for over a year, at least until the Beijing Olympics, if not later. Since Beijing is also horrendous during the summer (June, July, Aug) I don't know what to do. (the Olympics are in August, typical!).
4) Meanwhile I don't know what to do about my own job/career and also we will try to start having kids but don't know how to fit all of this in :(
5) I'm not even sure if I am allowed to live there automatically just cos I'm his spouse? How does this work?
I just don't know what to do, I can't sleep at night thinking about it all. Thanks.
That's a real problem! Unless you stayed inside in AC comfort until the fall. Humidity will last longer than September.
Didn't he think about this when he accepted the job???? I think he ought to pass on the job. He DOES have you now and you ought to be more important.
You can get a spousal visa through his work.
Hope you can work something out. Isn't there any sort of shots or meds you can take?
Hi Ruth. Did you used to be called Ruth in China? :)
Yes we both knew about my probs prior to acception the job. He was understanding but I insisted he go. It's been a dream of his to work in an Asian country, having been fascinated with all things Asian (my background in Chinese/Taiwanese although I grew up in Australia) and wanting to learn more of the language. His company also gave him a very attractive package so I guess it was too good to pass up!
Unfortunately I have researched my problem - it is ONLY caused by humidity so I can't prevent it from happening other than avoiding humid places for the rest of my life :( what can I say other than it sux having these shitty (rare) health problems!!
Not to add to your tales of woe, but I've spent the last decade of my life in VERY humid cities (Hong Kong, Houston, TX) - and even I find the humidity in Shanghai unbearable in the summer.
Beijing isn't actually humid - it's pretty dry (it's in a desert) - but the pollution and sandstorms are pretty awful too.
Are there any sorts of topical or oral solutions? I have really bad hayfever - but I can control it in Asia with eye drops and Claritin.
We get that yellow sand from China (thanks, guys!) over here in Japan, and it is awful! I have never had allergies until I came to Japan and have to deal with that sand every year! Amazing! There is a lot of industry in Asia, plus an abnormal amount of dust. Makes life very difficult for allergy sufferers or people with asthma.
I'd go with option 1. Then return when things get better. Absence can make the heart fonder. However, do make a trip or two back during the year for short stays.
You never know, maybe the Chinese traditional medicine will be helpful.
Yes, you are correct in that #1 use to be Ruth in China and has now returned to Canada.
Since you are both talking and trusting I would also consider just staying in Australia to continue in your current job. It may come in handy.
...and no one's mentioned the "Plum Rains" that begin in late spring/early summer and last for 3 weeks to a month. Yeah, it rains a lot, but worse, the air is incredibly heavy with moisture. Even if it's breezy and tepid (not warm, not cool), it's still stuffy as hell, sometimes suffocatingly so. I'm not in Shanghai, but that doesn't matter: the whole Lower Yangtze region gets to enjoy this annual rite.
and the winters are even more unpleasant. Did you know? Most expat postings fail due to marital conflicts.
way to get Camelina all fired up about living in Shanghai. I think our work is done here.
Although, I don't think this:
<blockquote>Quote
<hr>Most expat postings fail due to marital conflicts<hr></blockquote>
is true. Perhaps "many" or "a good number" . . . or "a good number of those that fail, fail due to marital conflicts"
As others have said above, you're likely to have problems, no way of knowing until you go over and check it out. As for your thoughts 4 and 5--for goodness' sake hold off having kids until you either know you can live in China, or his assignment in China is over in 2008. Don't compound your potential problems. As a spouse of someone on assignment in China, you would also be entitled to a visa/residence permit same as your husband--his company should take care of this for both of you--with the residence permit (usually for 1 year at a time), you can come and go from China as you please. You would be able to work if you can find a company to hire you, but sounds like you should sort out your health issues first. BTW, if you have this kind of history of environmental sensitivities, you may find the polluted air gets you before the eczema does. Sorry to not be very positive on all this.
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