The Shanghai Expat

Engaging and revealing, this chronicle of Victor arriving in Shanghai with the global economy in a slump and nothing more than a suitcase and a pocket full of dreams is a story about opportunity, determination, pursuing love and finding your way in the Pearl of Asia.

It’s September 2008, and Victor is an International Business and Management graduate with study and internship experiences gained in four continents. With the global economy in a slump, the job market for graduates is doomed. Where powerhouse China is still delivering substantial economic growth, Shanghai might provide him with the best opportunity to establish a successful career. He has only one objective though; re-joining Philips, the company where he did his graduation internship.

But moving from a village with three-thousand people to Shanghai with it's twenty-four million people is quite a significant change. And thereby his height, blue eyes, and long eyelashes provide him with a high profile presence. Join Victor on a journey of starting over in China’s biggest city and a global financial hub. A city where the gap between success and failure is extremely close and family traditions weigh heavier than love. A part-time teaching job can open the door to a billionaire’s office, and a random Shanghai subway ride can lead to a meet and greet with your favourite British rock band in Beijing.

Can Victor resist the temptations of a city that never sleeps and pursue his dreams?