Expat: There are places I would expect in NYC and LA, but CQ has them as well!
The convenience of public services
With such numerous changes that spring to mind, we asked Stefan to pick out a few examples that have benefited him most in daily life.
"(Subway) Line 5 is quite convenient for me as it's located near my school. The malls near me have also directly benefited my life. I am looking forward to the expanded food options near my school for some greater lunch and dinner variety."
"I've also enjoyed some of the more boutique shops, especially coffee ones. Weiyi coffee, for example, is near my house and gives me access to freshly roasted coffee, and coffee supplies for drinking at home. The guy who runs the shop also speaks great English, which is another plus for me."
As public services have developed quickly over the past few years, there have also been efforts to make Chongqing more convenient and user friendly to make the city more international. For example, an initial batch of eleven hospitals recently launched 24-hour medical consultation services available in English. The subway transportation lines also offer bilingual signage, machines, and announcements.
When asked whether personal experience matches this description, he was keen to accentuate the examples of transport, hospitals, and child education.
"Yeah, definitely. Transportation is pretty convenient and clean. And it keeps expanding. The hospitals are large, clean, and modern. Even smaller medical needs are pretty easy to satisfy. You don't have to look far to find a place to get prescription glasses."
"Parents here really care about their children's educational progress as well, so you see lots of private academies in each new mall ranging from robotics to dance, along with traditional school subjects. In fact, my own school, TheaCorp, focuses on providing greater flexible use of English for those students who may be interested in studying abroad one day. Parents now don't just care about test scores, but also the general intellectual enrichment of their children."
