Great expat-ations

Name: Ingrid Kamphuis

Age: 32

Nationality: The Netherlands

Time spent in China: 7.5 years

Why China?

Since the age of 20, I have been interested in China. Having read several novels and watched movies set in China, I was intrigued by this huge country, which many Europeans like me know so little about. When I turned 25 I decided to move here, drawn by a spirit of adventure.

I arrived with 80 kg of luggage and no job. It was not all that romantic and quite hard when I arrived, but if I were to choose again tomorrow, I would do it all over again.

Doing what?

Working in Shanghai for Shama, a real estate company, as director of sales. We run four serviced apartment buildings in Shanghai and my responsibility is to make sure all our 700 plus apartments are rented out.

Language proficiency?

Dutch is my mother tongue. I am fluent in English and German, and speak basic French and Spanish. My Chinese is "bu cuo". I have taken classes several times over the years and recently picked it up again by studying 30 minutes in the morning before going to work.

Relationship?

I am married. I met my husband Bart back home in the Netherlands in the bar of our student sorority. He is working as operations manager at D.I.S. (Dutch Items Shanghai)

Food?

There are so many choices! I try to eat healthy and eat mostly vegetables and salads when I cook at home. I love Chinese food, in particular Sichuan and Hunan cuisine and eat this at least once a week. Each time I come back from home, I crave for a Chinese meal and head straight to my favorite Chinese restaurant.

Money?

The money is decent and in a way better than back home, because the deductions from the gross salary are less. However, we have to save more here because the company I work for does not have a pension plan.

Future?

The company I work for has just expanded, and plans are to have 30 properties in China by 2011. This spells great opportunities, so for the next few years I would definitely stay.

(China Daily 07/20/2009 page10)