13/10/2026
Being French and living in Shanghai: what does it really mean?
In September 2017, I arrived in China to pursue an MBA in Digital Marketing and Business. I didn’t speak a word of Chinese.
Very quickly, I discovered that expatriate life unfolds through the most ordinary tasks: finding an apartment, opening a bank account, getting a SIM card, applying for a residence permit… even finding a supermarket.
So much could be organised before arrival. Yet once there, I had to understand, ask questions, check details and take action in a language I didn’t speak. In my everyday interactions, English often wasn’t enough.
At the bank, I faced official documents and technical vocabulary I couldn’t understand. What felt routine in France became a source of stress in Shanghai.
So I studied Chinese alongside my MBA. To become more independent, but also to connect with the people around me.
Gradually, I learned to observe differently: how trust is built, how requests are made, what is expressed directly and what must be understood through context. These lessons changed how I lived and approached business.
For a while, I distanced myself from my French culture to make more room for Chinese culture. Then I realised I could embrace one while keeping the other.
I remained French. My perspective was enriched by another culture.
Living in Shanghai meant learning to navigate an environment whose unwritten rules I didn’t yet understand—and accepting that I was a beginner again.
That experience opened a door to my future. Today, it informs my work with expatriate founders, CEOs and leaders: behind every move abroad is a person rebuilding their bearings, their confidence and their way of connecting with others.
Florence Rouchy | THE COACH 🌍
