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Q: Anybody for meeting for lunch or drinks in Shanghai?
Hopefully in the Changning area or perhaps Jingan. I could definitely enjoy developing a small group of friends to hang with.
join a gym or go to a local English Corner: it is better to develop friendships organically through shared interests.
Although there is a certain young lady posting on this site who will probably jump at the opportunity to be your friend and more given half the chance.
sorrel:
A local coffee shop might have an English Corner - Universities would mainly cater to students and would be finished now for the summer. Whereas at a coffee shop other working locals and non-teaching foreigners would attend.
BUT
Be prepared to being asked the same questions many times.
It could be a good jumping-off point for social activities and your own circle of friends
Hi sorrel,
Lol. I didn't post looking for hookups but i guess some might take it that way. I'm not a teacher and I don't know anything about English Corner. I was actually hoping there might be an existing group here in Shanghai (perhaps a nice mix of Chinese and expats) that I might find out about here on this site.
I am working so much during the week that I rarely find time to go out and explore even my own neighborhood. But today I have time and that is exactly what I am going to do!
Thanks for your advise. I am planning to join a gym that is only about 10 minute walk from my apartment. But honestly I have almost always belonged to a gym in recent years and even in America rarely ever met new people there that became friends outside of the gym. Maybe that is different here?
sorrel:
i agree, it is more difficult to find sincere friends to hang out with in China than at home: there aren't the resources such as common interest groups to be found.
if you are a foreign guy, locals will more or less view you as either potential marriage material, or an ATM (by local females), or someone to 'exploit' for financial gain (by local males).
It is difficult not to be cynical about why locals want to meet you or be your 'friend'.
Regarding meeting other foreigners, I always avoided the bar/night club scene, but if you are willing to participate in sports, there will probably be plenty of organised sports activities that local foreigners take part in - a city as large as Shanghai is sure to have that.
Maybe the gym you are joining will have a post-board you can place a notice on to meet people with similar interests.
Even, for a non-teacher, an English corner might be another good jump-off point: they are not frequented exclusively by teachers.
Good Luck 
green.dragon:
thanks again sorrel,
You have some good ideas. I will probably eventually make it to the gym although not today!
I will have to research what is English corner. Is that one of those English practice sessions at a college campus?
