The main language in Shanghai, China is Chinese, but there are many dialects of the Chinese language, upwards of 200 different dialects. And while many of the different dialects are similar, there are some people within China who do not understand each other. The main language that is used is Mandarin. However, the written language is universal and everyone can read what is written. Communicating with me consists of a lot of hand gestures and the few key words I've picked up.
Renminbi is the official name of the currency, but yuan is the name of a unit of renminbi currency. You would say, for example, that something costs six RMB, and saying six yuan is also okay. Six yuan is equal to approximately one USD (United States Dollar).
For a standard 16 fluid ounce water bottle, the average price would be about 2.50 yuan or approximately .40 USD (United States Dollar).
The best meal this week was at the local cafeteria on campus. It consisted of a bowl of rice with steamed spinach, green beans, fried eggs, and grilled potatoes with fried chicken on top. It was a very normal meal that doesn’t require me to leave my comfort zone. It only cost 12 yuan, or about two USD.
