Growing up in China as an Expat Kid

Holland, Chongqing, Guangzhou then Shanghai. The very special journey of the Hoffman family, who first came to China in 2008 when daughters Romy and Sanne were only four and six years old, reveals much about the joys and difficulties of settling and attending school as a young family in the mobility world. Mother Asha and her two daughters join us this week to share their personal insights into everything to do with life as an expat, from navigating Chinese traffic to the importance of community and the creation of a familiar home atmosphere in the process of settling.  

Moving from Tier 2 China to the sprawling, global metropolis of Shanghai, the trilingual Hoffman daughters share their varied schooling experiences and thoughts on the importance of learning Chinese. They discuss too the differences between expat community sizes and the importance of selecting the right compound, before recalling the exciting opportunities for travel across Asia both with school and for leisure as a family based in China. This interview comes at a time when eldest daughter Sanne is considering universities abroad, and she closes the discussion with her thoughts on how her experience in an expat family has helped her become an adaptable and international citizen.