I was first introduced to MyChinaStart.com about a month ago by my buddy fiLi (his Chinalyst blog aggregator was interviewed on MyChinaStart).
Then, today I heard from (the recently repatriated) Meg at Violet Eclipse that there was a PayPerPost opportunity related to it. The opportunity is done, so I wont get the offered $5.50 for this, but true to my disclosure statement, this is something I would have (and am) posting about anyway.
Now, I’m no stranger to site’s about China for expats, and I dig MyChinaStart. Maybe it’s the simple name, the direct design, I dunno, but clicking through the pages is nice and straight-forward. The one “draw-back” is that there is truckloads of information and it can be a bit overwhelming. This isn’t necessarily the fault of the site, just the fact that there’s lots to know about this vast country (a fact that keeps me guessing every time I leave my apartment).
The site operates in a directory fashion, and is loaded with boxes; you just find the box that interests you and start clicking. The site’s maintainer (whom I could find no information on) seems to have a knack for collecting links about China, packing them in little orange boxes and giving them as gifts to needly laowai. I don’t know if this format of organization will work as the site grows to include every link about China ever recorded anywhere… but it works for now.
Also, MyChinaStart offers a rather comprehensive China Expat section, listing a variety of links geared toward us that are stuck here.
