English here, there, and everywhere

The English situation in Shanghai is interesting - it's far more common than I thought, better than in Tokyo. This is especially true in nearly every Western or foreigner-facing establishment, partly because English can simply be a job requirement (even for bus-boys at some restaurants). I do wish the tax drivers spoke English - in Beijing they are taking courses to learn something like 1,000 mandatory phrases before the Olympics in 2008.

But beyond that, the government is working hard on English, including what seems to be a mandate that nearly all signs be in English. And I mean all - elevator permit, fire hose reels, electrical cabinets in obscure places, etc.

An interesting side note - the Shanghai government just banned signs that are English-only, requiring the Chinese equivalent be included. I'm not sure how this fits in for Starbucks or other western establishments, but we'll see.