Shanghai
This is a much much procrastinated and delayed blog.... about travel and survival tips. I'm starting with Shanghai and will try to work backwards to the other countries of the past.Now in shanghai for the last 2 months.... average temperature of below 5 celsius. Officially declared winter 1 month ago. Based in Pudong, in Jin Xiao area..... a part industrial, office and residential area.
Ok ..... tips and my favorites to date :-
Pudong Shopping centers - Nextage mall/Yaohan (Dongchang Rd station), Superbrand mall (Lujiazui station), Thumb plaza (not near any station... closest would be Science center)
Puxi Shopping centers - Grand Gateway mall (Xujiahui station), City Plaza (Jingan temple station), Parkson (Shanxi station)
Shopping bazaars/streets - Huahai Rd, Shanxi Rd, Xintiandi and Nanjing East Rd in Puxi.
Restaurants - Shanghai uncle (Times square Pudong), Taishengyuan (XinJiao area in Pudong), HK restaurant 8th floor Nextage mall in Pudong, Portugese restaurant basement of Times Square in Huahai Rd, Puxi, HK restaurant in basement of City Plaza
Nightclubs - Park 97 (Fuxing park)
Sightseeing - The Bund, Nanjing Road East, Yu Garden, Xiangyang market
- Always take free english magazines, maps and guides from airports, tourist centers, hotel lobbies, western cafes. They are very good source of local information with index of places of many categories. Examples are City Weekend, That's Shanghai, Shanghai Biz, etc.
- Try to take cabs which do not have alphabet X in plate no..... X indicates private cabs which may mean poorer or dodgy service ie. no guarantee. Try to avoid peak hours eg. Friday nights, rainy days or after work-hours for cabs.
- To go outstation/interstate, use trains or Shanghai sightseeing bus center (brochure should be available at most major hotel lobbies). For trains, try to book in advance via designated areas around city ... otherwise, you have to join the maddening/uncivilised queues at stations. For train tickets, pay more for the 'soft seats' option or you will be stuck with the peasants/farmers/you-name-it less fortunate..... your choice of comfort or shock treatment. For a taste, the station or the gates should be enough shock treatment. Another option is to ask for seats which have fixed tables for eating food.... these seats layout is 2 facing 2. For waiting of gate opening, look for the comfort/luxury waiting lounge. It may be next to your train gate or somewhere else. You may have to pay RMB10 per person to enter a more civilised lounge ie. sofas, free tea, advanced entry to train tracks.... much much stress free... no rushing or worrying about crowds. Food and drinks are served in trains... prices are not marked up ridiculously, so forget about stocking up prior inconveniently... you are not going to save that much.
- For internet access, most hotels provide free broadband. Otherwise, find free wifi areas eg. starbucks and cafes around town.
- Receipts ('FA PIAO') are issued upon request from anywhere eg. cabs, restaurants, shops. Receipts from restaurants are from china tax system and looks like a lottery ticket of sorts. The ticket consists of a main portion and a docket (right side). Scratch off the grey area on the docket for a possible prize (which i think is a billion to one odds).
- Amounts in text description are not the usual chinese characters. I'm not chinese educated but I did know the basic chinese characters for 1, 2, 3, etc.. At first, I was confused... wondering why I can't see the texts for the amounts... but was told that they are printed in complex characters instead.
- For meals, avoid queues by eating later. After 7:30pm or 8pm, should be fine. Otherwise, join in the queues.
Things I didn't know about Shanghai :-
- Pedestrians are in danger of being knocked over at every crossing. It's not the right-hand driving which I keep forgetting. It's the priority of roads to cars turning-right at any junction regardless of red or green light to walk!
- Locals talk loud (especially women) and high pitch pronouncing certain words! Can’t tell if anyone is arguing or just casual talking at times.
- Females are the fiercest I've seen, arguing for anything under the sky that doesn't meet their 'high' standards. I've seen so many outdoor arguments here that's beyond reasoning and at the smallest scale request.
- There are very few good looking girls. For a population of millions, it’s rare to see few outdoors. Perhaps, they are hidden and being groomed for millionaires.
- Standard of living here is not as high as Hong Kong. 12" pizza averages at RMB80, dimsum at RMB15 to 20 per serving, fast food value meals from RMB20 to RMB30, nice dinner for 2 ranges from RMB100 to RMB300, food court sets starts at RMB15 above, Starbucks at RMB40, cabfare starts at RMB10 for first 3 km, 4 star hotel rooms at average RMB500 to RMB700.
- Cover charge at popular clubs range around RMB100 per head! Average price of drinks range around RMB50.
- Shanghai is boring. Shopping can’t even beat KL… brands and quality lack innovation. Sights are no biggie and not even representative of chinese culture
- Western influence in consumerism is still new and ripe for any new ventures…. Lack of big english bookshops (eg. Borders, Kinokuniya, Times, etc.), CD/DVD shops (eg. HMV, Tower records, etc.), fastfood, Hard Rock café, consumer products eg. Kelloggs cereals, etc. Imported goods are sold at very high premiums. It’s ridiculous to see maggi noodles at RMB20 (for 6 packets), kelloggs cornflakes at RMB40+, Lurpak butter at RMB10, twisties at RMB10, etc..
- Lots of bad drivers…. reckless and irresponsible. Drivers use the horns as often as they change gears, but nobody cares, the horns fall on deaf ears
- For a supposedly modern/metro city, the cabs are in bad shape and small. Cab drivers are examples of low mentality services around. They are supposed to be the experts on the road eg. Know the fastest route, know every major street, etc… but instead they will turn around to ask you back. So arm yourself with a good map and a clear idea of your destination. They want the exact stop…. they don’t condone cruising roads till you find your stop!!
- Rice is not common in restaurants! People eat dishes only. Ordering rice means getting the rice late… midway through the course after much reminding (do they cook on the spot?). And to think rice was supposed to be the staple food for chinese. Perhaps rice is only for dining at home.
- Lots of uncivilised people especially in queues. For a preview, check out the train station ticket counter or any check out counter. Don’t even think about taxi queues, especially during peak hours or rainy season….. it’s everyone to their own… pushing and shoving, standing as near to the beginning of the road.
- For a preview of all levels of society, try taking an inter-state train. Waiting at the departure gate would make anyone cringe or be on high alert. To escape it all, wait at the vip lounge (pay additional RMB10 each)…. Free tea, sofas, priority access to trains, less crowds.
- Knockoffs are cheap eg. DVD at RMB5 each, hardcover books at RMB40, etc…… especially at infamous Xiangyang market, a haven for foreigners laughing and holding on the cheap garbage black bags full of ’souvenirs’. Great fun having branded goods at your cheap disposal without feeling guilty, great bargains
In lesser hectic areas eg. Pudong, electric bicycles and motorbikes are common. - All restaurants and takeouts provide delivery service.
- Air quality is bad. Everything is mucky, gloomy and dirty looking. Cars never looked their worst except here.
- Parks here are not just trees and plants for the romantics and peace-loving. Parks are multi-functional…. a cross between wildlife parks, miniature golf, boat rides, amusement parks/rides, etc..
- ‘Herd’ mentality is everywhere. Places are packed for no reason. So, don’t follow the crowd, it doesn’t mean that the place is good. Examples are snack/tidbit shops on Nanjing East Road… madness. These shops are available elsewhere and not as packed.
- It’s not worth travelling when in china…. free and easy. It’s better to arrange a full tour package from home and with english speaking guides… lovely.
- Lots of touting everywhere … especially in tourist areas eg. Bund, Xiangyang market, etc..
Inside subway trains are like Paris ie. beggars, performers, vendors, etc.. - Damn youngsters giving out business cards are a pain… they slip cards into your hands, pockets, bags… even desperately throw them on your lap.
- Despite the horror stories of locals behaviour, it is a nice surprise that subway passengers are courteous enough to give in their seats to women with babies…. all the time!! Nothing like pretentious developing countries eg. London, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong.
- Chinese food that didn’t originate from Shanghai much less China (not heard of) eg. Yee sang, arrowhead chips (nga koo), sticky pudding (leen koh)
- Chinese new year customs are different here. CNY is called Spring festival here. Chap Goh Mei is called
- Lantern festival here (kids light up lanterns). God of fortune is expected on 5th night (not eve night). Angpow is only for the young and unemployed (average of RMB100 each!). House visiting is not common amongst friends unless invited or have function. Gambling is not common except for mahjong for the elderly.
- Everything is made in china, but that does not mean it’s available for china and even so, not cheap! The irony.
- I thought censorship was only in malaysia but even more here…. Internet, news and tv/movies. Even internet traffic is controlled despite having ‘unlimited access’
- Broadband is everywhere... never have I seen it being offered free so easily at hotels, cafes, etc.
- Food deliveries are everywhere.... if you see a restaurant/deli near your home, high chance they deliver to your doorstep either free or minimal fee
- Parks are very entertaining... not just greeneries, but with amusement parks, boat rides, wildlife, games, etc..
- Trendy and well designed chinese restaurants.... a treat for young couples/families
- Karaoke concept is totally different… for certain establishments (not all) eg. Haoledi. Drinks, snacks and food are bought from outside. A supermarket of such is set up at front of establishment for such. So, push the trolley, carry the basket… load up and bring to the vip rooms. Fun! No more feeling of being ripped-off with marked up prices.
- Most japanese restaurants offer choice of alacarte (average of RMB50 - 100 p/p) or all-you-can-eat/drink (average of RMB150 p/p). Based on multiple tries, I find the quality of the food differs in both choices. Latter choice has not so fresh/quality sashimi, depending on establishments. But given the proper establishments, the latter is really worth the yuan for big appetites and wider choices in one seating.
- Receipts (FA PIOW) are encouraged by government, to be requested by patrons. Incentive is cash prizes by scratch method like quick lottery. I had the luck to win twice RMB5 and claimable immediately from the restaurant … hahaha
You know you have been in China for too long when...
1.The footprints on the toilet seat are your own.
2.You no longer wait in line, but go immediately to the head of the queue.
3.You stop at the top or bottom of an escalator to plan your day.
4.It becomes exciting to see if you can get on the lift before anyone can get off.
5.It is no longer surprising that the only decision made at a meeting is the time and venue for the next meeting.
6.You rank the decision making abilities of your staff by how long it takes them to reply "Up To You".
7.You no longer wonder how someone who earns US$ 400.00 per month can drive a Mercedes.
8.You accept the fact that you have to queue to get a number for the next queue.
9.You accept without question the mechanic's analysis that the car is "Broken" and that it will cost you a lot of money to get it "Fixed".
10.You find that it saves time to stand and retrieve your hand luggage while the plane is on final approach.
11.You can shake your hands almost perfectly dry before wiping them on your trousers, or you have your suits made with terrycloth pockets.
12.A T-Bone steak with rice sounds just fine.
13.You believe everything you read in the local newspaper.
14.You regard traffic signals, stop signs, and copy watch peddlers with equal disdain.
15.You have developed an uncontrollable urge to follow people carrying small flags.
16.When listening to the pilot prove he cannot speak English, you no longer wonder if he can understand the air traffic controller.
17.You regard it as part of the adventure when the waiter correctly repeats your order and the cook makes something completely different.
18.You have more knick-knacks than your grandmother.
19.You are not surprised when three men with a ladder show up to change a light bulb.
20.You blow your nose or spit on the restaurant floor (of course after making a loud hocking noise)
21.You look over people's shoulder to see what they are reading
22.You throw your trash out the window of your house, your car or bus you´are on
23.You would rather SMS someone than actually meet to talk 'face to face'
24.You wear nylons when it is 30 degrees outside
25.You honk your horn at people because they are in your way as you drive down the sidewalk
26.You regularly fumble for five minutes to find 10 jiao despite 10 people waiting in line behind you
27.One of your fingernails is an inch long
28.You ride around on your bicycle ringing a bell for some unknown f***ing reason
29.In a meeting you say everything will be 'wonderful' and give no details.
30.You forget that the other person needs to finish speaking before you can start
31.You burp in any situation and don't care.
32.You see one foreign person eating Pineapple (or whatever) and say "Yes, all foreign people like Pineapple"
33.You start to watch CCTV9 and feel warm and comforted by the ream
48.You take a nap while you are dining in a restaurant with your girlfriend/boyfriend
49.Just everything produced in your home town is "very famous in China"
50.You don't do any favours without wondering what your personal benefit could be
51.You understand all the above listed references
53. You vomit irrespective of where you are
54. You have no problems watching your waitress pick her nose or the cook smoking a cig while preparing your meal.
55. When you chain smoke and carry a little leather man handbag, complete with a matching phone holder.
56. Motorcycles, mopeds no longer bother you on the sidewalk!!!
56. Instead of calmly asking a question, you, oblivious to others shout for no necessary reason at the person right next to you in the office so that everyone can hear you.
58. you are the LAST expat left of the first group of friends you met here
59. You wear your pajamas outside.
60. Your T.V is always on and at full volume.
61. Your pinky nail is 2 inches long, so you can clean the wax from your ears while on the bus
62. You let your two and a half yr old kid set off some bangers/fireworks in the vein hope that the 'money god' will bring you fortune this year
63. the live seafood is flapping on the supermarket floor and you don't flinch when it is picked up and directly put back in the tank. You don't even get out of the way of the one trying to catch it.
64. You can't believe that construction workers in other countries don't wear suits while mixing cement/pushing wheel barrels around or while drilling holes in the middle of busy roads during rush hour.
65. You can perform a cheek lifting fart without embarrassment in any place.
Some informative websites on shanghai...
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/shanghai/0717023877.html
Extract from frommers.... something I never got down to doing...
[i]Huangpu River Cruise
The Huángpu River (Huángpu Jiang) is the city's shipping artery both to the East China Sea and to the mouth of the Yángzi River, which the Huángpu joins 29km (18 miles) north of downtown Shànghai. It has also become a demarcating line between two Shànghais, east and west, past and future. On its western shore, the colonial landmarks of the Bund serve as a reminder of Shànghai's 19th-century struggle to reclaim a waterfront from the bogs of this river (which originates in nearby Dianshan Hú or Lake Dianshan); on the eastern shore, the steel and glass skyscrapers of the Pudong New Area point to a burgeoning financial empire of the future.
The Huángpu's wharves are the most fascinating in China. The port handles the cargo coming out of the interior from Nánjing, Wuhàn, and other Yángzi River ports, including Chóngqìng, 2,415km (1,500 miles) deep into Sìchuan Province. From Shànghai, which produces plenty of industrial and commercial products in its own right, as much as a third of China's trade with the rest of the world is conducted each year. A boat ride on the Huángpu is highly recommended: not only does it provide unrivalled postcard views of Shànghai past and future, but it'll also afford you a closer look at this dynamic waterway that makes Shànghai flow.
Essentials--There are several ways to tour the Huángpu River. If you have time, a 3 1/2-hour (60km/37-mile) voyage along the Huángpu to the mouth of the Yángzi River and back allows for the most leisurely and complete appreciation of the river. There are also shorter river cruises (1-2 hr.) that ply the main waterfront area between the two suspension bridges, Yángpu Qiáo in the north and Nánpu Qiáo in the south, and an even shorter (30-min.) cruise from Pudong.
Several boat companies offer cruises, but the main one is the Shànghai Huángpu River Cruise Company (Shànghai Pujiang Yóulan), at Zhongshan Dong Èr Lù 219 (tel. 021/6374-4461), located on the southern end of the Bund Promenade; there's another office further north at Zhongshan Dong Èr Lù 153. They have a daily full 3 1/2-hour afternoon cruise (2-5:30pm) with the possibility of a full morning cruise during the summer. Prices for this cruise start at ¥70 ($9) and top out at ¥120 ($15), with the best ticket offering the most comfortable seats on the top deck, the best views, and drinks and snacks. This company also offers a nightly hour-long cruise from the Bund to the Yángpu Bridge (7 and 8:30pm) and another to the Lúpu Bridge in the south (7:30 and 9pm). Prices range from ¥35 to ¥70 ($4.30-$9). As well, there are hour-long cruises (¥25-¥35/$3-$4.50) on weekdays running every 2 to 3 hours between 9:30am and 10pm. Cruise schedules vary depending on the season, and on weekends additional cruises are sometimes added, so check ahead. Tickets can be purchased at the above offices or through your hotel desk.
Cruising the Huángpu--Between the stately colonial edifices along the Bund, the glittering skyscrapers on the eastern shore of Pudong, and the unceasing river traffic, there is plenty to keep your eyes from ever resting. Even on overcast days (the norm in Shànghai), the single greatest piece of eye candy as your boat pulls away is undoubtedly still the granite offices, banks, consulates, and hotels that comprise the Bund. Sadly for purists these days, however, the Peace Hotel with its stunning green pyramid roof and the Customs House with its big clock tower no longer have your undivided attention but have to compete with the towering 21st-century space-age skyscrapers that have sprouted in the background. Up close, though, the grandeur of the Bund is still undeniable.
As the ship heads north, downstream, it passes Huángpu Park across from the Peace Hotel, still considered by many to be the loveliest piece of architecture in Shànghai. Others prefer the architectural perfection of the Jin Mào Tower on the opposite shore; it's certainly hard to take your eyes off the Jin Mào as it tapers majestically upwards. Also on the Pudong shore are the can't-miss Oriental Pearl Tower, the Shànghai International Convention Center with its twin glass globes, and a slew of hotels, offices, and malls of the Lùjiazui Financial Area.
Back on the western shore, north of Huángpu Park is Suzhou Creek (Suzhou Hé), formerly called the Wúsong River. Originating in Tài Hú (Lake Tài), the 120km-long (72-mile) river was once much busier than the Huángpu, but silting in the lower reaches eventually diminished water traffic. The creek is spanned by Wàibáidù Bridge, which once linked the American concession in the north (today's Hóngkou District) and the British concession south of the creek. Eighteen meters (60 ft.) wide, with two 51m-long (171-ft.) spans, this bridge has seen all forms of traffic, from rickshaws to trams to motorcars. Elderly Shanghainese still recall the days of the Japanese occupation when they had to bow to Japanese sentries guarding the bridge and seek special permission to cross.
North of the Suzhou Creek hugging the west shore are the old "go-downs" or warehouses of the many foreign trading firms. This area, known as Hóngkou District, and the district to the east, Yángpu District, have been marked for rapid development after Pudong, though new modern towers (all no more than 3 years old) have already started to stake out the skyline. Less than a mile further on is the International Passenger Terminal, where cruise ships from Japan tie up. The Huángpu River jogs east at this point on its way to the Shànghai shipyards, where cranes and derricks load and unload the daily logjam of freighters from the world's other shipping giants (United States, Japan, Russia, Norway). Eventually, all of this waterfront will be developed into a series of marinas and a combination of industrial and recreational areas.
Before the Huángpu slowly begins to curve northward again, you'll pass the English castle-style Yángshùpu Water Plant originally built by the British in 1882. The Yángpu Cable Bridge, like the Nánpu Cable Bridge to the south, is one of the largest such structures in the world. Boasting the longest span in the world, some 602m (1,975 ft.), the Yángpu Bridge is considered the world's first "slant-stretched" bridge. Its total length is about 7.6km (4 3/4 miles), and 50,000 vehicles pass over its six lanes daily.
What overwhelms river passengers even more than the long industrial shoreline is the traffic slinking up and down the waterway from the flotilla of river barges to the large rusting hulls of cargo ships. The Huángpu is, on the average, just 183m (600 ft.) wide, but more than 2,000 oceangoing ships compete with the 20,000 barges, fishing junks, and rowboats that ply the Huángpu every year. As the river curves north, you'll pass the small island, Fùxing Dao, which is to be developed into an ecological and recreational theme park.
The Huángpu eventually empties into the mighty Yángzi River at Wúsong Kou, where the water during high tide turns three distinct colors, marking the confluence of the Yángzi (yellow), the Huángpu (gray), and the South China Sea (green). Before this, there's an ancient Wúsong Fort, from which the Chinese fought the British in 1842. The passenger terminal (Wúsong Passenger Terminal; tel. 021/5657-5500) for Yángzi River cruises is also here. This marks the end of Shànghai's little river and the beginning of China's largest one. As your tour boat pivots slowly back into the narrowing passageway of the Huángpu, you can look forward to a return trip that should be more relaxed.
Quick Cruise from Pudong--A brief (30-min.) but dramatic cruise along the Huángpu can be picked up on the Pudong side of the river. The cruise won't get you far, only upriver to the old Shíliùpu Wharf and back,15 minutes each way, but the cityscapes on both sides will give you a sweeping perspective of Shànghai old and new.
Tickets for the Pudong cruise can be purchased at the Oriental Pearl TV Tower ticket booth or at a kiosk near the dock (Dongfang Míngzhú Yóulan Matóu; tel. 021/5879-1888) on Fenghé Lù. To reach the dock, walk along the northwest side of the TV Tower grounds on Fenghé Lù, past the Insect Museum and the twin-globed Convention Center, straight on to the right-hand side of the sail-shaped pavilion on the river shore. Departures are 10, 11am, noon, 2, 3, and 4pm (more may be added during peak times); tickets are ¥30 to ¥40 ($4-$5). There are also night cruises (¥50/$6) departing nightly at 7 and 8pm from May to October.[/i]
