Life in the Fast Lane

A nearly $10 for 8 minutes, I had high expectation when I went Go Carting at the Disk Kart Indoor Carting (www.kartingchina.com) in Shanghai (809 Zao Yang Road behind East China University and near Chang Feng Park). It well exceeding my expectations. It was an adrenalin rush like I haven't experienced in decades. Eight minutes seemed more like an hour. The speed, the hairpin curves, the competition, it all comes together for 8 minutes of pure fun.

Four of us tried our hand at Go Carting. We bought 10 tickets and got 2 free tickets, giving each of us 3 heats. Buying five at a time brought the price down to about $8.50 per heat. The first heat was enjoyable; the second, satisfying; and the third, a chore.

The track is 550 meters in length, a little more than a third of a mile. It is full of hairpin turns. We reached average speeds approaching 30 MPH. I would hazard to guess that the top speeds were on the order of 50 MPH, maybe more. We made 9 to 10 laps per heat.

It can get pretty rough out there. Some drivers enjoy treating it like bumper cars at high speeds. They don't seem to care. My fiancee got slammed pretty hard into the wall and bruised her leg. It is very physical and gives your upper body quite a work out. They do have helmets available, at least I assume that anyone can use them. I never saw anyone put one on. When you are in the lead and you have someone on your tail the whole race, it can also be mentally draining. I had my fill after 3 heats.

In the first race, there were six drivers. There were two Russians or maybe Germans that had been there all day. They were nice guys off the track, but once on the track, there were insanely rough. I was glad to see them go. In the second race, there were 7 of us, including at least two women in addition to my fiancee. My fiancee did really well, but the two other women were a disaster ...lol. It made the race interesting. One of them just couldn't make the hairpin turn at the back of the track. She got stuck there every time. She only managed to finish two laps. To get around, one had to go full speed towards her and then cut sharp or brake and slide through the curve. I am sure that made her a little nervous. It was a lot of fun with them in there. In the fourth heat, it was just the four of us. In that race, I started and finished in the lead and was never passed. It was the most nerve-racking of all the heats, because my colleague was on my tail the whole time trying to pass, and even crashed me one time in an unsuccessful attempt to pass me.

It probably doesn't help that there is a bar upstairs on the observation deck. It is almost like they are encouraging to drink and drive.

After each heat, a computerize print out was made available showing the time per lap per cart and the average time per cart. It is probably a good idea to take a look at a printout before selecting your cart. Some carts are faster than others. Pay attention to the column on the right.

They even have a platform to pose for a photo the the first, second, and third place champs. I highly recommend for both men and women. I would be a little leary letting children drive with other unknown adults on the track.

Unfortunately, it doesn't open until 2 pm, but it does stay open late, going until 2 am. And if someone in your party isn't interested in carting, there is a game room upstairs, although I have to say, the equipment is poorly maintained. There is a foosball and a pool table, along with many other electronic games.

You can get close by taking Metro Line 2 west from People's Square to the Zhongshan park stop. You can get a little closer by taking Metro Line 3 north one stop, but one might as well take a taxi from the Zhongshan Park stop.

A Cool Place to Visit

The Yin Qi Xing Indoor Skiing makes for a fun day. It is located in the Minhang District near the Xin Zhuang metro stop, the last stop on Line 1 going south. They say there is a shuttle from the metro, but we have never tried to go that way. Fortunately, it is not far from our apartment located in the same district. We took a quick taxi ride to 1835 Qi Xin Road. For 98 RMB, one can ski for an hour during the week, or 198 RMB all day. That includes gloves, skis and poles (or snowboard), boots, cheap, terracloth socks, ski suit, and a locker.

It appeared to be about 300 yards long with three tiers. The top two may have been closed, but since we were both beginners, we only interested in first tier. We had a blast, but an hour can go quickly, and they will nail you for every minute over. We were there early after noon. We were the only ones there for a while, until another couple showed up a little while later.

After skiing, we walked to the main road and crossed the street and went to one of the best hotpots that I have been to. The the food was great and the service was impeccable. The broth was rather ordinary (we didn't get the spicy) and in the middle there was soup. The soup was plain until it was mixed with the spices served in a bowl for the soup. The spices gave the soup a wonderful, savory flavor. The restaurant had a spice bar where you could make up your on concoction. One of the servers volunteered to make up his own special blend for us. It was very spicey and very good. The only problem I had was when I applied it to the soup and noodles. I let one of the noodles slip off my chop sticks. It send the sauce flying into my right eye. I have never felt such pain. It felt like I had a rock in my eye. My left eye was tearing so bably that I was blinded. My fiancee graceously lead me to the sink so I could wash my eyes out.

The service was so good, we were compelled to leave a tip, but the server refused it, saying the restaurant had a strict policy against tipping. I highly recommend it; I just wish I knew the name.

Total Recall--Just Shoot Me

Wedding pictures before the wedding? Yep, that's the way they do it sometimes in China. It's a very common practice. I always have difficulty explaining to people, especially my sisters, that I not married yet.

It makes a lot of sense, actually. Many couples will have a western style photo shoot and a Chinese style reception. Invitations are made using one of the wedding photos. The actual wedding usually isn't anything more that a simple registration process, followed by a reception.

Our wedding photos were made by Paris Wedding, Middle Huaihai Road, Shanghai. They did a fantastic job. Admittedly, I wasn't excited about this. At the time, it was a worst than death experience. The photographer was like, "Suck in your gut", "Lean forward", "Lean to side", "Big smile", followed by "Act natural". Looking back on it, I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. I have very fond memories.

It was an all day affair. It started at 8 o'clock in the morning, mostly paperwork and settling in for the first hour. The photo shoot didn't start until 9 o'clock or so.

The basic cost was very reasonable, under 10,000 RMB (less than $1,500). There were a few adders on top of that. The negotiations were all in Chinese, so I didn't fully understand what we were getting. The package included 7 different outfits for my bride-to-be. The selection of wedding dresses was nice, but the ones with the long trains were a different package. We ended up paying another 2,500 RMB just to upgrade to the nicer wedding dresses. You can buy a top of the line wedding dress in China for the amount they added, but I have no regrets. She was simply beautiful in that dress. We may have one made in Suzhou patterned after that dress. The outfits and makeup were all included in the base price; however, we had to pay another 500 RMB for 5 tiny bottles of clear stuff from France. It was from the makeup artist's personal stock, that he told us afterwards. He did a great job, so I can't complain.

In the end, we were allowed to select 32 photos out of 270 photos taken. We elected to take another 19, which we paid dearly for, around 200 RMB each. Although they wouldn't bargain on price, my ever resourceful fiancee was able to negotiate numerous freebies.


The package included a ton of stuff: a large book of photos (12X14") with all the photos; a slightly smaller book; a small book; 3 large, framed photos; one large poster; a glass cube; a round, glass photo; the glass "Love Story" photo; numerous other photos; 51 wedding invitations and book markers; two CD's, including a movie and the electronic copies of the selected photos; and several carrying cases. I am sure I am forgetting some things. On my first trip back with photos, the case weighed over 50 pounds, including the books and many of the smaller pictures. I've made two hauls back to the States and still have more to go. It was well worth it. I highly recommend it and Paris Wedding in particular.

It was after dark when the photo shoot was finished. The photo shoot started in the Paris Wedding studio just off Huaihai. We later took a one hour or so drive to a place called Thames City, a picturesqe, English styled village near Shanghai. There were 3 or 4 other photo shoots going on there at the same time. After that we went to a park to complete the shoot.

We often go to Century Park in the Pu Dong area, near the Science and Technology Center (and market). There are always photo shoots going on there. That's not where we went, but it is another picturesque park quite suitable for wedding pictures.

One of the outfits we chose was that of a Chinese king and queen. We thought it was a little silly at the time, but it turned out very nice. During the shoot, there was a man and woman so entralled by my bride-to-be as a Chinese queen that they entered the studio with us. They chased them out twice, but the man just kept coming back. It was quite amusing. Finally, they asked it we minded if the man stayed because he just wouldn't leave. We agreed to let him stay.

I was very happy with the photographer. The photographer came out of Taiwan. He/she spoke enough English to give me instruction on what to do. I suspect he/she spoke pretty good English, but since my bride-to-be is Chinese, he/she usually spoke Chinese. He/she had a good sense of proportion. He/she realized that was much taller than my fiancee. In almost every photo, she is standing on a six inch platform in 3" heels. It made the photos much more proportionate.


It was a grueling day, over twelve hours, and many outfit changes. It was a very hot and humid day in July. It was good in the end to finally cool our heals on a bridge in the park.

More than I Bargained For

It was a sweltering, mid-June evening. It seems that it is always that way this time of year. Shanghai is always so humid. Earlier, a colleague, Mr. Qin, had introduced me to a very bitter tea called kuding. Kuding is a tea so bitter that it has a sweet after taste. It's an acquired taste, for sure. Everytime I visit my colleague, we have our discussions over tea and usually about tea. He has introduced me to several varieties. I had brought some kuding earlier from a tea shop on Hongmei road, but I was seeking a better quality. I thought that I would re-visit the tea shop on Huaihai called Ten Fu's.

Upon approaching the shop, there were a two young women in front enticing customers into the shop, both attractive, but one of them caught my attention in particular. She helped me locate the tea I was after, then offered to let me sample some other teas. We had a delightful conversation over oolong tea for a couple of hours. I was so enchanted by her, I lost track of time and space. It was as though we were in our own little world. We each talked about things that you just don't talk about with strangers, but yet it seemed so natural. Some say I am shy around women, and I suppose it is true, but not with her. There must have been something about the tea. We talked about our relationships, among other things. She was recovering from one and my present one was ending. We were strangers, from different cultures, and ages apart, but, somehow, we connected. She is one of those special women who are ageless and timeless. She knows little about modern culture, Chinese or American. She is more entralled with the classic love stories and classic, timeless music. We talked very candidly about our relationships. We talked about so many things. Upon parting, we exchanged cell phone numbers. I didn't really expect to see her again. Some things are just too good to be true.

I was pleasantly surprised on the bus ride from work to the hotel. She called me and asked me to go to a hot pot restaurant in Xujiahui called the Little Lamb. Unfortunately, I couldn't accept because I was still in another relationship. That relationship, however, ended that very night. It just wasn't working out and she had just started another job and didn't have time for me. It was one that began over the internet and continued for nearly five months once I started visiting China for work. She was pressuring me for a commitment that I wasn't ready to make. I wasn't convinced that she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. It began over the internet and it ultimately ended in text messages because she didn't have time to discuss our future. Technology can be a blessing and a curse. It's no way to end a relationship, but it just couldn't wait.

Later that night, I called my newly acquired friend from the tea shop. The phone was out of service and I was never able to reach her. I just felt the need to talk with her; I don't know why. When she called me earlier, she had called me from another phone that the one for which I had her number, so I called it. I got some strange woman on the phone that spoke limited English. I was never able to communicate to whom I wanted to speak. An hour or so later, it dawned on her whom I was asking for and she called me back and explained that the woman in the tea shop was her classmate and she had borrowed her phone. So, I was able to leave a message for her to call be back, but she never did. I knew then I would never see her again.

The next evening, I thought, "What the heck", and went back by the tea shop to say, "Hello". I really enjoyed the previous conversation. I didn't expect anything more. We were just too far apart in age. I was pleased that she was happy to see me again. And, again, we have another long conversation over tea until the shop closed 2 1/2 hours later, at which time we went to dinner at the Grape Restaurant. We really hit it off and have been together since. We became engaged at the end of June. In all my years, I have never encountered a woman that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I only wanted to marry once and forever. It was admittedly quick, but I have never been so sure of anything. It only takes a small sip to know the bottle of wine is good. She is the one. We have now spent more time together than apart, but my work in China is coming to an end ... maybe.

We attempted to get married in Shanghai, but they wouldn't marry us, saying that we had to go back to her hometown in Wuhan to marry. We decided to do that the next weekend but found out at the last moment that I needed proof that I was eligible to marry. That's a story in itself. We went anyway. It was a nice trip, but, sure enough, we couldn't marry. We got the necessary paperwork and were supposed to go the next weekend, but through a mix up, we didn't go. I had to return to the U. S. for a while after that.

We were forturnate that we didn't get married then. It seemed the most logical thing to do, but logic and goverment don't always mix. As it turns out, it is easier to bring someone to the U. S. on a fiancee visa than as a spouse. The burden of proof is lower, since you don't have to prove a "bonafided" marriage. With a fiancee visa, one is bringing them to the U. S. for to purpose of marriage. Since I am not a resident of China, it would be more difficult to establish a "bonafided" relationship with things like a lease in both of our names, joint banking account, etc.

So, a fiancee visa is the route we are taking now. The I-129F Fiancee Visa Petition has been in process for nearly 4 months now, without any action since the first Notice of Action on receipt, October 03, 2008. We have known each other going on eight months now. We spent three weeks together at Christmas. It's the longest vacation I have ever taken. I love her more than ever.

The Bund

The Shanghai skyline is as beautiful as I have seen any where. It is particularly beautiful at night.

The Bund is on the West side of the Huangpu River known a Puxi (west of the river).

In the photo on the left, the PearlTower is on the left side. On the right, one can see the two tallest building is China, the Jin Mao Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Center. The later is nearing completion and will be the tallest building in China.

Although I have never done it, there are numerous tour boats one can take. It is hard to image a better view than the one from the Bund.

No opportunity is missed to advertise, from the displays on the building themselves to the floating displays, which are actually something to see at night.

It is typically very crowded on the Bund, particularly on holidays. There are lots of tourist, of course, and there are numerous vendors selling their wares as well as hundreds of others trying to separate you from your money, including "art students" who will sell you fine, mass produced artwork at exorbitant prices. Prostitutes and pickpockets are there as well.

Even in the mass of people on the Bund, it is not unusual to see people trying to fly kites.

Below are more pictures from around the Bund.

Yao Ming

I happened to catch up with Yao Ming in a department store in Shanghai. He's a big guy. That's an understatement. I tried to give him a few pointers, but he just wouldn't listen. He just kept smiling.

Okay, so it wasn't really Yao Ming, but it was a good likeness.

I don't know the name of the department store, although I have been through it dozens of times on the way to and from the metro. It is on the corner of West Nanjing and Xizang Roads. From the People's Square, you can't miss up. On top is the name, "Samsung", in large, multi-colored letters. If you go in the second door from the corner, you will see a life sized model of Yao Ming. Quite often, in the evening, there will be a band playing jazz music and people dancing on the sidewalk near the entrance to where you will find Yao Ming's likeness.

Yao Ming, as you might imagine, is a very popular figure in China, at least in Shanghai. I have people ask me about him all the time. I even have people ask to take a photo with me after asking about him. I suppose that it is because I am American and taller that the average Chinese.

The Chinese do come in all sizes. It is not all that uncommon to see one of the youths over six feet tall. I have even seen a 14 year old girl taller than myself (I'm just under 6' 4"). Some day, someone will perform a study linking the height of the Chinese with the growth of MacDonald's and KFC's in China.

Quanjude Roast Duck Company Restaurant (aka Peking Duck)

Although the Quanjude Roast Duck Company Restaurant represents the Beijing style of cooking, it is one of the must visit restaurants in Shanghai. It is a successful chain across China and is traded on the stock market, I am told. It is commonly referred to simply as the Peking Duck Restaurant. It is one of many great restaurants along Huaihai Road, within a block or so of the Red House and Qian Xiang Ge restaurants and not far from the Grape Restaurant just off Huaihai.

To get there from the People's Square, take Metro Line 1 two stops south the the South Shanxi Road stop. Exit the station on Huaihai Road, Exit 2. Walk east until you see the address, 786 Huaihai Road.

Sometimes the hostesses are standing out front and are easily recognized by their headdress as seen in the photograph on the right. This picture was taken as we were leaving the restaurant. Three of the hostesses were bunched together at the podium. It made for a lovely picture. We asked if we could take their picture. Only one understood the question and agreed. As the picture was taken, one made a hasty exit to the left, another ducked (no pun intended) behind the podium, and the last one gave us a lovely smile.

It is a large restaurant with many tables with a large international crowd. They put on quite a display, with the hostesses and carvers dressing the part.

The specialty, of course, is Peking Duck. The ducks don't have much meat on them, so, as a general rule, order one duck per two people. That's what the Chinese say, at least. We ordered two for the seven of us. With everything else, that was a plenty. The Chinese seem to eat more that the typical westerner, especially when they eat out. (My Shanghainese friend can out eat me two to one. Don't let anyone tell you that these little Chinese girls can't eat.) Once cooked, a carver will come to the table and start slicing. First, he will slice off the skin, with very little meat attached. Then he will slice off more of the skin with meat attached. Next, he will finish slicing off the meat and take the remains back to the kitchen, where they will be prepared it as a soup.

The idea of eating the skin of the duck may not sound appetizing, but I have never run into anyone that hasn't liked it. It is very good. It is served with a tortilla-like shell and two types of vegetable strips and a dipping sauce. You pick up the shell, add the skin and a few veggie strips, and then dip it into the sauce.

The meal ends with the soup made from the remainder of the duck. It makes for a very satisfying meal. I highly recommend it as a place to entertain clients.

We were a content bunch once the duck was finished. Like Shanghai itself, we were an international group, at least by birth: Ethiopian, Filipino, Canadian, American, Romanian, and Chinese.

Jin Mao Observatory (Tower)

The Jin Mao Observatory Tower is the tallest building in use in China, the fifth in the world. It was designed around the number 8. The Chinese have a fascination with the number 8. The Beijing Olympics with begin on 08/08/08. It is associated with prosperity. The name, Jin Mao, means golden prosperity.

The tower has the best view of Pudong and Puxi. If you can only do one or the other of the Pearl Tower or the Jin Mao Tower, the Jin Mao gives one more bang for the buck. The Entrance fee is 70 RMB. It costs 100 RMB for the Pearl Tower. The view is much better from the Jin Mao Tower, although the Pearl Tower has other exhibits beside the view.

It is possible to get to the 87th floor of the 88 story building without paying a fee if you know your way around. It is worth the 70 RMB to go to the top floor. It's amazing just how fast the elevator ride is to the 88th floor.

I've heard that everyone get a free pearl. I didn't get one, but I may have been offered one. I went by the pearl shop. I thought they were trying to sell me something (and they probably were). Oh, well, that would have been worth a quarter.

The build has great views. Internally, one can look down the center to the bottom floor. It's an awesome view.

The Pearl Tower is close by. In fact, the best way to get to the Jin Mao Tower is to take the Line 2 metro from the People's Square towards the east to the Lujiazui stop, then taking the Pearl Tower exit. There is so much construction in the area, you might be able to walk directly to it. I ended up crossing at in front of the Pearl Tower and walking towards the Superbrand Shopping Mall and around the block to the left. It was a good 15 minute walk.

The Pearl Tower is one of the first things that I noticed from the observation deck. Behind it is the Huangpu River, which separates Pudong from Puxi.

The view of both Puxi and Pudong is fabulous. But even on a clear day, the view is hazy in the distance.

The Shanghai World Finance Center will soon be the tallest building in use in China. It is right behind the Jin Mao Tower.

As seen is the last photo taken from the Bund, the Shanghai World Financial Center, the one with the opening at the top, is considerably taller that the Jin Mao Tower. The sun reflecting off the Jin Mao gives it a golden hue in this photo.

Qian Xiang Ge

The Qian Xiang Ge is another of my truly favorite restaurants. I have eaten there more than anywhere else, except the Big Bamboo, the favorite of my western colleagues. There are three of these restaurants in Shanghai. I have eaten at two of them: the one on Huaihai and the one in the Hongmei area.

To get to the one on Huaihai from the People's Square, one can walk or take the Line 1 metro south and get off at the South Shanxi road stop. Take Exit 2 to Huaihai Road. Walk to the east and you will eventually run into it on the right side of the road at 627 Huaihai. Look for the street number, otherwise, it is difficult to find the restaurant. There will be people on the bottom floor that will direct you to the elevator.

The other restaurant is in the Hongmei area. It is best to print the card out above and give it to the taxi driver. It will cost about a 35 RMB from the People's Square. If you are familiar with the Hongmei Entertainement Street, it is a 10 minute or so walk from there. There may be a shorter route, but the one I am familiar with takes you across the street toward the Hong Qiao International Pearl City building. Take a left just on the other side and walk below the Yan'an Elevated Road in the westerly direction. Walk one block to Hongzhong Road. You will see a small market on the corner. Take a left and walk to 525 Hongzhong Road. Again, look for the number because it is difficult to tell that it is a restaurant there. The area may look a little unsavory. You will pass at least a couple of brothels along the way. This is not untypical for a Shanghai neighborhood.

Both have equally great food. However, the atmosphere at the Hongzhong restaurant is much nicer and more open. There are numerous carving, artwork, and what not. It is a very nice place to entertain a group of people. There are private dining rooms upstairs. Unless you go early, you will need a reservation as the Hongzhong restaurant because it gets very busy. It is extremely popular. You shouldn't have a problem getting seated at the Huaihai restaurant anything, except maybe on a Friday night.

They serve the Guizhou style of cooking, which is generally spicy. Qian is the ancient name for Guizhou. I was told that the name, Qian Xiang Ge, means the favors of Guizhou. One of the best things on the menu and a good way to start a meal is the noodles. They have some medium thick noodles served with six or seven spices in separate piles. It also has peanuts and another smaller nut. It is easy to pick out any of the spices you don't like. I did as the locals and mixed it all up. It is very favorable. It is also spicy hot. It will light you up. The only problem that anything you eat after that is physically warm with feel blazing hot. They have other selections that are not that spicy. I have never had anything bad there, but you will get your money's worth out of the traditional cakes. It has a sesame seed filling. It is so chewy that you will gnawing at it for quite a while. It is about the gooiest thing I have ever tried to eat. I couldn't eat but one. Some Shanghainese complain that the food is too greasy, so be aware of that.

One of the most interesting menu selections is the Stewing Ass in Various Allspice. I inquired. It is actually ass meat. So, if you want a little ass with your dinner, you can having it there.

Shanghai Exhibition Center

The last housing exhibition was held two years ago in Shanghai. I was fortunate to catch the one this year at the Shanghai Exhibition Center. The Shanghai Exhibition Center is on West Nanjing Road. The easiest way to get there from the People's Square is to take Line 2 in the westerly direction to the Jing'An Temple stop. From there, walk east on Nanjing Road for 15 minutes or so. You can't miss it. It is a grand old building or series of buildings. The main building has a high, narrow, golden spire with a star on top. The build has seen its better days, but it is still a magnificent building. The way Shanghai is growing, it wouldn't surprise me to see it destroyed and a modern building put in its place.

It was a weekend. I went with my Shanghainese friend. In the course of my three week stay, she leased an apartment, moved in, and moved out. She was fortunate to find someone to take over the least. She is very much interested in her own place. The place she was in before moving back in with her parents was just a little too shabby for her. It wasn't that bad. It looked like it had been re-wallpapered in the last ten years. It wasn't so bad to have to use a flashlight to go up three flights of stairs. I suppose one eventually gets use to the smell of the nearby market, apparently a seafood market. It was a very dark, eerie walk to the apartment. The building itself was solid, but it appeared as though tenants threw up a couple of poles and put tin on top to create an extra room outside on the bottom floors. You could usually see a bed through the cracks. Quite often, there was a group of men sitting around playing cards or some other game. After the first night there, her neighbors below complained that she walked to loud. It was the best she could find for 1,200 RMB a month in Pu Dong, a good chuck of an engineer's salary. She wanted to be closer to her new job so she could put in more of an effort at work than into the hour and a half ride to her parents place. The place just didn't work out for her. The area was just south of the main financial center. Apartments sold for about 20,000 RMB per square meter in that area, even the old ones. Most of the old one were slated for demolition. When demolished, the government gives the owners new apartments plus some bonus money, so that probably explains the high prices.

There must have been hundred or more developers there. There was a wide variety of price ranges, from around 7,600 RMB for a bottom apartment in the middle of nowhere on up. After deciding on one we liked, we signed up to go see it. We chose one developed by Gemdale in north Pu Dong. At the appointed hour, we all gathered around. We were given identification cards to put around our necks. Then we all followed a person holding up a sign for the developer to the buses outside. We loaded ourselves on the bus and took an hour or so ride to the development. It didn't take too long after getting out of the city weekend traffic.

We were taken to one of the apartments that they had finished. Construction was going on around it, so we had to wear hard hats. No one likes to live on the bottom floor, so we started on the second floor. We were all issued booties so we wouldn't dirty up the floors. It was a very nice three bedroom place with a wrap-around balcony and an office. The elevator was built into the apartments. It was very solidly constructed. There was a breeze way where one could put a washing machine and hang clothes out to dry without showing the laundry to the world. It was a place that a westerner would feel very comfortable living. The first three bedroom was 150 square meters. The apartments sold for approximately 16,500 RMB per square meter. The complex is about 45 minutes from downtown in the middle of nowhere. The third floor also had 3 bedrooms, but the rooms were much smaller. The next two floors were 89 square meter, two bedroom apartments. The fourth floor also had a nice balcony; however, the top floor did not have one, as well as I remember; however, it had stairs leading to the top of the building, where the owner would have a large wooden deck on top--very, very nice. It was obvious, however, that the top apartment was much warmer. The complex was a 10-20 minute walk to the Line 6 metro. The two bedroom sold for 1.5 million RMB, or approximately $225,000 for the declining dollar. Not bad for being just outside a major, international city. However, if one considers the typically salary, it is well out of reach for the typical Chinese, but there were plenty of lookers.

We went back to the Exhibition Center and found another one in north Puxi, west of the river. It was in an area where buildings had been demolished to make room for the new apartments. I really don't know where I was, but there was plenty of the old town around. There was no nearby metro, so one would have to ride a bicycle to the nearest bus stop or metro. The apartments looked nice enough, but although they were 89 square meters, the same as the ones on the top floor at the Gemdale development, they felt much smaller due to the inefficient use of space. Although not cheaply constructed, the construction was nothing like the quality of the Gemdale development. It was pretty much an updated version of a typical Chinese apartment where one hangs laundry out the window on bamboo poles. It had a small balcony with a connection for a washing machine. If one put a washing machine there, the balcony was so small that it wouldn't be useful for much else. The apartments sold for approximately 14,000 RMB per square meter. My Shanghainese friend liked this one better, because it was more affordable. It wasn't an apartment where a typical westerner might live and it wasn't in a good location, no where near her work. Although less expensive, it has less chance of appreciating in value. The Gemdale property was, in my option, a better deal.

Relative to the typical salary, even for an engineer, the housing in Shanghai is incredibly expensive. To get a place to live, one pretty much has to have a working partner and be willing to travel an hour or two to work everyday. Maybe it is normal for a big city. The wages in Shanghai seemed to be out of line with what it takes to live there. One can't help but wonder how long this can last. It's a little less expensive to eat out in Shanghai, but to buy groceries in a typical supermarket such as the Carrefour, it's at least as expensive as it is in the rest of the world. With the low labor costs, it doesn't add much more to eat out. The street markets are cheaper. Some look like good places to buy food, but others are not. Some street markets have their goods literally on the streets. I have seen meat for sale unwrapped and in open containers where shoppers shuffle through the meats to find just the right one.