See It With Me

Life in the Fast Lane

2009-02-24T21:15:00.019-05:00

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

2009-01-28T21:59:00.004-05:00

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

2009-01-20T03:18:00.011-05:00

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

2009-01-18T09:28:00.010-05:00

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

2008-06-01T09:55:00.009-04:00

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

2008-05-26T15:57:00.005-04:00

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)

2008-05-26T12:04:00.009-04:00

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)

2008-05-24T21:54:00.006-04:00

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

2008-05-24T19:48:00.005-04:00

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

2008-05-22T21:45:00.007-04:00

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.

Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center

2008-05-21T21:40:00.006-04:00

The Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center is an excellent place to spend half a day, if you are interested in Shanghai's history and its future. Admission is 30 RMB. Upon entering, one will see a cheesy model of the development along the Huangpu river. You might be disappointed at having spent 30 RMB at that point. There isn't much to guide you. I thought that the first floor was all there was. I went to the second floor and there was nothing there. On to the third floor. On the third floor, it is like "Wow". There is a scale model of the entire city. It is very impressive. On the fourth floor, you can get a bird's eye view of the model.

In addition, the history of Shanghai is on display. There are many pictures on display of the old Shanghai. Then there there is a model of Yuyuan (Yu Gardens). There are a number of books with pictures of Shanghai as well. There are other displays that depict the history of Shanghai. Most everything has been translated into English, so it is easy to follow along.

Also, there is a section on the metro that shows the present and future metro lines in Shanghai. It is very important to know this if you are interested in buying property in Shanghai. I spent an entire day at an housing exhibit at the Shanghai Exhibition Center off West Nanjing Road. It impressed upon me how important the metro is to these new developments. That is a subject for a another post.

I spent about an hour and a half there. I needed more time, but I had a previous engagement. One could easily spend a half day there. It is well worth the 30 RMB.

The Urban Planning Center is located in the People's Square. It is hard to miss. However, it looks similar to the Shanghai Grand Theater at first glance. The Theater has a curved roof. The Urban Planning Center is located next to Xizang (Tibet) Road.

See the pictures and movies below of the city model:

The Grape Restaurant

2008-05-20T20:41:00.007-04:00

The Grape Restaurant in Shanghai is truly one of my favorite restaurants. It is located beside (perhaps part of) an old Russian Orthodox church just off Huaihai Road. It the photo below, the entrance is at the green awning.

The food has always been good. It has a large selection, from the traditional Shanghai food with its sweet taste to Beijing style food such as duck skin. I have never been disappointed. I didn't realize that there was an upstairs until the last time I was there. I was surprised to see that the upstairs was entirely filled with westerners, mostly French. The French are always a good sign that the food is good.

It is a small restaurant with seven or so tables downstairs and another six or seven tables on the split level upstairs. The staff is friendly and few even speak English. Although a simply restaurant, the atmosphere is conducive to conversation. The menu has pictures and accurate English translations. One of my favorites is the cashew chicken. Another is the duck skin. I don't think that I could quite call it Peking duck, since it is only the skin. It might not sound to appetizing, but I have never seen anyone who tried that did not like it. The skin is served with tortilla-like shells. The skin is placed in the shell, then a few strips of vegetables are added along with some sauce. There is only one other place in Shanghai of which I am aware that you can find better.

It is easy to find from the People's Square. Take the second stop south, the South Shanxi Road stop, on Line 1in the direction of Xin Zhuang. Leave the station through the Huaihai Road exit, Exit 2, I believe it is. Head west on Huaihai.to Xiangyang Road. Take a right on Xiangyang Road. Go one block to Xinle Road. The Chuch and restaurant will be on the left. Enter at the green awning.

Alternatively, it can be a pleasant 45 minute walk from the People's Square. Walk south on Xizang (Tibet) Road, cross Yan'an Road via the elevated crosswalk, and then go two blocks to Huaihai Road. Head west, away from the Pearl Tower, if you can see that in the distance (you can always look at the street signs). You will pass two metro stops on the way. After the second one, the South Shanxi Road station, go another block or so to Xiangyang Road, where you will take a right for one block to Xinle Road. It will be on the left.

You will pass many great restaurants on the way there, including Cowland, the Red House, Qian Xiang Ge, and the Quanjude Roast Duck Company. You will also come within a block of Xin Tian Di.

Why not check out Ten Fu's Tea Shop on the way back.

Buying Pearls

2008-05-19T18:58:00.004-04:00

Shopping for pearls was quite the experience. I found myself in the Hongmei Entertainment Street area with time to kill. There was a market across the street that I had always wanted to check out called something like the Hong Qiao Handicraft Market. I stumbled across the Hong Qiao International Pearls City on the second floor. There must be 50 or more shops that sell mostly pearls.

Not knowing much about pearls, I set about to learn as much as I could by going shop to shop. They all pretty much told me the same thing about how to tell if the pearls are real. They will take a knife or a pair of scissors and scrap the surface of the pearls. If they are real, the pearl will retain its luster. One saleswoman demonstrated on both fake and real pearls. The fake pearl did not retain its luster where it was scraped. Also, if the pearls are real, if you rub them together, they will feel gritty. The fake ones will feel smooth.

Most of the pearls are freshwater pearls. They have the saltwater pearls, if you ask for them. The saltwater pearls are about twice as expensive. The reason is that they have to drive for the pearls in deep water and each oyster only contains one pearl. The one pearl, however, is always spherical in shape. The freshwater pearls are cultivated in shallow waters and each oyster can contain up to 5 pearls. The freshwater pearls are more durable, as one saleswoman demonstrated by crushing a saltwater pearl with a pair of pliers. The freshwater pearls come in all shapes, from nearly rectangular to elliptical to spherical.

In general, they will try to sell you the lesser quality pearls. One can buy these dirt cheap, if you bargain with them. To get to the higher quality pearls that are nearly spherical and with few defects, one has to ask for them. Once one starts looking at the pearls, they will do whatever they can to keep you from going elsewhere. I wanted to learn something about pearls, so I went place to place.

I ultimately decided to bargain with RuRu at the Xiao Qiu (Little Ball) Pearls and Jewelry. She has a partner called Candy, whom I never met. She was very delightful to deal with and spoke exceptional English and offered the best prices. It took a while to get to her best price. Of course, she was only willing to give me her best price because I was her "first customer of the day". They all told me this ...lol. She seemed to be popular as a couple of former customers stopped by just to say, "Hello".

In the end, I bought two necklaces of her best 10 mm pearls. I got her to throw in a pair of matching earrings for each. She replaced the string with a silk string and knotted everyone so that if it were to break the pearls would not be lost. Then she attached the clasp. Her speed and agility at putting the necklaces together while carrying on a conversation with me and managing to sell me some jade in the process was remarkable. She told me all about jade and how to tell if it is real and how to judge the best quality. She explained a lot about pearls as well, saying that the 10mm pearls were 10 years in the making. She carefully packaged each necklace and pair of earrings in a separate box so the pearls would not rub together. If you see RuRu, say "Hi" for me.

It was a very pleasant experience and I highly recommend it. It you don't like bargaining, however, you may not enjoy it.

The best way to get there is to take a taxi. The address is as follows:

Candy and RuRu
Xiao Qiu Pearls and Jewelry, G055
Hong Qiao International Pearls City, Second Floor
3712 Hongmei Road
Chang Ning, District, Shanghai

Email: Candyru@163.com

One can get close by taking Line 2 from the People's Square to the Zhong Shan Park stop, then taking Line 4 one stop south to West Yan'an Road and then taking a taxi from there. It is possible to walk from there following the Yan'an Elevated Road to the west. I've done it. It takes an hour or more. Just be careful; Yan'an Road hooks right and you have to cross a major road to follow it. Eventually, you will run into Hongmei Road. Go left. It is just a short walk from there on the right side of the road. If you run into the Hongmei Entertainment Road, you have gone too far.

The Ultimate Chinese Buffet

2008-05-15T14:21:00.009-04:00

Image an endless buffet of the finest Chinese food and you have the restaurant in the Superbrand shopping center in Pudong, Shanghai. At 220 RMB (about $31) per person, it is expensive for a Chinese restaurant, but it is well worth it. The buffet includes food, drink, and dessert. Red wine, white wine, beer, tea, fruit juice, and about anything you can image is included in the price. Haagen-dazs ice cream is one of the featured desserts, but there are many other selections.

The restaurant is locate just across the street from the Pearl Tower. Coming from the People's Square, it is the second stop, Lujiazui, on Line 2 going east towards the Science Center. During the day, it is easy to see the name, Superbrand, on the outside of the mall. However, at night, with all the other lights, it can be difficult to see because it is not lit up. The restaurant is located on the 7th floor. Take the elevator to the 7th floor. Upon exiting the elevator, you will see the Banana Leaf restaurant. This is an excellent Thai restaurant, by the way. Head to the right and you will eventually see the restaurant. If you see the Charm Restaurant, you have gone too far. It is difficult to tell that it is a buffet from the outside. There will be a podium on the outside the restaurant. You will be asked to pay in advance before you are seated. Just one warning, there are no English descriptions on the food, but it is hard to go wrong.

The seafood is superb. I didn't try the fish, but I did have eel. There is a area that allows you to select a variety of seafood, which they will cook for you in a spicy hot broth. I had shrimp and some unidentifiable seafood. Ah, it was so delicious. Then there is pork, chicken, and beef as well as a variety of soup and vegetables. And if that doesn't suit you, then there aare bamboo worms. They are not bad really as they were fried and crispy. The buffet seems to go on for miles.

The only problem is there are so many people. It is not just the patrons but the large number of staff, including the people putting out the food, busboys, and people mopping the floor. You can stand there a minute or two waiting to cross the aisle sometimes.

It is hard to image a better place. However, there is a restaurant called the Golden Jaguar (some call it the Golden Leopard) in the Hongmei area that some say is the best buffet in Shanghai. I have seen it, but I have never tried it. It is on my "To do" list. I can't wait.

Attack of the Four Year Olds

2008-04-20T11:41:00.006-04:00

If there were ever a city of lights, it is Shanghai. It is a beautiful city at night, perhaps even more beautiful than Paris. But the things that tarnish Shanghai's image is the overabundance of hawkers, beggars, and prostitutes. Never have I ever seen such a persistent bunch.

Some places are worse that others. In the areas surrounding Jing'an Temple and Tongrenlu, the beggars are horrendous. My colleagues and I went to dinner at the Brazilian BBQ across the street from the Jing'an Temple. To get in, you have to survive being patted down by a group of four year olds. Sitting in the restaurant, you can see how they operate. There is a woman handler. Usually there are three, four, or more kids maybe four to six years old. The kids pester people for money. If that doesn't work, they start patting them. They don't seem to be going for your wallet, just annoying you. However, there are many signs in the restaurant warning you to be aware of pickpockets. The little devils will follow you for blocks. As we sat there, we saw a policeman coming towards the woman. "Good", we thought, "Now the policeman will run the little beggars off." No such luck. He got his payoff from the woman and went his merry way. I made the mistake once of toss a coin in a kids cup just to get rid of him. Within a half step, another one spotted me and made a bee line towards me. It's futile to pay them off. It only invites more.

Not far from there at Malone's, an American styled bar, on Tongrenlu is where one of my Canadian contractors had a run in with the four year olds. Never make the mistake of giving them money. They are professionals and they can sense a sucker. Anyway, there was a four year peddling roses. He pestered my contractor to buy a rose. Finally, he gave in. Big mistake. Then came a herd of four olds wanting money or to sell him roses. He bought three more roses just to get them to leave him alone. Finally, enough was enough. He refused to give any more money or buy any more roses. When he refused the last kid, he hauled off and punched him. From that point forward, he's afraid of the four year olds, literally afraid of them. Anytime he is in the area now, he carries a pocket full of change. Whenever he is approached by the four year olds, he takes out a hand full of coins and tosses them, and then runs away. After "kidding" him for being afraid of the four year olds, he explained that there were more of them than him and he was afraid of them ganging up on him and beating him up. Ignoring them is the best policy. They can follow you for blocks, but I never had one punch me.

The Nanjing Pedestrian Road is a wonderful place to walk, neon everywhere. The only problem is the hawkers and, now, the prostitutes. Walking down the road, one is badgered by one hawker after another. The want to sell you fake watches, cuff links, purses, and luggage. They want to take you to somewhere on the back roads, just off Nanjing. Usually, they will take you into a shop with a fake wall. They will open the wall and lead you in and someone will close the "wall" behind you. If that doesn't work, then it is a massagie. Frequently, one will hook up with you and you can't get rid of him. They will even follow you into the stores. The store guards won't run them off. I had one follow me the whole time during my 45 minute walk. He was so bad, that I started to look for a policeman. There was none to be found. I tried my best to ignore his existence, but I couldn't help but laugh when he was trying to describe his girls. He didn't know the words, so he was describing them will his hands. He had curvaceous ones, tall ones, young ones, big breasted one, etc. The next time I was out for a walk, I decided to have some fun with them. First, I tried to continually run them into other people, benches, billboards, etc. They are a tenacious bunch. Having read John Grisham's on the way over, I was inspired to take evasive maneuvers. Much to my surprise, it worked. I got one that was sticking by me. So, as we were walking down the road, I veered towards the mini billboards in the center of the road, then, as I approached the billboard, I cut sharply in front of it, not leaving enough room for the guy to pass in front of the billboard with me, forcing him to the other side. I continued to walk almost to the end of the billboard and then doubled back, made a left turn, and continued past the billboard, where I saw him waiting for me to come out the other side. I quickly advanced and put another billboard between our line of sight. I'm sure he thought I disappeared in thin air.

Up until the last two times in Shanghai, I had never been approached directly by a prostitute. Now they are common. I think it is because they are trying to clean up some areas such as around Hengshan road. They usually approach in pairs. You can always see them angling towands you. They almost always speak good English. They start out by saying, "Hello", then ask where you are from and where you are staying and such. They are really just trying to make conversation. They press you if you don't answer questions like what hotel you are staying in. They will ask if you they can walk with you to practice their English. They will walk with you awhile but will invariably, they will ask you if you want to go for a tea, beer, or drink. I'm quite certain they will take you to a place where they will get a cut. I have heard of people going places and assuming the prices are within normal range only to find out that you have bought the most expensive tea in China for yourself and two dates. Some of them are strikingly beautiful. The only other good thing I can say about them is that when they are walking with you, no one else bothers you--professional courtesy, I suppose. There are worse things than chatting with a beautiful girl by your side. One insisted that we go for a tea, after repeatedly declining, she grabbed my arm and tried to pull me in the direction of the bar, but I resisted. She then proceeded to tell me that it was very economical, saying that it was only 200 RMB each. I told her she was out of her mind. She said, "Okay then, 300 RMB for the both of us". Somehow or another, I don't think she was talking about tea at that point. She started yelling, "Cheap. Cheap. Cheap American" as I walked away. Some are more overt about taking them back to the hotel. Shortly after fending off the previous girl, another solo girl picked up on me. She was a real beauty. She keep bumping me in the arm, which I thought was strange. It was getting close to 11 PM and there were that many people still out. A guy walking in the opposite direction with plenty of room to walk walked smack into her and almost knocked her down. He kept going and didn't say a word. I don't know what was up with that. I suppose that she was out of her territory. She made up some gibberish about some Chinese not liking to see Chinese girls with foreigners. And then there is another one that I see about half the time I walk down Nanjing. She is one of the most beautiful girls I have seen. The last time, I felt someone staring at me from a distance. I looked up and recognized her and quickly headed in the other direction to no avail. She caught up with me and hooked her arm in mine. She rightly accused me of recognizing her and asked why tried to avoid her. She insisted that she knew me from somewhere a year or so ago. She demanded that I tell her her name. She has grabbed hold of me so many times that I know her name. She insisted that I buy her something. I never have. I refused even to take her to KFC. She truly is a beautiful girl. It makes one wonder what brings such girls to this.

At least there aren't too many beggars on Nanjing. There are some, usually laying prone on the street with a box in front of them. You and contribute or not. They don't harass you or even say anything at all. Some of these might genuinely be in need. It's hard to fake having half your face burned off.

If you are in the markets, you have to go in there with the expectation that you are going to be harassed. Actually, it can be part of the fun. If you are looking for fake good (which I advise against and do not do myself), having a personal buyer is not so bad. The last time I was in the markets, I keep running into this pair of girls. They were usually staying there as I approached, arm in arm. They were so funny. I would fend them off, only to run into them again later. As I was leaving, I ran into them again. They insisted on taking me somewhere to buy something. I apologized and said that I must go. One of them hauled off and hit me, and then laughed. At least they were prostituting themselves. The women in the markets are that way. They are really amusing. Sometimes they will hold your hand while they are negotiating with you. My colleague was trying to buy some silver jewelry. The lady said no negotiating. He asked her for her best price. She gave it to him and he counter offered at a much lower price. She gave him a violent, two-handed, Elaine type push and said, "No negotiating." Then, she did something with her little finger and said something that I am sure wasn't too nice. We started to leave, but she wasn't finished. She gave him the price he asked, carefully wrapped everything, smiled, and gave us her card and invited us back.

Tongrenlu is the red light district of Shanghai, more or less. Prostitutes are everywhere. Generally, the ones standing on the street curb don't harass you, except in the wee hours of the morning when they are trying to turn their last trick (or perhaps looking for a place to crash). You have to expect it if you are in the area. Several bars have girls standing out front. They will grab you and try to pull you in. They get a cut of the drinks you purchase for them...and they are thirty little devils. Some places are regular bars. I have only been there once, but Woodstock seems to be a regular bar. There were no girls harassing us to buy them drinks. However, when I left the establishment and hailed a taxi, one hooked me by the arm. She was persistent in wanting to go to the hotel with me. Maybe I had had too many beers, but she seemed to be stunningly gorgeous, a classy looking girl. She made the governor's girl look homely. I finally fended her off and got into a taxi. Before I could close the door, two beggars appeared at the door demanding money. I couldn't close the door and I was trying to give the driver a card for the hotel. It was chaos for a while. The driver pulled forward a little to allow me to close the door. The next thing I know the same prostitute was jumping into the front seat. I don't recall what I said, but she made a hasty retreat. I was pretty aggravated at the time and probably wasn't too polite.

Luna's

2008-04-19T21:13:00.011-04:00

Luna's is a cafe, bar, and restaurant in the trendy Xintiandi area. I've eaten there once. It was nothing remarkable and, perhaps, a little on the pricey side compared to other restaurants in Shanghai. But, Xintiandi an upscale area of Shanghai and one has to expect to pay a little more.

Luna's is more remarkable for its nightlife. It's the place to go if you want to listen to rock and roll. All the great bands in Shanghai are Filipino and Luna's has the best Filipino band in Shanghai known as the Friction.

The Friction is a large, very versatile band and they know how to work the crowd. They really seem to enjoy performing and the audience responds. I've had the pleasure of meeting most of the members of the band. It's a great group of guys and gals.

Below is a short video clip:

Like every band that I have seen in Shanghai (only 5, I have to admit), the lead singers are female. Marilyn, the one in the glasses has a great voice for the harder rock and roll. She does a great Rod Stewart. Marissa, on the other hand, has a softer voice. I like the way she does Tracy Chapman. The two work well together and look like they are having the best time on stage.

Abe puts on quite a show. He will mix with the audience as he plays his guitar. Sometimes he will play it behind his head. He has also been known to pick the guitar with this teeth.

If you are lucky, you might get Fritz play a couple of songs with the band. Fritz is a former rocker out of Frankfort, Germany. I had the good fortune of meeting him the last time I was there.

My only complaint is that the music is a little too loud for my taste and it can get extremely smoky. The only other bad thing is that when listening the band, the hours can go by fast. It is late before you know. If you like rock and roll, don't miss the Friction at Luna's.

The band typically starts playing about 9-10 in the evening. They play six nights a week. If you want a decent seat, it is best to get there before 9.

If you are taking the subway, you can take Line 1 from the People's Square to the first stop, Huangpi South Road. Leave the station via Exit 2. Turn left on Madong road and walk approximately 600 feet to Taicang Road. It's not hard to find from there. Follow this link for a map.

Zhujiajiao

2008-04-19T16:27:00.020-04:00

Zhujiajiao is "a Township on Water" located an hour or so to the southwest of Shanghai by Dianshan Lake. It is billed as the Venice of Shanghai. Indeed, there are many canal that run through the city. I happened to visit there the Saturday after the Chinese New Year began in 2008. Of the hundreds of thousands of people I saw there, there was only one other Westerner there. It seems to be mostly a tourist spot for the Chinese.

I don't know if it was just for the new year or if it is done all the time for the tourist, but throughout the day, two dragons were paraded through the city accompanied by the boat people, the oyster people, and the crab people (I think they were crabs anyway. Maybe they were clams). It seemed to highly symbolic. Dragons with a ball in their month appear frequently in Shanghai. The people traditionally made their living from the water, which explains the rest.

Towards the end of our visit, there was a dance between the two dragons in the main square.

The Fangsheng bridge is perhaps the most famous site there. It is also known as the "Setting Fish Free Bridge". People take a bags of fish there and release them into the river. No doubt the fish soon die an agonizing death, but the thought is good.

Below is a copy of the admission ticket. It gives a little more information about the city:

If you click on the brochure below, you will see more information about the sites in Zhujiajiao. Unfortunately, I do not read Chinese.

We ended the day at a restaurant near the Fangsheng bridge. I don't recall the name of the restaurant, but it was an excellent meal. The pork wrapped in bamboo leaves was so good. We also had some small snails. They were very spicy and quite tasty. I had to ask how to get the snails out. They were really small. I was told to use a toothpick, which worked quite well. My Chinese friend would able to pop the snails in their mouth and suck the little critters out. We had the local brew for drink, Zhujiajiao beer. It was not much different from the famed Tsing Tao beer. I was also introduced to baijiu. Nasty stuff. Stay away from it, unless you like moonshine.

I leave you with a few more photos around the town:

Red House Restaurant

2008-04-18T20:07:00.003-04:00

The Red House Restaurant was originally established as a French restaurant in 1935 by a Jewish man and a French woman. It was located in the French Concession area on L'avenue Joffre, now called Huaihai Middle Road. It was one of the original Western restaurants in Shanghai.

The decor is classically Western, very elegant. We dined on the top floor (I believe it was) the first time. The atmosphere was very nice, very cozy, a nice place to take a date. The second time we ate on a different floor that was more like an open dining room.

It is billed as a French restaurant, but there are several Italian selections as well, plus some of the local flavor. It doesn't resemble a French restaurant in the least, other than the menu selections. In a French restaurant, everything is well timed and served in courses. Usually, there is a set price menu. The Red House is more like a typical Chinese restaurant where the dishes are ordered a la carte and served as they are readied. Also, in a French restaurant, there is an endless supply of hard crusted French bread. Here, you have to ask for it, and it is more like a soft roll that you might find in an American restaurant, served with butter. And, you won't get more that one roll each, unless you ask for more. You do eat with knife and fork.

Although billed as a Western restaurant, I have never seen a Westerner there, other than myself. We were told the first time we went that we were lucky to be seated and that ordinarily they could have not seated us without reservations. It was during the New Year and business was slow. The next time, we had reservations.

Whatever you do, don't order tea there. The first time, my friend and I ordered tea. It was served in an ordinary glass with boiling hot water. They plunked up an ordinary bag of Lipton tea, and, voila, 40 RMB each. The two teas (that we couldn't touch for 10 minutes) cost more the rest of the meal. All we had the first time was a salad, soup, and chicken. Total cost was around 150 RMB (of which 80 was for tea). The second time around, we had soup, salad, mandarin fish, and spaghetti with shrimp with beer to drink. The total came to 202 RMB (about $29). It's very reasonably priced and the food is good. It is my date's favorite place in Shanghai to eat. When she was a young girl, her grandparents use to take her there as a reward for making good grades. If steak is your fancy, they have that too, starting around 100 RMB each.

It is mostly an older Shanghai crowd there; however, there were some younger people there. If front of us were two twenty something Shanghainese girls, one just returning from the US and was debating on whether or not to keep or sell her house there. Beside us was a mixed Chinese and Japanese family. In front of them was a older, very Western-like Chinese family.

It's a different side of Western dining in Shanghai and it is very worthwhile to experience it.

The address is 845 Huaihai Middle Road. If you are taking the subway, get off at the the second stop south of the People's Square, Shanxi Road, and exit via Exit 2 on Huaihai Road. Walk east (direction will be on the street sign) a block or two and you should see it on your right. Reservations are highly recommended.

China Visas

2008-04-18T13:06:00.003-04:00

Visas for China have suddenly become harder to get. If you already have a multiple entry visa, no problem; but if you are applying for a visa, one can only obtain a one or two entry visa with carefully defined dates. This will remain the case until the Olympics are over. This applies even to Shanghai, although there are no Olympic activities going on there.

In the past, you either needed a letter of invitation from the company where you plan to work or a confirmed hotel reservation in order to apply for a visa. Now you need an official letter of invitation issued by the local Foreign Affairs Ministry. It's at least a two week process and then you still have to apply for the visa. Even if it's expedited, we are talking on the order of three to four weeks to obtain a visa.

Be aware; be prepared, if you are planning to travel to China.

Shanghai Concert Hall

2008-04-16T21:14:00.012-04:00

The Shanghai Concert Hall was a nice place to spend a Sunday morning. It was part of a radio series of the Complete Beethoven.

The Shanghai Concert Hall is located near the People's Square. It has an interesting history. It originally opened at the Nanjing Theater in 1930. It was later declared a Heritage Building. In order to preserve it, it because necessary to move it to its present location. In seven month, starting in December 2002, they moved the Concert Hall a little over 200 feet to its present location. By the end of September 2004, it was back in operation. There is a plaque commemorating this event at the entrance, in English, nevertheless. In 1988, the same series played to sold out crowds. The concerts sold out in two hours. A friend was telling me that during the Cultural Revolution, one could not listen to western music. Her father had to secretly record classical music from the radio, being careful not to be caught by neighbors. I can understand why this might have been such a big event.

Maestro Chen Xieyang conducted the Shanghai Symphony for Beethoven's 7 and 8 Symphonies (I thought it was the 4 and 6, but what do I know). It wasn't quite sold out, but there was a good crowd there. People were dressed in everything from jeans to suits. There were young and old. I may have been the only westerner there.

Getting tickets was interesting. The ticket office was closed, so you either had to already buy your tickets or purchase them off the street. In a land where nothing is real, I was skeptical of buying tickets off the street, but my date had no such reservations. We found a guy with eight seats together. Of course, we only needed two. She was able to negotiate the tickets down to 40 RMB each, down from 50 RMB if we had purchased them directly. Another guy tried to purchase all the tickets (even the ones we had in hand and were in the process of paying for), out from under us. But, the guy wanted to pay a lower price for all of them. The seats turned out to about the best seats in the house, dead center to the symphony, three or four rows back behind the flat section next to the stage, just as the rows started to go up the incline.

The emcee seemed to enjoy making fun of poor Beethoven, calling him short and ugly and saying he had a hard time attracting women. It was good for a few laughs by the audience.

The Maestro Chen seemed to be an excitable fellow, occasionally leaping in the air. The concert made for a pleasant, relaxing Sunday morning, and I look forward to doing it again.

From the People's Square, one can walk there by walking south on Xizang (Tibet) Road to the overhead crosswalk at Yan'an Road. Cross Yan'an Road and the Concert Hall will be right there.

Getting Around Shanghai

2008-04-16T18:54:00.007-04:00

Getting around Shanghai is not so difficult once you are able to establish your bearings. One of the first thing is understanding the basic points of the compass (North = Bei, South = Nan, East = Dong, and West = Xi). It can be important when taking the subway. For instance, your map might indicate a South road, but the subway stop might use "Nan". The Huangpu River separates the city into East and West. East of the river is Pudong, taking its name from the last syllable of the Huangpu River and Dong for East. West of the river is Puxi (similar to Pu She with a smile). Puxi is where most of the activity is located. Pudong is relatively new, being farmland a decade or so ago. The Pearl Tower and the Jin Mao Tower are in Pudong, next to the river. On the other side of the river in Puxi in the Bund, the picturesque walk along the river. The Pearl Tower is visible for a lot of places. If you can see the tower in Puxi, you know that that direction is east. If you point your right hand in that direction, your left hand will point west, your head, north, and your rear south. Almost all roads indicate direction with a N, S, E, and/or W marking on the street signs. If you learn a few roads, you will be able to quickly learn to navigate. Beiing, Nanjing, Huaihai, and Fuxing all run east and west, while Yan'an, Chengdu, and Tibet run north and south. Zhong Shan forms a near circle around the city.

The People's Square is the center of activity. Many sites, shops, and restaurants are within a 45 minute walk from there. There are a lot of great restaurants in Shanghai. Many of my favorites are located on or around Huaihai Road or in the Hong Mei Entertainment Street area. The Hong Mei area is a little far away from the center of activity and, consequently, is a little less crowded and more laid back. One weekend, I made a half day excusion starting at the People's Square and walking down Nanjing to Bund, then South along the Bund until I saw Gu Cheng Park. I made my walk over to this wonderful park with bamboo forests, a gold fish pond, a tea house, and play areas. It's a beautiful park, the equivalent of anything that I have seen in France. After that, I toured the Yu Yuan (Yu Gardens). Then I went through the City God Temple just outside the Yu Yuan. Across the street is the Dragongate Mall. It is a beautiful mall; however, it is mostly empty as they prepare for the shops to move in. I somehow made my way down Fangbang road, where many Chinese seek bargains. It was extremely crowded. There was all sorts of junk for sale. I hastily past an avenue where there was an apparent bird market. I wasn't interested in hanging around. Eventually, Fangbang intersected Tibet Road, which I used to return to the hotel. It made for an interesting half day.

The Pudong Airport, as the name suggest, it far to the east. With little traffic, it is a 45 minute or so taxi ride to the People's Square.

There are a lot of tall, well lit buildings in Shanghai. I have also learned to navigate by these buildings. I always stay at the Citadines Hotel near the People's Square. The Royal Meridien Hotel is close by on Nanjing. I also call it the Shimao building because that is what you see at the top. It is a tall, double-horned building. It is alway well lit. If you can find that, you can find the Nanjing Pedestrian Road. The Radisson Hotel looks like a space ship. With those two points, I can always establish direction. The Marriott Hotel is on West Nanjing. It is a very tall, unique building. It is the one that looks like four fingers coming together at the top with a ball in the middle. If I can find it, I know that I am not too far away.

The Westin Bund Center is another point of reference. It looks like a golden pineapple top at night (some say a lotus). You know that you are not too far from the Bund or Yu Yuan (Yu Gardens) if you can find your way there.

Also, I came across this useful cheat sheet for getting around.

New Xiang Yang Market

2008-04-13T21:41:00.002-04:00

They say there use to be a large open air market near the People's Square in Shanghai called the Xiang Yang (She-ahng Yahng). The market was famous for knock-off products and dvd's. I've heard that it was shut down by the Chinese authorities over the counterfeit concerns of the West. There seems to be a great debate over where the markets found a new home. Undoubtedly, the New Xiang Yang market is at the Science and Technology Museum subway stop in the Pudong area. From the People's Square, it is the fifth subway stop on Line 2 going east towards Pudong. All you have to do is exit the gate and you are at the markets. You don't need to leave the station.

The market is where mostly westerners go to match wits with Chinese merchants. It is not much of a contest really. As a colleague says, you walk away thinking you made a great deal. By the time you get home, you realize that you got screwed.

The markets can be lots of fun if you like to bargain. If you don't like to bargain and mix with the locals, then stay away. As you walk by the shops, the merchants will all encourage you to come in just to look. It can be exhausting just saying "no thank you" over and over again. If you do walk in a shop and pick some up, be prepared to start bargaining if you want to or not. If you ask the price, you will either end up buying it or walking away after intense negotiations. It is mostly the women merchants that do the negotiating and they can be quite colorful. The negotiations usually begin this way. You ask the price. They whip out a calculator and enter a number. You say, "No, no. Too high." They give you the calculator and expect you to enter a number. Whatever they start out with, you give them a number that is 25% to 33% of what they initially ask. They will say something like, "You joking". It goes back and forth for a while. Ultimately, you walk out. Then they start dropping the price. You negotiate a little more and walk again again. Maybe this time you get a little further and they come chasing after you. If they are not finished with you, they will drag you back. I have had two women, each grabbing me by an arm, physically drag me back. Usually, one settles on a price about one-third from the initial asking price. A lot of times you end up buying stuff you don't want.

They sell all sorts of stuff, but mostly it is knock-off products such as Coach purses, Nike shoes, Oakly sunglasses, Rolex and Tag watches, dvd's, and a variety of clothing knock-offs. That's what most people buy, but I stay away from this junk. Besides, it is illegal and the penalties can be high if you take them back to the States. You can also find some nice gifts such as "silk" table clothes and runners, tea mugs, chop sticks, figurines, and other desk stuff. And it's can be pretty cheap. I bought some decent ceramic, 3 piece tea mugs for 10 RMB each (about $1.50). It has the mug, an insert for loose tea, and a top. At the airport, the exact same thing will sell for 120 RMB. The porcelain mugs are nice. One can buy these at 40-45 RMB. If you bump them together and they have a nice ring, then it is probably real. If there is a thud, stay away from it. I've bought table runners at 5 for 100 RMB. I will eventually post a few photos of some of the things that I have bought. You can have a great time at the market and only spend a little bit of money.

It is interesting to watch the various nationalities. We watched a Polish woman buy a pair of "Oakleys" for 135 RMB (about $19). We struck up a conversation with us and asked us if we thought she got a good deal. We kind of stumped and shudders a bit and said, "Yeah, sure." She hung around a bit and watched my colleague buy them for 50 RMB. The English seem to go okay, but don't really push to hard when negotiating. The Philippinos are maybe a little better. All Canadians I've seen so far are suckers (no offense meant). The Chinese are so-so negotiators. The Americans are by far the best negotiators.

My opinion on the knock-off quality is this. The handbags and wallets are pretty good. I know some women that have had handbags for years and think they are the best in the world. The backpacks and luggage looks good, but it doesn't last. The zippers are easy to break. A contract bought a backpack for his laptop. He darn near lost his laptop when the strap broke. The may get your stuff home. Then again, it may fall apart the first time a luggage handler tosses it. I bought one digital watch that I didn't realize was a knock-off until a few days later. I bought it to last for the trip. It did just that; the band broke on the flight home. My colleagues have had hit and miss success with the "Rolex" and "Tag" watches. I'm impressed with the optics on the sunglasses. The frames are junk. That is always the first think to go, according to my colleagues. There are two levels of dvd's: it is something like a dvd-3 and a dvd-9. The dvd-3's go for 5 RMB each; the dvd-8's, 8 RMB. On the dvd-3's, the video is acceptable; the audio is usually muffled. I've never seen a dvd-8, but I hear they are pretty good. The clothing sucks. A Canadian contractor bought a jacket and three days later the buttons started falling off. Again, I don't recommend buying this junk, but if you do, be aware. My opinion of the dvd's is that I might buy them for use while in China. I really don't think one could even buy a legitimate dvd in Shanghai. I would never bring one back with me.

After an exhausting day of shopping, you might want to check out the science museum next door. You will have to pass through a metal detector first to get in the building. To see the exhibits, you have to purchase tickets. I wasn't too impress with the iMax presentation. They seemed antiquated. I saw the one on the human body. I don't recommend it. It is also a great place to eat. After passing the metal detectors, turn to the left and walk a ways down. You will see the cafeteria on the left. There are several restaurants inside. To the right is one of my favorites, a Japanese style restaurant where they cook the food in front of you.

City God Temple Shanghai

2008-04-11T14:56:00.016-04:00

The City God Temple in Shanghai is just outside the Yu Gardens (Yu Yuan). It is well worth the 10 RMB to see it. The video below shows a ceremony of some sort. If anyone knows what is happening here, please let me know. I apologize for the video. For some of it, you have to turn your head 90 degrees. The quality of the original is much better, but I had to make some compromise on size.

I was out for a walk when I stumbled by the City God Temple. I had never made a point to go see the temples, always figuring it would be boring. Much to my surprise, I found it to be interesting. The closest thing I had ever seen to this is the temple just outside the markets in Tokyo. This one was much more impressive.

Below is a video of stills as I passed through the temple.

Lantern Festival 2008

2008-04-11T12:16:00.003-04:00

The year 2008 is the year of the Rat. The Rat was a reoccurring theme as you can see in the video of stills taken at the Lantern Festival at Yu Yuan (Yu Gardens) in Shanghai. The Lantern Festival occurs towards the end of the New Year celebration. Hope you enjoy the video.

Hongbao

2008-04-10T19:51:00.003-04:00

Hongbao is literally a red package. It typically is a red envelop stuff with money. It might be given as a wedding gift to offset the costs of being at the wedding and a little something for goodwill for the bride and groom. It can also be something that you give your doctor to ensure you get could care.

A friend recently had a parent diagnosed with a seriously illness. It's a complicated process to find a doctor. It takes consultation with family, friends, and relatives. Once the doctor is chosen and agrees to take on the patient, then there is the matter of hongbao, the red envelope. Hongbao ensures that the patient isn't treated like someone just off the street. What's the difference between a bribe and hongbao? Bribes are illegal. Hongbao is a goodwill gesture. One can't just walk up to the doctor and hand him the hongbao. A relationship has to be established. Again, relatives are consulted to see if any have been treated by the doctor. If not, friends of relatives are consulted to find someone treated by the doctor. Once the connection is made, the range of the hongbao is determined and how it should be delivered. Perhaps one visits the doctor's house along with relatives or friends to give him the hongbao. In this case, because it is a serious illness, it was determined that the appropriate range should be 3,500 to 5,000 RMB, about $500-$700 US dollars. The doctor is supposed to be one of the best, educated at UCLA.

The hospital doesn't provide the services that we might expect. They don't provide food or provide prescription drugs or bathe the patient or help with the bathroom. All this is up to the relatives of the patient. However, people can be hired for as little as 30 RMB a day (about $4) to help out.

It is not unlike Romania where I met a young man whose wife was pregnant. He was scared at the prospects of taking his wife to the hospital. He said the doctor would come in in a white coat with big pockets and he would have to stuff them with cash. It couldn't be the Romanian Lei; it had to either be Euros or American dollars. He ended up joining up with the army again where he wouldn't have to worry about it. At least, he said, he didn't have to worry about the police any more. In former times, it was necessary to bribe the police, but no more.

Ten Fu's Tea Shop

2008-04-10T17:38:00.005-04:00

The best times in Shanghai have been with my Shanghainese friend and my favorite time was when we went to Ten Fu's Tea Shop on Huaihai street (pronounced similar to why high). You can get there by taking the Line 1 Metro to the Shanxi stop and then exiting Exit 2 on Huaihai Road. It is just across the street. Or one can walk from the People's Square in about 45 minutes by walking south on Tibet (Xizang) road, crossing Yan'an road just past the museum via the overhead walkway, continuing straight for a couple of blocks and turning left on Huaihai Road. It is six or seven blocks or so from there at 988 Huaihai Road (M).

When we went in, they had some jasmine tea prepared. It was excellent, but I already had some jasmine tea. So, we inquired about some other tea. The long jing tea had a nice fragrance. The hostess said it was a very popular tea with the Shanghainese and offered to let us sample it.

I never knew that making tea was such a complicated process. The hostess was a very delightful, professional young lady that looked about 20 but was probably closer to 30. She was dressed in what appeared to me to be a green, traditional Chinese smock (for lack of a better word). She invited us to sit at the table. Her assistant brought in hot water, which she used to rinse the water pot, the glass tea pot, and the cups three times each. Her assistant took the water pot an brought back some hot water. She felt it with both hands and sent it back. Apparently, it wasn't the right temperature. Her assistant comes back with another pot that is just right, about 70 degrees C, as she later told us. She dumped 7 or 8 grams of long jing tea into the glass pot, then poured the water in and swirled it around for about 20 seconds, then dumped the tea in a bowl. She then proceeded to make another batch, again swirling it around for 20 seconds or so. She then filled the cups, waited a bit, and then dumped everything into the bowl. We were told that this was to warm the cups up. Then she proceeded to make another batch. This time we got to sample it.

As we drank up, she would commence to make another batch, always using the same tea leaves. She sat there continually swirling the glass pot, even it there was nothing in it. She explained all about the tea. For the first half or so, she spoke to my Shanghainese friend and she translated into English for me. About half way through, she turns to me and starts speaking in perfect English. She had to occasionally grasp for words, but she always found the right word and her pronunciation was excellent. She explained to me exactly how to make the tea, using 7 or 8 grams at a time. For a weak brew, swirl the tea for 14 seconds. For a strong brew, swirl the tea for 20 seconds. One can get 4 or 5 batches of strong brew and 7 or 8 or more from a weak brew. She said that I should taste a slight sweetness in my throat, but it might take a while to experience the sensation. She also said that it should only be drunk in the morning or early afternoon; otherwise, it would keep you up at night. I asked her, "So, we shouldn't be drinking it now?" She thought carefully and said, "Probably not". She was right. I didn't sleep much that night. I do notice a sweetness on occasion when I least expect it.

We ended up buying the smallest quantity, 50 grams, enough to last about a week. Curiously, there was no discount on volume. A 250 gram package costs precisely five times as much. I wanted to sample it more before buying more. She was very gracious and invited us to come back anytime and drink as much tea as we liked with no obligation to buy. The tea was relatively expensive: one week's worth of morning tea for 80 RMB (about $11.50 today). She had some that sold for 500 RMB for 50 grams.

After reading up on it some, I can see why it is so expensive. The tea is also know as Dragon Well. It is grown in Hangzhou. It is divided into seven grades: Superior, Special, and then 1 down to 5. To get the best taste, Hu Pao Quan water should be used. It takes about 10 hours to pick enough leaves to make 500 grams of dried tea. After picking, the leaves are air dried for 8 to 10 hours. After that, the leaves are roasted by hand to ensure the correct temperature. It takes a 10 hand movement that takes 3 years to master in order to roast the tea properly. A roaster can process 1 kg a day of high quality tea.

There are a number of great restaurants in this area including two of my favorites, The Grape Restaurant and Qian Xiang Ge. The Peking Duck (the Roast Duck Company) and The Red House are also in the area. More on those later. The Grape Restaurant is just off Huaihai next to Xiangyang park. All the others are located directly on Huaihai.

Fishing for Taxis

2008-04-10T14:13:00.003-04:00

Catching a taxi in Shanghai is a lot like fishing. Success depends on the weather and location and time of day and the proper bait. Sometimes you catch one only to let it get away. If you find a good fishing hole, others are likely to crown in.

When it rains, everyone wants to take a taxi. They can be extremely hard to catch in bad whether. Location is everything. You have to find a spot where taxis are passing by in sufficient number and in the direction you want to go. If you find a good spot, others are likely to step in front of you. The Chinese will win every time, because they are more aggressive and don't care if you were there first.

Taxi drivers are homicidal maniacs who have little regard for traffic rules or pedestrians. They can be extremely moody. It is helpful to know what direction you are heading. They are frequently unwilling to make a U turn or go around the block to go in a different direction, so try to make sure you are on the correct side of the street. If they don't want to go in a particular direction, they will tell you to get out. If it is too far or too busy or he just doesn't want to go there, he may tell you to get out. Don't ask the driver first if he can take you some place. If one stops, just get in (especially if it is a group of people) and then let him know where you are going. It is good to always make a habit of picking up a card of any establishment where you might want to return. For sure, pick up a card for the hotel before you take your journey. Just give the card to the taxi driver. It is better to have a Shanghainese person to tell them where to take you, but a card is the next best thing. It is highly unlikely that the taxi driver will acknowledge speaking any English or even Mandarin for that matter. Most speak Shanghainese only.

Around the dinner hour is the hardest time to catch a taxi. Taxis are generally easy to catch after 11pm when the picking are slim and the rates are higher. If you find yourself in Xintiandi or on Tongrenlu, they will be lined up to take you wherever you want to go in the wee hours of the morning.

The taxis generally charge standard rates that vary according to the time of day. During normal times, they start at 11 RMB. The lowest rate starts at something like 2.1 RMB/km, so you can go some distance on 11 RMB. The fare is determined by distance or time. If the taxi goes below a certain speed (almost stopped), it is based on time; otherwise, it is based on distance. Be aware that certain places are considered special, such as the Yu Gardens. If you catch a taxi there, the fare is negotiable. There are also places that you have to use a local taxi. You can call a taxi out of the city to come get you, but you can only catch a local taxi. They cannot take you any where local if they come from the city. The local vehicles are usually something that look a Chinese version of a Minicooper or a beat to hell van.

If you are a pedestrian, be aware that taxis stop for nothing. They run lights and have no respect for crosswalks. Even if there is a Walk/Don't walk signal, the taxis will still push their way through the crosswalk.

The subway is a great alternative. It is easy to learn and the ticket machines can display English. I learned the hard way. A friend and colleague told the cab driver to take me back to the hotel and went his merry way. The taxi driver decided he didn't won't to go there. We had a lot of trouble just to get one to stop, plus there were many others trying to catch one. I couldn't catch another, so I just went walking down the street. Eventually, I stumbled across a metro station. It was pretty easy to figure out which line I needed to take to get me back to the hotel.

It is easy to get in the habit of just giving the driver a card, but it is easy to lose the sense of where you are that way. It is beneficial to learn your way around a little, else you may find yourself catching a taxi to take you around the block. Case and point, I was at the Big Bamboo with some Canadian contractors. The Big Bamboo has the best cheeseburgers in the world, btw. The Canadians wanted to go to this bar called Malone's. They had been there before but didn't have a clue where it was. They were trying to catch a taxi and called a colleague to find out how to get there. I recognized the street as one on the map on the back of the card for the Big Bamboo, Tongrenlu. It was just around the block.

Knowing your way around Shanghai is not so difficult. You might be surprised to find that many places are within walking distance. But that is the subject of another post.

Welcome!

2008-04-10T13:32:00.001-04:00

My work takes me around the globe. I created this blog to document my travels. It someone else enjoys or benefits from it, so much the better. At the moment, I am spending most of my time in Shanghai, so that is where I will start.

Make no mistake about it; Shanghai is an international city. It's culture is an international culture. If you travel to Shanghai expecting to experience China, you will be in for a big surprise. The international culture is part of the experience of Shanghai, but it is easy to get caught up in the vast Western culture that exist there. Everyone needs to experience it, but there is much, much more.

Not only do I hope to show my readers the sites, I would also like to give my readers the benefit of my experiences and a perspective on the local culture.

If you have any comments, please feel free to join in.