Shanghai China Snippets Observations about living in Shanghai and China in general

March 21, 2005

More Shanghai Favorites

Filed under: Shanghai Life — Shanghai @ 8:50 pm

Coming Wednesday there will be another Shanghai Weblogger Meetup . One of the probable topics might be: “My favorite places in Shanghai”. See also my earlier post with my own Shanghai favorites.

As a fellow blogger, Michael, hasn’t got a Shanghai related blog
so I’ll publish his Favorite Shanghai Places here. He has his own
Shanghai web consulting company though.

Michael’s List

* My favorite place for afternoon tea: Home, with my collection of tea.

* My Favorite afternoon tea: The little pellet-shaped Huangshan Oolong tea

with a bar of dark
Domori chocolateis a favorite pasttime

*
My favorite working lunch restaurant: Red Door (next to Manabe on Zhaojiabangat Wuxing Lu)

*
My favorite Starbucks store: I really hate Starbucks

*
My favorite Hunan restaurant: Di Shui Dong or Guyi

*
Best Sichuan food: PinChuan

*
Best Cantonese: Hengshan Cafe

*
Best Pizza: Jimix: Seve

*
Best Xinjiang: Bayi behind Grand Gateway, XJH

*
Best Taiwanese: Charmant

*
My favorite tea house: Are there any in Shanghai ??

*
My favorite restaurant in Pudong: where’s Pudong?

*
My favorite road: Fuxing Lu.

*
My favorite gym: Y+ Yoga

*
Favorite local musicians: B6, The Sonnet, DJ Vnutz

*
Favorite local magazine: Metrozine

*
Favorite bar: C’s Bar at 685 Dingxi Lu nr. Fahuazhen

*
Favorite happy hour: Sashas, outside when the weather’s nice.

*
Favorite cheese shop: Cheese and Fizz, Xintiandi

*
Favorite chocolate available in Shanghai: Hachez, usually at Parksons.

*
Favorite steet food: The cold noodle seller at Huaihai park.

A Bookstore

Filed under: Shanghai Survival Tips — Shanghai @ 3:56 pm

shanghai book storeWalking down Shaanxi Road, crossing Changle Road, my eyes noticed a shop sign saying “Garden Books”.

The interesting part is that it didn’t seem to bear any Chinese name. Just Garden Books. In a city that is pretty much Chinese that was a pleasant surprise as it might mean that they would have books and books and all in English.

I know, I am somehow still old fashioned in the sense that I prefer reading books and papers while holding the paper.

They just opened and it seems they have a nice selection of books as well as Western magazines and newspapers.

The address is 325 Chang Le Rd Shanghai.
(To be more precise it’s on the corner of Shaanxi Lu/ Changle Lu)

And unfortunately I am not getting any free books out of this.

March 18, 2005

Always Building in Shanghai

Filed under: Shanghai Life — Shanghai @ 10:53 pm

Construction is a 24-hour story in Shanghai. Roads get a fresh surface, buildings are torn down and new, even uglier, complexes are build.

My building is from 1996 but it looks like it was hip in the fifties. The old houses opposite my building will be pulled down in the near future. Although on the one hand understandable as sharing the toilet and the bathroom is one of the perks of living there, the sad thing will be their replacements.

Maybe the current buildings are a bit of a mess but these small neighbourhoods are at least full of life. I intend to keep track of the
speed of building in my area by making photo’s every now and then.
construction in Shanghai

March 17, 2005

Chinese Swear Words

Filed under: Chinese Language — Shanghai @ 4:16 pm

“Hey watch out, stupid melon” is something I always wanted to shout to [tag]Chinese drivers[/tag], cyclists and other traffic participants. It just
sounds weird though, saying it in English. Plus of course that they
won’t understand anyway. Just found a nice site that can help anyone integrate better in [tag]China[/tag] by learning some [tag]Chinese swear words[/tag]. Don’t believe me… Qin wode pigu!

Element Fresh – (An A- on sunny days)

Filed under: Shanghai Restaurants — Shanghai @ 2:33 pm

It is nice to sit outside, on an elevated terrace on Nanjing Xi Lu.

During weekdays it will probably be rather smoggy but it was Sunday, sunny and the traffic was low.

Element Fresh Restaurant is on the premises of the Ritz Portman Complex. The interior looks indeed rather fresh and they serve big breakfast sets on weekends.

A big Americancosts 60 Renminbi and includes a cholesterol and caffeine boost with 4 eggs any style and bottomless cups of cofee. Ordering a Healthy Start is both cheaper and … well likely to be healthier.

I ordered the 4 eggs and I must say they were good. There were some other things on my plate too. Very over fried bacon, some substance that might be a potato salad relative and some tasteless french toast.

Then again, the coffee was good. The healthy part was not bad at all, especially since the bread here was real.

Brunch-wise it’s a good deal provided the weather is nice enough.

Read more reviews of shanghai restaurants

March 16, 2005

Anti means Pro

Filed under: China News — Shanghai @ 3:31 am

In the back I hear my favorite news channel in China, CCTV International also known as CCTV 9.

They have been going on about the anti-secession law now for about 15 minutes. Three different well-known scholars have explained that the law is peaceful. Overseas Chinese organizations have been quoted as standing firm behind the newly adopted law. It goes on and on. The one thing I wonder about is that this English News Channel is, as far as I think, mostly serving non-Chinese speakers who have access to more sources than only CCTV International.

I have reached my propaganda limit for now. For those of you who like to read what Xinhua News Agency is reporting to the rest of the world I have compiled some links.

Click at random:

  • 3 Caribbean countries back China’s anti-secession law (click)
  • Overseas Chinese in Latin America back China’s Anti-Secession Law (click)
  • Venezuela supports China’s anti-secession law (click)
  • Comoros supports China’s Anti-Secession Law (click)

March 14, 2005

Traffic Shanghai Style

Filed under: Shanghai Life — Shanghai @ 3:32 pm

china transport When I start hearing lots of car horns it is time to walk to the window
and look outside. I enjoy seeing new transport modes being blocked by old transportation methods.



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