Shibo

Shibo, which is chinese (well, pin yin) for Expo, is near. 11 days, said the sign this morning. I have tickets, and IF(!) my guests get to come from Europe, we plan to go.

Only issue is, that we are most likely leaving Shanghai on 3rd of May (to visit Hong Kong before truly returning to Europe). Expo opens on May 1st. All Shanghainese haven been given official day offs for the first few days of Expo.

Do you know what that means? The first few days of Expo... I'll be damned if the place is not packed. Super-packed. Over-packed. Europe airports-at-the-moment-packed. Shanghai-metro-during-rush-hour-packed. This packed.

According to Shanghai Daily, about 200,000 visitors thronged to the World Expo site in Shanghai today for the event's first trial, stretching public transport and services.

Where do you find 200,000 people on a normal working day to queue several hours and test the arrangements? Well, in Shanghai, apparently.

Below is how Shanghai Daily reported about the on-goings. I sure hope they manage to oil the wheels before it actually kicks in, but I'm not too sure about that... Had I chance I think I would opt to visit Expo in the autumn time :o) Now we just have to make best of what is available.

Passengers on Metro Line 8, linking Expo Park with downtown Shanghai, complained that trains were so crowded that doors couldn't close. The trais stopped between stations from time to time and a half-hour ride from People's Square to Yaohua Road took more than one hour this morning. At Yaohua Road station, near the entrance to Expo, jams formed at turnstile exit gates. Several turnstiles broke and visitors had to jump the barrier.Safety checkpoints were canceled outside some Expo entrances because there were too many people waiting outside.

At some gates, visitors waited for half an hour to pass through bag X-rays and body scans. Only a few pavilions were open today, attracting thousands of people waiting in line for hours because reservation machines were not working. The Chinese Pavilion stopped bookings about 10am and announcements repeatedly warned visitors to avoid the area nearby. The British Pavilion was closed at 11:30am because staff could not cope with so many visiors. A minor conflict broke out when some visitors tried to jump the queue, according to Xinmin.cn.

People faced long queues for food and drink, too, with some complaining about high prices. Rubbish was also stacked in public water fountains after visitors threw meal boxes into the basin.

New home

I have about two weeks before returning home for good (or let's say for the immeadiate future) but bacause my lease here in Shanghai was due and could not be continued. They, the management company, claim the building is full, which I find hard to believe. But what do I know about anything anyway. So, I needed a new place to stay for 17 days. About. Thus this past Saturday I moved my remaining clothes, DVDs, books, Orchids and other things to a new place. It is about ten minutes walk away from the office, which, thus, doubled the time I need to get to work :o) Well, not really, since most days I need 1h 20 minutes to get to the mill.

But. Why didn't we pick this place two and hald years ago? Why? I 'm sorry, I don't have an answer to your question.

I love the light in this place! It is 30rd floor, and only downside is it only has a shower with bathtub. I do love a bath, but I don't like to climb to the tub for normal shower. Well, the window in the bathroom makes up for it. Light! Light in the bathroom. Me likey.

I immediately started to want one in home, too. Then I remembered we just bought a house with two bathrooms, one shower-room and two wc's and none of them has a window. Well, maybe next time. Which I hope, is never.

Guest room. Might not get any use if the ash keeps flying in the Northern European air space...

I am an excellent photographer, don't you start to argue with that. So this is a sligthly dark shot? I wanted to emphasize the tranquil atmosphere of the bedroom... No? Didn't think so. I love the almost meter wide window sill.

Plus the door men are were courteous, and when ever I have something heavy looking with me they bring it all the way up. I think I can manage here for few weeks...

What I'm not sure how to manage is how to get my 4 suitcases to Finland. I was sort of counting on people coming to China and helping me with them...

Oh for ash's sake!

I have no idea how many people are stranded because of the gigantic ash cloude which erupted from a volcano in Iceland. What I do know, is that your own worries are always closest to your heart. Thus, yesterday I was seriously p****d off at the Eyjafjalla. That's the name of the volcano. Volcano, which has pretty much closed the North European skies for days. No one knows for how long.

My mother-in-law (technicalities aside) was supposed to arrive to Shanghai today. And it would have been a bright, sunny, beautiful day to come. And I know she had waited for it. And I know it is not likely she'll ever come to this part of the world if not now... I have 16 days left. Eyjafjalla, if you know what is best for you, you start to behave right now!

Getting ready...

... to return to Finland.

Btw! If I ever move again, I will definately get a moving company to do it. It was so efficient, easy and headacheless, that it is definately worth the money. Not that I paid this one myself, but still.

Of course there are still the numerous hours of checking what will be taken, what will be tossed and what will be given away. It's not quite as fun as Sex and the City (the movie) made it look like, if you know what I'm saying...

And there was the trouble of deciding which things I will need in the coming eight(!!!) weeks. But now it is all done, and all I can do is to wonder how I get all those things I need in next eight weeks to Finland...

Rush hour

I had a "try to be a really good Chinese" day last Sunday. I went to see elementary / middle school ping pong tournament. I bough a kite. A big kite and a 250 meter line, with a shocking price tag of... 3 euros. I flew the kite. I had real home cooked chinese food. And I played Ma Jiang (or mahjong, in real english).

I did all that in a smallish town (well, in Finnish scale it was a huge metropol, with some 1,5 million citizens). So, do you think I blended well in? Nah, not really. I was honestly worried for the traffic safety, as the mopedists and scooter drivers bend over backwards to stare at me with my kite. They don't get to see a lot of waiguoren, I can presume, and they propably thought I was the girlfriend / wife of my Chinese colleague. Which they propably see even less.

It was a fun day! And getting the kite high, high up in the air was really satisfying. But! There were maybe twenty people flying their kites in a very, very small park.

With a modest exaggeration, I can say the air was full of kites. Really, there were so many of them, that you were in danger of getting the lines tangled all the time. I didn't think there would be a rush hour for kite flying, but live and learn!

Well, soon enough* I'll be in the Finnish "country-side" (i.e. our own yard) and surely enough there wont be a kite-congestion there :o)

* 25 days and counting...

Rules of the city

The other night I was walking on Hengshan Road. Not much to do (except work, but cannot work all the time, and I had a flu, so couldn't go to the gym), so I decided to spend an hour walking to the bakery and back. Nothing to do with the delicious lemon tarts they do. Oh no, not at all.

Anyway, on the way there, a street vendor was selling kiwis. I veeery very rarely buy anything from the street vendors, and this time was no exception: xie xie, bu yao (thanks, but no thanks), I said.

But uncharacterasticly and without explanation, I started to feel bad for the man. After all, he is just trying to make a living for his family. Can't be easy. I like kiwis. Why don't I buy a few kiwis from him? Why shouldn't I get some kiwis and, at the same time, help this man?

The man was still there when I came back, and handed me two kiwis to try. They were firm and nice, so I bought 8 kiwis for 20 RMB, which is about 1/3 of the price I would pay at City-Shop. Why have I not bought my kiwis from this guy earlier? Stupid, prejudiced me.

I felt good about me, Shanghai, and world, and walked home via the Xu Jia Hui park, where dozens and dozens of dancing citicens made me feel even better.

I got home, and started to put my kiwis on a plate to ripen up. Except that I noted if they ripen up any more, they start walking!! Each and every one of my kiwis was rotten. The man had done the old switch-trick: given me the good ones to try, and while my both hans were occupied holding the two good kiwis, he put no longer edible kiwis to the bag.

Well, I lost 2 euros, but got a lesson. This reminded me never to forget the basic rules (in order of importance):

1) Check your kiwis one by one.

2) Do not get sentimental and mushy (this one should also apply to kiwis, if you ask me).

3) Never trust anything or anyone in this city. They are all there just to get you :o)

If qulity...

... is what you are looking for, Nanjing road's fake market "ONE PRICE" shop is clearly the way to go.

Expo effects

I went to our regular DVD shop today. Since I have paid them a visit almost once a week the past two years, I was a bit surprised when I accidently stepped in to a wrong shop. This place was less than a half of the shop I was going to go, and it only had a few items on the shelves. Chinese music and some sort of binders. This was clearly a new shop, since the neighbouring place used to sell clothes, I am sure of that.

I was ready to turn on my heels but then, with my jaw still dropped, I looked at the sales lady, and realised it was the same shop I was looking for! Only it wasn't! The sales lady recognised me and took me to the back wall between the shelves and knocked. And what do you know: there was a door, hidden behind a huge poster.

And, behind the door, there was a girl guarding the door, and of course, all the fake DVDs and CDs, as before.

That's what Expo does for you! It closes the bar streets (Tong Ren and Da Gu roads), it gets a whole lot of streets paved again, it gets the highway bottoms painted, it gives many buildings a new facade, and, it gets your DVD shop to go undercover. Fortunately Chinese are inventive.

Countdown

My days in Shanghai are numbered. There is actually a countdown clock in the middle of XuJiaHui, which is telling me how many days I have left here. I was very impressed they set that up for me, but then someone told me it might actually be because of the EXPO. Hmp.

I had some guests from Finland last week, and it was nice to go see "all" the places: SWFC Tower, champagne brunch, walk Nanjing Road from end to end, the small shops of Taikang Road, my favorite restaurants, People's park with the parents advertising their kids for marriage, the Bund, the fabric market, the night clubs, even the fake market (I still haven't bought anything fake, excluding DVDs, but it was pretty close. Have to say I was tempted to get a "Peak" outdoor jacket with 10 euros). The whole Shanghai-deal.

I still have 30 days. It's better be good, while it lasts!

Did I tell you about...

...Whisk? Cafe Whisk? I think I did, but just so you don't forget: Go to Whiskies and have some of their AWSOME chocolatie things. Anything from their dessert list. Anything from their ice cream selection.

Also the sandwhiches are good, pizzas not so much.

Just be aware: they are so good, if you don't have a reservation, you better be prepared to wait a moment for a table. But go there! Now!

WHiSK
1250 Huai Hai Lu (near Changshu Lu)
By metro: Line 1, Changshu Road Station

Guangzhou

Let us pretend I haven't been away, so I don't have to come up with some lame excuses, and you don't have to read them, ok? :o)

I was in Guangzhou just before the Lunar New year. Didn't get to see actual Guangzhou city that much, as our premises are about 40 minutes from the city centre. But it was nice and warm! Sun was shining and temperature was nice +20-25. It made me want to move there.

One day we called it a day already at 4:45pm, and headed to the city center. We took the local bus, and that was the FIRST time I have used a public bus in China. Think about that! It was a pleasent experience. The ticket was 8 RMBs (yes, less than 1 euro) for about 35 kilometers / 40 minutes trip. In a clean, airconditioned, non-crowded bus.

We walked around Guangzhou with three of colleagues for couple of hours. The whole city center seemed to be under construction! They have a nice river there, and we walked on the river banks.

Well, there were a lot of dead fish floating in that "nice river"... Like, every time you look at the water, you saw a dead fish. Not good...

If you didn't look at the water, you saw boats decorated with flashing lights.

Or chinese climbing on bridge archs.

Another "new" experience was McDonalds. I mean, that Big Mac can be good? It's been maybe 5 years now that I cannot have even thought about McDonalds without feeling at least slight nausea. I have very, very rarely stepped over their door-step. But, suddenly, compared to the local lunch, which, for example, included duck with skin, bones, and, don't ask me how, hair. Not human hair, but animal hair, fur. From a DUCK? What kind of duck is that? How does it look like? They also served beef. With bones. Without beef. Beef bones, that is. Compared, I found Big Mac a feast. I went TWICE during one week. My personal record for this millenium.

It is also a great way to get attention, if you are in need of attention. Just look for a McDonalds from a small industrial area and go there during the lunch time. I guarantee there will be at least 15 people who forget to chew their food, as they are so interested to see what you are eating and how you behave. Well, ok, it also requires that you are non-Chinese. Maybe even non-Asian. Might also be that it helps to be a woman. I couldn't test how they react to a caucasian man, as I didn't have any of those handy for testing.

Our hotel was good. Five stars for less than 40 euros a night. And I really enjoyed having a quiet, nice and safe place to run outdoors. Even if it was just around the hotel bond and around the hotel premises (which was, huuuge, by the way).This was our hotel:

Looks quite nice, huh?


Also the first picture of the post is taken from the balcony of my hotel room.

Alright alright alright, it was a little over the top, but Chinese like it that way. It's their prerogative.

When we had left Guangzhou, my colleague said: "Too bad they didn't ask me if I have any comments when we checked-out from the hotel." "Oh, what did you want to comment?" I asked. Surely, I could have commented that the breakfast was a little on the boring side, and that the waiters take your plate before you have had a chance to finish what ever was on it, but nothing big.

- "Well, they should do something to the cockrouches."

- "What?"

- "Yes, didn't you see them in your room?"

- "NO!"

- "Oh, and then there was the rat."

- "A rat?"

- "Yes, there was a rat on my balcony."

Suddenly I lost sleep retrospectively for the whole week! How can I sleep in such a place? I could feel the cockrouches walking up my leg... Ohhh! And I suddenly remembered the rustling noise I heard from within the wall. At the time I though it was the neighbour. Ugh... Of course, it was a bit too late, as I don't think I ever have to go back there again.

I think I need to train my colleague to TELL me right away if there are such creatures lodging in the same hotel with us. I think. Or maybe ignorance is a bliss...

Mystery

Lately there has been one story above anything else circulating in the China-blogs. Namely, the one of the Jason Brody. A young, british chap who disappeared in Beijing some weeks ago, and send a lot of material to his friend (maolovesyou.com) to be published if he disappears. Which he did.

Now, I am a skeptic towards most things I don't know, so it is no surprise I am not immediately convinced about this case. But strange it seems, in deed. There are suicides, murders, old chinese "mobsters", international business deals and what nots. Have a look at yourself and make up your own mind.

Shanghai Fabric Market, aka South Bund Spinning Soft Material Market

One of the joys of living in Shanghai, for me, is South Bund Soft-Spinning Material Market. Most clothing issues no longer require the tedious task of running through 15 shops before finding something remotely fitting. As, you can just go and order which ever style you desire. In your size. In your exact size. And in your color.

Surely, there may still be a problem of not finding the very same fabric you had imagined or the very same color you had wished for. But most of all, there certainly is the problem of... excessiveness. There is too much to choose from, too much to wish for, too many colors. And too many ideas, in my head. And it is inexpensive enough that you (and "you" is an inderct way of saying "I") could pass the opportunity.

Some shops are specialised in suits and coats, some in button-down shirts...




... some are specialised in certain materials, like velvet, denim, leather or silk... Or cashmere.

... or to dancing clothes and paljettes!

There are shops that mainly sell ties, scarves, pashminas...

... or hats, gloves and childrens "Chinese styly clothes".

And then there are shops that make the traditional qipaos (Chinese style dresses). Love them. I have two, though the opportunities to use are... scarce.

Now shopping at the fabric market requires certain skills. Firstly, bargaining. It helps a lot if you know where to aim at. But often you just have to guess, untill you get the hold of it. And still when ever buying something new, you don't know what is the "right price".

Secondly, you have to know what you want. Because you will get what you ask for. And other way around: if you don't ask, they propably won't read your mind and do it. Be specific. Show a picture. Make sure they write it down. Or make a copy of something you already like.

And thirdly, consider properly when you pick-up / try the clothes on. They will make the pants shorter, the skirt tighter, the blouse better fitting, but only if you ask for it. Be prepared to not have the clothes after the first due date, that way it is easier to leave them for a corrections. Just consider it a fitting. That's what you would have in any tailor in any other country, too.

And it helps to find you a regular tailor. Of each sort, that is. As mentioned above, they are specialised. Here are some that I like, but I will not give any promises on their behalf :o) They work well for me, put... And also, they are not the least expensive ones, as there are differencies. In some shops you may get a button-down shirt with 80 RMB, I happily pay 100 RMB when I know it will fit, the fabric won't loose color or change size in laundry, and, above all, that I my ironing is minimised :o)

Thai silk, normal silk: 289
For curtains, evening dresses, tops, you name it.

Chinese dresses: 120 or 264

Coats and suits: 284 Alan's

Button-down shirts: 378

Silk tops: 360 Wu Hong Xia

They often try to make too big tops, but after one correction round end results have been good.

Pants from strech-fabric: 318

Cotton (stretch): Second floor, will add shop number later. I've lost their card...

Make what ever: shirts, skirts, e.g.

Velvet: 170 and 172

(The first digit of the number tells in which floor the shop is at.)

And hit me with a question if you want more info :o)

Shanghai South Bund Soft-Spinning Material Market

Address: LuJiaBang Road 399

陆家浜路399 (南仓街口)

You can just say to the taxi driver "LuJiaBang Lu, mian liao shi chang"

Christmas decorations

I don't have any Christmas decorations, lightning fixtures or anything Christmas-related (except glögi and ginger bread) in my home in China. Therefore, I suck in all the nice (and the tacky, the excessive, the flashing, and the horrendous) Christmas things around Shanghai. So, you are forced to do that, too.

Here is the Swarovski "Christmas Three" 2009. I have no idea of the price tag, but if you remember, last year's version had a price tag of over 1,2 million euro.

Under construction. Hmm... What it's going to be like..?

It's going to be like this.


And then there will be 100 000 Chinese (and one Finn) to take pictures and stare at awe.

Modestly in Beijing

I went to Beijing for a one night trip this week. No biggie, just some meetings. Everything was arranged for us, so ended up staying in a reasonably nice hotel. I love nice hotels. I know it doesn't make much sense to pay a lot if you only have time to sleep in the room. But the nice, plush bed... the soft slippers... the nice (clean) bath-tub with bathsalt... The room service that brings you the parma ham, brie and rocket bruschetta to die for... Yeah, I like it. I don't even bother denying I am spoiled. I've learned to live with that.

Mmmm, bathsalt and privacy.

A spoiled sissy, that's what I am. Unlike the buddhist monks, I thought. They promise to devote themselves to higher things than plush beds and crispy bed sheets. They aspire enlightment from things very much not related to excellent breakfast buffet (which, by the way, is all that it takes to take me to nirvana). They promise to live in modesty.

As I was checking out of this 5-star establishment, so was this buddhist monk. He even was in the Gold / Platinum Card line, indicating he was a regular of this particular chain of hotels. Seems monks can aspire higher... higher what-evers in very comfortable settings.

Of course, there is no absolute measure of modesty.... Live and learn!

Am I fast or what?

I am running. Or trying, the very least. Thus, I have created myself a training programme at My Asics. I highly recommend, if you are into training programmes, running, and following your progress. No, they don't pay me for this. Actually, they might require some sort of compensation for publicly claiming I use their training helps AND suck this badly.

Except that based on my recent statistics I most certainly do no suck.





Look at this! For the last 100 km (give or, actually, take 3) my average speed is 37.2 km / hour. I dare you: try and beat me next summer!

I am...

flying!! Finnair's pilot strike was over just in time from my perspective. They had just enough time to fly the plane from Helsinki to Shanghai, to take me from Shanghai to Europe.

I had a back-up plan, though. Or two. Or something. I lost count. You see, as these were my flights on Wednesday afternoon as I tried to check-in on-line. Whew! Were I gonna be busy taking all these flights within just 2 days...

Thankfully, they only made me take one of them. I happened to pick the one which was 6 hours delayed. But, all is well when end is well. And end is well. So all is well.

Mr. President

Obama arrived in Shanghai late Sunday night, his first visit to China since elected as president.

Today he will visit the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum in the afternoon, to meet young Chinese and answer some questions. I am not Chinese, and I am not sure I am that young anymore either, but I would have been there to see him, had I been in Shanghai. I would have taken a half a day off and welcomed him to Shanghai. With the bad weather and all, I am sure he would have appreciated a friendly face in the audience. It would have also been interesting to see how the masses behave: according to the newspapers many people are enthusiastically waiting to see this "Change"-man.

Sadly, I am at the mill, and Mr. Obama will continue his way to Beijing already late this afternoon. Had he contacted me during the planning, I could have ensured him that Shanghai is actually much more interesting than Beijing.

Who?

I guess every foreigner living in China has heard the joke about Chinese president? You know when you ask your friend, preferably a non-chinese, and not living in China: "Who is the president of China?" And when he says "I have no idea" you say: "No, I said Hu is the president of China." Chinese President is, indeed Hu (or who), Hu Jintao. It works the other way around, too. Someone asks you, "Who is the president of China?" And naturally you say:"Yes."

Ok, this may seem like a silly thing. You may think that you wouldn't find it amusing. But when it happens in real life, with no bun intended, I can't help but to crack. Trust me, you would, too.

I had three cases like this, during the week.

Who will be in that meeting? I ask from an invoice handler on Wednesday. "Yes, I think she will." She says. "Yes, but who will be in the meeting?" I try again. "Yes." She looks at me like I am a little slow, propably wondering why on earth they sent such dork from Europe to here. What use can she be?

Another day, another meeting. "And who is responsible for keeping these documens?" I inquire. "No no no, Hu has nothing to do with this process." the controller quickly answers. I try to hide my grin. "Alright, but whoooooo does handle these documents?"

Yet another meeting. "Is everyone here already, can we start?" Asks my colleague from Finland. "Hu is missing." someone says. "Can someone tell me if someone is still coming?"A collague visiting from Finland doesn't realize what is going on. "Hu should still come." someone says. "Who is still coming?" (Hu arrives.) "Hu is here" somesays. It has been rather hectic two weeks, and I could not but crack up. Call me childish. I don't care.

*************************************

By the way, it is freeeezing here. The meter shows + 8, forecast says +7, feels like +3, and I swear it feels like -3. It's the quick changes, from +20 to this! I can't keep up!

Pure water

There are few as important things in the world as pure water. I really, really have learned to appreciate it here, where the tap water smells like... And never mind the smell, I have heard from several sources it contains traces of heavy metal. Thus, in my books, it is totally and completely non-drinkable.

I know the locals drink it. They either boil it, or use some sort of purifying filters. I don't know one single laowai who drinks tap water around here. (Well, except those whose kids made them coffee every weekend from the tap water, untill the parents noted what was happening.) But this all means you have to order 5 or 10 liter bottles of water, and make sure you don't run out water. I am not complaining: I don't have to carry the water from a dwell 20 kilometers away, so all is well. Someone will carry it for me. Not from a well, but from a supermarket, or from the house management office. But then there is always the small question mark, whether it is really pure water, or is someone making "fake" bottled water from the tap water... But let's not get in to that.

Our house management decided to make our life easier, though. They recently installed a box like this to every apartment:

"Safe Clean Fresh Water"

Now, I don't know exactly how a machine like that works, but I know it uses infrared to purify the water. Great. I just don't believe infrared does anything to the heavy metal traces. I am not sure, I haven't looked it up, but it just doesn't sound plausible. I am an auditor. I need to doubt things. (I also should investigate and verify things before making accusisations, but this is my free-time, so I can do whatever I want. I can doubt "Pentair" all I want, and never bother to check if I'm right or not. It is not nice to notice you are wrong, and if you don't check, you will never know. And all is well.)

But even it would work, there are some other issues with the machine. I have already too little cupboard space in the kitchen. The kitchen has been designed by someone who does not cook. Someone who doesn't understand I would like to keep the tabletops empty. The kitchen itself is roomy, but there is very little place to keep dishes and things. And now this box is steeling one more whole cupboard from me.

Secondly: it only can store 250 ml of water. Convenient, dontcha think? It takes about 25 minutes to purify that amount. So if I want to, say, cook some pasta and need 750 ml of water, it'll take me a whole hour to get that. Assuming I have not used the water for anything else just before I start cooking.

Thirdly, unfortunately the infrared system heats the water to be about +35 celcius warm. Which is sligthly less than body temperature. Now, I am all for drinking room temperature water (An average Chinese does not drink cold drinks in the autumn, winter or spring. Ladies should never drink cold drinks, just so you know. Not good for the stomach.) But +35? It is not warm enough to use for tea, but it is way too warm to drink. Waaay too warm. Try it if you don't believe me.

So, could someone please tell me why was that machine ever created? And why was it brought to my kitchen?