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.