Ok Deal turned Oh Disaster! Tuesday, 25 October 2011 09:19

There is a fine line between being understanding and rolling with the punches when it comes to going on a “camping adventure to Tantou, Island in Ningbo” and feeling that you were “ripped-off” maybe not intentionally but because of the lack of organization and professionalism from a tour organizing group. Just so you don’t think this is written by a fussy Doll who is used to “5 star hotels and whatnots” (as one of the organizers Chris retorted when a traveler just asked if she could go eat somewhere else) let me tell you the story of our trip to the Island this last October holiday.

Based on their website, they post pictures of this Island to make you think it is so beautiful with white beaches and blue water when you finally get to the place you will see the sand is grey and the water is brown.  (See comparisons below) 

OK, Deal! Club's advertised photo	Real life Tantou island (picture by the author)

But that was only the tip of the iceberg. Due to no prior ocular inspection, bus inspections or what not our supposedly 5 hour trip to Tantou Island became 12 hours which left us arriving to a pitch black island and queasy from a rough boat ride.  Also, in the email sent about accommodation pricing for 3 accommodation options (tent, hostel room and hotel with ac and bath) were not followed. In fact, on the island we had to pay more and watch the organizers try and negotiate with the screaming landlords over the price but we still ended up having to pay more than what we agreed on via email.

So Your Parents Want to Visit Saturday, 22 October 2011 13:11 Written by Meredith Cox

If you’re like me, one of the things you love most about living abroad is when people come to visit.  It’s a little taste of home without the hassle or expense of actually going there.  Plus, I love Shanghai, so I also love to show it off to friends and family who come to see me.

But here’s what I discovered after a recent visit by my parents: Shanghai is not Beijing.  In Beijing, you’ll never run out of historic, cultural, touristy things to do.  In Shanghai, well, not so much.  The things that I enjoy on a regular basis in Shanghai don’t really cut it when my parents come and want to experience “China.”  So here are some ideas of what to do with your parents if they visit that try to blend the old and new of China while still showing off the personality of Shanghai.

Yu Gardens

Beautiful, traditional Chinese gardens.  It’s a great place to wander around, take pictures, and people watch.  My best advice: make a day of it and head to the gardens early to beat the crowds, see the gardens, and then have a walk around the bazaar.  Take your parents to eat some traditional xiaolongbao at the famous Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant (the takeaway queue is intimidating, but you’ll have better luck if you just go inside and sit down).

After lunch, have a walk around the old town area.  There’s the Chenxiangge Nunnery as well as the Temple of the Town God, both near Yu Gardens and worth a quick visit.  Fangbang Zhong Lu is a great street to wander along as it’s got lots of souvenir shopping as well as nice shops, tea houses and restaurants if you need a break.  Also on Fangbang Zhong Lu is the Shiliupu Fabric Market if your parents want to have any clothes made before returning home.  It’s a good idea to hit the fabric market early in your Shanghai visit, in case the clothes you order don’t get done on time or need more than one fitting.

Do NOT go to Yu Gardens at the weekend, unless your goal is to show your parents just how many people live in Shanghai.

Tips On Finding An Apartment! Friday, 16 September 2011 14:45 Written by Julia Taylor

I used to be very good with writing these blog articles regularly and then like the rest of the people in Shanghai life and work got in the way.  So I kept telling myself I will write again when I have something interesting to say or found a great service that the people using this website could benefit from.  Months went by and finally I have something to write about…

The best agent!

If you have lived in Shanghai for any length of time you will have had to deal with the unfortunate ordeal of finding an apartment.  Personally I can’t stand having to do this and I have done it five times already!  Yep, that works out to be one apartment for each year I have lived in this fun country.

I think the whole process affects me twice as much, because I am an Interior Designer and walking into a dirty, super Chinese ugly apartment feels physically painful!  Bad design hurts!  I have walked into so many apartments over the years then look at the agent in disgust and just turned back around and told them I would wait for them on the street.

One of the main problems I, and probably the rest of the expats in Shanghai, usually face is getting the agent to actually understand what I want.  This equates to me saying “I want a CLEAN, bright, modern apartment that has WESTERN furniture” to which they respond with “yes, yes we have many that will be suitable for you!”  Needless to say when I have walked into the tenth apartment in a row that has a sofa that looks like it has been taking steroids and is in some kind of weird orange, brown colour I am starting to get a little angry!

Get Connected With Shanghai! Friday, 22 July 2011 00:21 Written by Ronni Lee

Believe it or not, you can volunteer at an event and in the end feel… nothing. That’s when you start questioning yourself if you did something wrong or whether the event was unsuccessful. If you’ve gone to a few volunteer events and questioned yourself at the end, then most likely you’re going to all the wrong events. Don’t give up volunteering at this point; just make sure the event is within your interests. Volunteering can be your release valve after a stressful week at work, a week of boredom, or just wanting to be involved in the city. I would say volunteering is probably the greatest contribution an individual can give.  

Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve gone to a number of volunteer events back home in Seattle and at times didn’t feel anything. For me, I like to feel an inner peace or happiness at the end so I know I made a difference and the event benefited from my help. For several events I’ve become a regular volunteer because the impact I gave and received was amazing. One event I regularly volunteer at is the yearly Spaghetti Feed event that my drill team helps operate. Located in a small venue in Chinatown, we serve spaghetti and garlic bread to anybody on welfare to have a free lunch. World hunger is a big issue that needs to be solved and doing the Spaghetti Feed event is the start of diminishing world hunger. Cleaning up after the event is usually when I start to feel my inner peace or happiness. With Spaghetti Feed, I feel it every year because I know I’m helping my community members in need. Knowing this, I feel as if I truly have made a big difference in the world.  

Goody’s : A Serendipitous Shanghai Sandwich Shop Discovery Friday, 22 July 2011 00:00 Written by Jennifer Tesado

It’s serendipitous when you stumble upon some place good to eat in Shanghai. It’ s extra special when it’s a place you don’t worry about ordering the wrong thing (because it doesn’t live up to your expectations or because you’re not quite sure what you are ordering) or be anxious about breaking the bank. That’s exactly what happened when I discovered Goody’s Sandwich Shop in a hidden nook in Pudong near Century Park. I wouldn’t even have discovered it if I hadn’t skipped lunch to try and make it on time to my appointment with Douglas King. He had treated me to a sandwich and his favorite Pomelo tea. The salsa beef on ciabatta bread and pomelo tea not only hit the spot that winter afternoon, it got me curious about making a visit to the shop when I came back for a treatment with Douglas the following week.