Some pics from last couple of days...

Some guy's abseiling the wall to clean it...
Some pics from Shanghai Urban Planning Exibition Centre, been before but taken some more pics again...

Night Views on the Bund from the Boat.... pic of highrise buildings...Pudong District


There are lots of Superbrands here, anything from your fast food restaurants like Mcds, Haagon daaz and shops... but I guess this was the 1st time I ever saw a riverside Mcds in any city.

Although I always find if fun watching a city from it's river... I still had to do it... but seriously felt like rip off... you pay for the ride on the Bund, pay the odd 60 Kwai per head and wait 15-20 mins for a coach to show up.
*they don't tell you that you need to be take lower down the river to the actual dock!
And then wait another 10 mins for the Ship to show up... and then you get to go for the hour ride.

Visited St Ignatius Cathedral

Had an opportunity today to visit St Ignatius Cathedral, one of the few church's to go to in Shanghai... it is Catholic as expected... only basic history is that the spiels were once cut off in the cultural revolution but have been fully restored since.
Asides from that its pretty basic... built from brick.

Snowboarding in Shanghai

This Friday got a opportunity to go boarding...in South Shanghai, Xinzhuang.
Was pretty good... some things that sucked was.... the button lift is damn slow!!! but given their's no one watching the lift... and if people slip as many were... it's quicker to walk up with your board instead!!! and oh yes the board equipment isn't all that... you do fall hard on them...
so make sure you test run before going crazy!!!

The Jumps were alright... but the snow was pretty iceie and thin as well.... it hurt pretty hard when you landed on your bum after getting some air and stuffing the landing!

So the deal is you pay 138 Kwai (a tenner (quid)) for 7pm-12.30am... as long as you want...!
You get kit... rental stuff and the ski pants, jacket and gloves too... which was cool.

Place is pretty big... rumoured to be the 2nd biggest indoor slope in the world!
So finally got a place to burn it and another place to spend an evening out!

http://lyw.sh.gov.cn/en/scenic_spot/yinqixing.aspx
www.yinqixing.com

Classroom Discussion yesterday...

What is the most exotic thing you eaten to date?

This was a random conversation following a discussion on naming animals.... turned into a discussion on what you ate...

So we had...

• Bats
• Snake
• Scorpions
  
• Squid
• Bugs
• Frogs
• Snails
• Eels
• Turtles
  

The One's to try...

• Dog
• Cat
• Octupus
• Rabbit
• Horse
  

Some Useful links for any Newbie to Shanghai

These are some links out of an Australian Expat in Shanghai

This link shows you some useful links to Shanghai Maps and subway maps as well.
http://www.beckenham.id.au/archives/2007/03/explore_shangha.php
http://www.exploreshanghai.com/

Ideas to do with visitors
http://www.beckenham.id.au/archives/2006/03/what_to_do_with_1.php

Some useful stuff on this link... like electronics places to buy your gear...
http://www.beckenham.id.au/archives/2006/05/what_do_to_with.php

Some ideas to do in Pudong
http://www.beckenham.id.au/archives/2007/03/what_to_do_with_2.php

Had Street food for dinner...

mmm... is pretty tasty!!!

Really hard to fit in my mouth... but its good!

Quick Snaps of Shanghai @ night

This is the subway near where I'm living @the moment... scary n it... traffic below... and believe or not... traffic right on top of the subway... the Roof of that subway track in the middle is part of the main Ring roads that get you across Town.

Looks almost ghetto to Camden (back in London) but it really isn't... just hard of space... you can just make out the poles on the balconies where everyone hangs their clothes out to dry... the clue is it's next to the air-conditioning vents, there are play area's behind and in front of some flats as well...
Night Shot @ Najing Road

Night Shot on the Bund... near the River
Like back in London... it's very active with loads of tourists and locals walking up and down... with plenty of stalls of street sellers trying to sell you cheap toys or people offering to take your picture

Some thoughts today as I take some time to Time Out!!!

Well Finally took a moment today to time out, as my Manager so fondly re-enforces to me before I left.... Cheers Bob.
"Chill Out" "Do Nothing" "Buy a Xbox 360 " "go nuts"
Not sure if that advice included Stop thinking...

Well where I was today was chilling in People's Square... there's a nice Park Square area where you can cotch (not sure I spelt that right?) (Sit and do nothing).

What Happened? Well my plans got cancelled last minute... so I said F* it.... I come down anyway... spend sometime out of the Flat.

Sidenote...

• Haven't seen any Doggy do since being here... A Friend in Beijing also told me that they have a limit on dogs not to exceed the size of a 4 year old kid.
• Think I'm slowly starting to not swear as much as I do back in UK. Well prob cuz I'm not swearing or slagging off my close friends.
• Being in the UK... think I appreciate it when I have time off at the weekend.... life here seems to include working at the weekend from a lot of times.
• Little Boy's kite has just passed me, reminded me of the times I was down China town late at night on Chinese New Year jacking the Chinese Kites strapped in the street down Gerald Street!
  
• Oh yes... I notice the bin's here regularly get checked for stuff to recycle or tramps looking for something useful to eat...so often that if someone left anything suspect in there it prob would have been moved or sold off!
• It's Easter!!! I miss playing Easter Bank Holiday weekend Football!!!
  

Learning Chinese with tech / Online

I'm very attached to my technology... so it's about time I mentioned resources to learn Chinese if you haven't access to a classroom or time....
Or perhaps if you would like to supplement your learning.

Chinese Pod- A website to download Podcasts broken down to everyday conversations.
If you pay monies you can also access the "Classroom" scripts or have an Instructor gage and test your progress. You can reach from beginner to advance using this website.
Alternative download resources include using Itunes.
http://www.chinesepod.com/

Times Online- UK newspaper with basic lessons to make everyday conversations... stops after lesson 10 however...
Again you can download via Itunes as well... comes with a booklet
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/china

BBC Languages- UK Broadcaster... again basic lessons, with transcripts and phrases to get by in day to day situations.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/chinese/real_chinese/

Youtube - There are various lessons now available free of charge...
I've done a brief search... and found an entertaining cartoon teaching...
ActiveChinese.com is the company
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vCdrhLIFk4

All the above well help get up to speed on Speaking and listening...
but for true practice... you may be able to either find a free tutor Online by searching for
a Skype** Tutor that may allow an hour or 2 of their time in exchange for your English skills.
In this you can then have weekly convos... bare in mind the Time difference should you seek
someone that actually lives in China.

Some actually schools will also offer lessons online via webcam and Skype**... so worth while google searching this... my example...http://www.recycleo.com/blog/learn-chinese-via-skype-private-tutor-native-chinese-spearker/
http://forum.skype.com/index.php?showtopic=81727
http://www.echineselearning.com/

Lastly not all tutors will be free... but you may be able to organize a small fee via Paypal.
*I haven't actually tried online classes yet myself... but will be trialling a similar idea shortly.
**Most people use Skype as their main VoIP application... so don't whine and bitch about this if you use something else... it's just a standard.

Glossary of terms

• VoIP= Voice on Internet Protocol, technology that enables you to carry out a phone conversation on the internet.
• Podcasts- Normally MP3 files that you can download or listen to on the internet, these are normally small clips lasting from 5 mins to and hour... With the basis that they will be distrbuted either every week or every month. Normally Music won't be on them... and most variety on the internet start from language courses, radio shows, blog casts, science... to any number of topics that might interest your hobbies or work.
  
• Itunes- Apple Software primarly to use with an Ipod MP3 player... but can use as a standalone application on your desktop to listen to MP3's and of course download podcasts. The Apple site... www.apple.com/itunes
  

Discover of Night markets

Went out last night... accidently stumbled upon a Big Street Market... seems to be located right behind West Najing Road behind the station...was Lost for a while!!! [Wujiang Lu]
This Market has a lot a food!!! loads of things grilled... lots of Sea food... lots of Meat on a Stick!

Perhaps because it was Friday... but it was packed out!!! Was meant to be heading off to the Nero Cafe for a introduction meeting with Oversea's Chinese

Some Food I had on Thu evening... Si Chuan Cusine

Gongbaojiding food... Chicken with Nuts

Shuizhuyupian Scary soup.... Fish (Sea Bass) and lots of Chillies

Things I would like to do before I Leave Shanghai

Just run out of battery on my Camera... so whilst I wait for the Charger I thought I build a list of things I would like to do before I Leave Shanghai.

• Cloud9 on 89th Floor of the Grand Hyatt
• Pearl TV tower
• Take a Short River Cruise on the Huangpu
• Visit Xiangyang Market (@ subway South Shaxi Road)
• Visit the F1 track
• Take the Maglev train to and from Pudong Airport
• See a Show @ Shanghai Circus
• Walk along the Bund @ Night
• Go through the Bund tourist tunnel
• Eat @ a night market
• Wujiang Lu
• Yunnan Lu
• Zhapu Lu
• Watch a Football game at the Stadium
  

Must visit nightspots (all ranges of price and "class"):

Bar rouge (in Bund 18)
Mint (ladies night on weds - free drinks, massages and manicures)
Windows (totally trashy student type dive = cheap drinks)
VIP club
club DKD (just hosted carl cox this weekend)
bonbon (new godskitchen club, just opened this weekend)
dragon club (for early morning clubbing)
Cashbox karaoke
Club JZ (intimate jazz bar)
Pegasus ("shanghai's hiphop club")
Park 97 (high exec' hang out club)
Guandii (hiphop club for the young, affluent and trendy)
Tongren Road (shanghai's latest bar strip)
Maoming Road (shanghai's former bar strip)

Must dine places:

Azul Viva
Crystal Jade
Westin Champagne buffet (if you can stretch your budget, it's about 400rmb pp+ but SO TOTALLY WORTH IT)

TIP...to find things to do... much like an evening standard (london)
your best bet is to pick up a That's , 8days or City Weekend events magazine when you arrive

This is a list built from websites and info from the BBC discussion Board.
A lot of this information from... Sukkwan....Thanks!!!