Too Hot!!!

It's too hot here at the moment in shanghai !!!!
Everything in my fridge is going too quickly!!! Have start getting things fresh daily at this rate...

Temp at the moment is rising to 35C

Full Flickr block?

Today many Flickr user's across china including myself cannot see any Flickr images on our websites, even with the firefox addon, you still won't be able to see it... however the website will load.

This however is not the only block, yahoo international websites are also blocked, only the china yahoo is working.
Nothing official said yet of why... only speculation on the crack downs today on gangs ( Perhaps putting illegal images up? ) on the run up to HK to China handover anniversary.

Oh yes... this blog is also blocked at the moment for a longer then usual block, think it's coming to over 4 weeks now.... Not sure why either... All Blogger Sites blocked.... not just mine!

My last related post on this with the firefox fix.
http://lifeinthefareast.blogspot.com/2007/06/flickr-access-problems.html


Ummm ok.... 1045am....just got to see the pics now.... Flickr is now working... and so does Yahoo
Seems problems started from last night... Flickr is viewable but you still need the firefox add on to view (see link above).

Visit to Suzhou

On Saturday paid a day trip to Suzhou, was lucky to tag along a trip that a Friend was organizing for his classmates.

Trip from Shanghai to Suzhou takes around 45 mins, basically it goes on the route of the Shanghai- Nanjing train which is a bullet train.
The Cost of this trip came to around 50 Kwai approx... (22 Kwai- 26 Kwai one way) which is about £3 quid.

Essentially Suzhou is a Garden City, home to lots of water Gardens, Silk, lovely women and Canals. (* not sure about the women part before you may ask)
Historically was Capital city in the area and home to many relics and important role in the Seven Kingdoms.

Well when we got there, we had no tour in mind, just what ever was in the guidebooks of Lonely Planet. Many touts will approach you in the station to sell you maps, we were approached by a pretty hard looking triad looking bloke who pursued us into KFC to interrupt our breakfast to sell his services to bus us around in his Mini van around the city for a day.
This at a cost of 150 Yuan all together, regardless of how many people.
The Girls were sceptical and had heard horror stories of a cheap fee to attract you to go around, and then towards the end of the day drive you to the middle of no where to ask you for a "final fee /tip".
Well being part of 9 strong group felt brave enough to chance it...
Nothing happened, we got around ok driver was patient enough to stop for lunch, take us places, not get mega pissed when we change our minds last minute and offer information and ideas for places to go.

So places we visited were 2 gardens, a canal tour and a Museum.
To be honest after you done 2 gardens, most gardens will be pretty much the same. Most of these places appear to be modern built, and well taken care of.
The Museum was brand new, and house some interesting places to look at. We just wanted to go somewhere air conditioned fora bit, so proved a little interesting to look around.

*some garden places will offer a free complimentary guide (obviously all in chinese)

Entries costs... Museum 20 Kwai ... Gardens Costs 50 Kuai ... Canal Tour 50 Kuai

The weather on this trip reached 2 extremes... really hot and really wet!

Approx Budget for this trip... 250 Kuai approx 17 quid

The City itself apart from the Gardens, is very modern. Walking down the streets in the main shopping area near the Musuem, lots of places are very clean even the 10 Kuai dinner places to the massages shops.
The main shopping area appears to house many big brand names, to your usual Super brands, Starbucks, McDs, KFC and so on....
Some of the streets remind me a bit of Beijing in the shopping area.

Suzhou is bigger then you might expect, it is home to 7-8 Million people. And will expect visitors such as myself, to use as a quick getaway from Shanghai. Many western companies appear to use this as a nearby base as well as an alternative to having their company in Shanghai itself.
With 30 min trains that travel to and fro this is understandable.

Billy's Pic link...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/billyctang/sets/72157600453031055/

My Pic link... as per normal on my blog... located on the Right side.
If this is on facebook, then access my my blog via orginal post, or see the sample of the images I post here.

my pic link...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/livestrongjon/sets/72157600578919525/

**Many more pics to load underneath... please wait.

Lunch

BILLY'S IMAGES.....

Art and Jamming

On Friday tried something new Art and Jamming...

So what happened a group of my friends hired out gallery room for 2 hours or so, you get wine, drinks and snacks. Then you you pick out the size of the picture you want to paint, load up on the supplies and paint a picture.
It's quite cool, people were getting tired of just going out for dinners so Herbert, suggested Art and jamming as an alternative.
The theme that was set was to paint a picture of how you see Shanghai.

Cost was all built in for the above for a set 160 Kwai I think... which is about 11 quid.
(cost for art supplies, snacks, drinks etc...)
You get to take your picture home with you as well.


*Some of these pics are from Herbert snaps (HL tagged in my Flickr gallery)

**please be patient lots of pics here to load...

Sodding hell it's humid!!!

Check it out.... it's 2pm in the afternoon... and it's still humid.... it's 28C outside... and I'm sweating indoors...
These are some pics from my place...

Air-raid shelters help city cool

In Chongming, Temperatures are getting higher and higher....

So the local government are offering help to those who don't have air conditioning...
59 Air Raid Shelters are being or have been turned into a cooling off Venue, upto 10,000 people can be inside in total.

"The new shelters are all in areas where there are a lot of low-income people. We spent about 500,000 yuan refurbishing the shelters - putting in tables and benches, tap water and book stands, so that the needy who cannot afford air conditioning at home can spend the summer more comfortably," said Tang.

"Money-making activities will be banned at the refurbished shelters - we want ordinary people to be able to cool off for free," said Tang, who said the general public would supervise the system and should report any violations.

Article on things to do in Xi'an

Walled city proves a detailed trip through history
By Kate Chapman 2007-6-18
It has been said that to see China's present one should go to Beijing. To see China's future one should go to Shanghai. To see the country's past one should go to Xi'an.

Conveniently for travelers, all these cities are within reasonable distance of each other.

Xi'an certainly offers some historical perspective. Its geographical position means it has been close to the action throughout Chinese history.


http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2007/200706/20070618/article_319900_1.htm

Flickr Access problems

Hey, for those that read this blog in china... will find you are unable to view my Flickr pictures at present...

This means you won't see any of the pictures that I posted on this blog.

So to do this... Easiest work-around for Firefox users is to install this extension. Easiest work-around for IE users is to install firefox and then install that addon.

Beer for Kids

Check it Out Beer for Kids!!!! (*in japan)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELllgvfX23o

Funny hip hop video

Check it out a funny Hip Hop video of people bopping it in China...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn-5I0XKsEI

Went Ice Skating in Shanghai (Pudong)

Spent the morning trying to buy a phone cable in XiuZhaHui, and it took me 20 mins or more to explain to the shop assistant what I was after...
Knew what was telephone in chinese but had no idea what cable was... prob would had helped had I taken the cable with me, or used the dictionary I forget I carry in my bag!!!!
Credit to the girl that was serving me, she was v patient and never lost her temple / frustration with me and my crappy chinese.
Spent 20 mins with her brining me loads of things to ask is it this?? is it that???
Finally got it, she made up the cable right in front of me... (seems difficult to buy the cable in a extensions lead form with a drum... no one sells them...) and joined the connectors.
So happy she sorted me out, told her she was fast and cute... and got her phone number...
Doubt I will call as my chinese is still basic... and prob spend a long date practising charades!


Random Girl posing next to me...have no idea how she got in the shot...!


Oh yes also went Ice Skating in Pudong, opposite the Pearl Tower in the Super Brand Mall on the 7th floor. Ice rink is standard Ice Hockey size.
Cost around 30 Kuai for 2 hours (2 quid) includes rental.
After chatting to a few friends this weekend, seems like this may be the best place to go to...
...which is kind of sad... cuz the equipment is shit! had to change my boots 4 times, due to the fact that the blades were either falling off the boot, not stiff enough in the boot, or the blades wouldn't stay upright after a few seconds on the ice.
Never the less still fun, since I haven't been in a long time and was fun trying to teach people to skate.

So I got an eye infection / scratch...

Been having a crappy boring set of couple of days this week...
On Tuesday caught something in the air into my contact lens on my eye... resulting with a pretty painful left eye... and unable to read for long lengths of time...

Spoiler for Lost of Prison break if you haven't watched it yet....
So been staying in the last couple of days watching Prison break S2 again... and Lost Season 3...
Is it me or is Lost ever gonna leave anything conclusive? Or are they just gonna slowly kill everyone in each series....?
Prison Break 2 is great... still bare backstabbing going on and Teabag is still a big dick who stabs anyone the moment their back is turned.... Bellick is another moron... but glad he got stuffed in jail twice!!!

Oh yes another story of my contact lens, goes onto when I was in the gym with my personal trainer... My eye just suddenly got irritable, just as she was stretching my legs for me.... being so awkward... she was pushing my legs into me leaning right on top of me.... and asking... why am I winking so hard at her!
Get mentioning I had something in my eye... but either lost in translation... I don't think she believed me... fun though got her to blush a little....

lesson to play with your food

Chinese Noodle Maker Performs Tricks At Beijing Restaurant - Click here for the funniest movie of the week

Someone that comes to cook at your table, playing with noodles... lots of fun!

Some impressive strength for the prep for protecting the Olympics 08

some cheesy Olympic promotions from China

Some of the cheesy adverts I've been watching on and off on TV....

I'm sure there will be more...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruDzJziUoac

This advert is of Yao and Jackie Chan.

Dragged my butt into a Decathlon

Yup dragged my butt into a Decathlon.... was kind of shocked to find there are 6 branches in Shanghai, which is cool cuz I like a lot of the kit they sell and it is normally reasonably priced.
But like most superstores they're located in the Outskirts of the city... so be prepared to travel.

Check out the website http://www.decathlon.com.cn