By the end of the second day, last June, I had seen most of the sights in the Old Town of Shanghai but there was one building left I wanted to see, the Peach Garden Mosque. Obviously, with peach in the title I thought the…Read More

By the end of the second day, last June, I had seen most of the sights in the Old Town of Shanghai but there was one building left I wanted to see, the Peach Garden Mosque. Obviously, with peach in the title I thought the building would be peach coloured and this tweaked my curiousity. I managed to locate it on the map the same evening and promised myself that early next morning I would go for a walk to find the mosque.

The walk was pretty straight forward; once I reached the YuYuan Metro stop I turned left and carried on. It was a busy area with traffic, the honking sounds were deafening and the clouds of dust blown up from speeding wheels made me cough and splutter. It became clear why some folks riding their bicycles were wearing pale blue masks over their faces, it was to keep the muck from the roads penetrating their nostrils and eyes. Some even wore long tapered gloves in the same material and colour, a bit like blue cotton evening gloves. It was a bizarre spectacle, sure enough but a memory that will stay with me for a long time.

It was still quite early in the morning and I remember enjoying myself on this walk as I came across a couple of interesting buildings before I even arrived at the mosque. One was some sort of amusement park with two stone lions protecting the main entrance and lots of fancy red Chinese writing, highlighing the main sign, gold lacquer had been sprayed in certain sections of the wrought iron gates. The gold colour made the gates look flash and a bit bad taste but I quite liked this touch. Other stone monuments lined the front entrance which seemed to spread for quite a distance. One I particularly liked was a statue of an owl; its head looked far too big for its body with eyes of dusty green, a pronounced beak and long sharp talons. It was a bit freaky and most unlike the genteel statue of a lady carrying a torch wearing a flimsy see through garment, stretched tautly around her breasts making them look more voluptuous than they actually were.

In the distance I spotted a huge flyover bridge and I guessed that I would have to walk over this to cross over to the mosque. Before coming to the bridge there was a snazzy hotel to the right with amazing blue windows that shone with a silver sheen when the sun was on them. Its name was Hotel Yun's Paradise, I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to walk into the front entrance of this Chinese paradise but the gold ox sat on top of a water fountain fascinated me as did all the seductive marble statues adorning the bottom of the fountain which had pea green water in the bottom of it. What was even more bizarre was the massive block of flats at the back of the hotel. These were really high and stretched for miles and miles. I wouldn’t want to live on the top floor of one of those when the wind comes hurtling round the corner.

It was quite windy that morning and as I stood on top of the bridge I suddenly had to make a run for my khaki beanie hat as it flew off and was about to hit the road full of squeaky motors underneath. As I bent over to pick it up, standing on it first, I noticed the dome of the mosque on the other side, it was olive green not pink! I was very disappointed at this stage.

There were two entrances to the mosque, one with a metal gate which led into a garden of trees, peach trees to be exact, (ah, so that’s where the name comes from) was closed and locked with a padlock. The other entrance was a bit of walk and hidden up a side street with parked bikes, scooters and cars all over the place. Two policemen were patrolling the pavement outside but apart from that no one else was around. The only noise I could hear was a whirring sound caused by traffic noises in the background.

The building wasn’t stunning to look at; it had a humble exterior painted off-white with splashes of olive green. Gold Chinese writing brightened the plainness of the architecture up and the gold topped dome gave it an extra splash of gold and an air of dignity. I was told that the mosque dates back to 1917 but above the entrance there is a date of 1343. Not sure what this signifies.

It is meant to be a famous mosque but it didn’t look very famous to me and it is the main mosque in the city where Shanghai Muslims go to worship. I didn’t actually go inside as no one was around but I peeped through the door and there was a long corridor leading into an inner courtyard with other rooms around each side of the courtyard. It all looked rather dark and dingy to me and not very welcoming. Apparently, Friday is the big celebratory weekday when a long line of worshippers stand at the entrance to the mosque after they have visited the market outside the entrance, waiting to go inside.

I have to say that I found the walk to the mosque far more exciting and interesting than the building itself. It would have been nice if I had been able to walk through the garden to look at the peach trees but it wasn't to be. Next time maybe!?

The Peach Garden Mosque is open from 8am to 7pm.
Address: 52 Xiaotaoyuan Rd. Metro stop Laoximen/ Yuyuan Garden
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Many friends and colleagues had told me that Shanghai was the most European of all Chinese cities. This is very true but one part of the city that is still very traditional is the Old Town. The hotel we stayed in was situated on the…Read More

Many friends and colleagues had told me that Shanghai was the most European of all Chinese cities. This is very true but one part of the city that is still very traditional is the Old Town. The hotel we stayed in was situated on the edge of the Old Town so I didn't have to walk far to investigate. On the second morning of our visit I went walkabout on my own and had a great time,so many streets, buildings, old temples to see.

Walking down the main stretch is just like all the other major streets in Shanghai, it was only when I turned off on to the backstreets that the hidden underground world opened up. The side streets are dark, narrow and crowded. People, people everywhere! It was fascinating to observe these small gentle people weaving between cyclists, traffic and carts as they crossed the streets. I had to keep turning around to see what was behind me as not all cyclists beeped their bells or drivers honked their horns. I could see with my own eyes how ordinary people lived in these tiny streets, how they cooked in the open with pots and pans lined on the pathways with a sort of gutter running down the street. I hate to think what the yellowy coloured liquid was that ran into the gutter. At a guess I would say it was a mixture of drained rice water mixed with urine. Some of the houses were so ramshackle that there was no way they had bathrooms or even toilets.

Life is definitely apparent on these tatty streets and all tasks are carried on outside. Mod cons haven't reached this part of Shanghai yet. Ladies sat on street corners with big red washing bowls washing and wringing out clothes, then hanging them on lines along the street so the clothes could dry by flapping in the warm wind. The smell of greasy cooking and petrol fumes permeated the wet clothes and my nostrils, at times I felt quite nauseous with the aroma of smelly drains, urine and the sweet smell of dumplings.

The noise of so many people chattering at once and the sounds from the traffic can be a bit off-putting and at times I thought I was going to go mad but it didn't stop me investigating every nook and cranny. I could never work out whether the small establishments that housed 2 tables with huge pans of rice on the top, 6 tatty chairs and a stove outside, were cafes or just the working kitchens of the people sat on the chairs. It was also exciting when I came eye to eye with a golden Buddha or a stone lion. These usually belonged to a mildewed temple or nunnery but I would never have known as there weren't any signs telling me this.

I was out and about in the streets of the Old Town for a full day and I would say that I didn't see many foreign visitors. My guess is that tourists like to visit the Old Town to go to the YuYuan Bazaar where you can certainly pick up a knick knack or two. This is an interesting and fun experience but I wouldn’t have missed my walk around the alleyways and dark streets of the Old Town for anything. I saw the real Shanghai and its inhabitants, one of the reasons I went to China in the first place.


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I have always had a fascination with maps since I was a teenager and still think they are far superior to any Sat Nav system but there are times when I just like to wander off. If I like the look of a certain street…Read More

I have always had a fascination with maps since I was a teenager and still think they are far superior to any Sat Nav system but there are times when I just like to wander off. If I like the look of a certain street then I usually toddle off to see what lies on that street. In Shanghai there are many weird and wonderful streets so I was spoilt for choice when I was there this year. From my room window I had a terrific view of East Yan'an Road but to the right of my view was a side street that always seemed to be crowded with people. On my second day in the city, I decided to take a look.

Jinling Street is the street I chose to investigate. It's a jolly name, has a musical ring to it which is appropriate as the street is full of musical instrument shops and is known as Music Street. A lot of the side streets in Shanghai had different names at the times of the British and French concessions. Jinling was called Ave Foch so this area was colonised by the British as it definitely has a Scottish ring to it.

The side road I saw from my window was a busy road filled with food stalls, hawkers and cafes called Xizang Road (Tibet Road). This leads on to Jinling Street (Jinling Xi Lu). My husband accompanied me on this trip and he wanted to walk in an easterly direction because he spotted a musical instrument shop. He was on the lookout for a new acoustic guitar but at that time he hadn't thought about transporting it back to Warsaw. At first we only saw a couple of musical shops intermingled with ordinary food and clothes shops but the further east we walked, more shops came into view.

Shops vary in size but most of them are very large with huge glass windows, packed with instruments of all kinds ranging from the smallest ukulelei, to a grand piano. My husband loves guitars and I could see he was dying to go into one of the shops to try some out.

The fourth shop caught our eye immediately as there were some wacky designs in outrageous metallic colours, the kind that glam rock bands loved to play in the 70s. These were a lot of fun to look at but the section we wanted to view was the acoustic guitar corner. In the window of this particular shop (I wish I could recall the name) we spotted a petrol blue semi acoustic guitar. This was the one my husband had his heart set on so we toddled into the shop to see if he could have a tinkle on the strings. There was only one man attending in the shop and at first we were both shy and didn't know what to say. We didn't say anything, only smiled and then walked over to look at the acoustic guitars. My husband picked one up and started plucking away and then the man came over to us and started smiling and speaking in broken English. My husband drew his attention to the blue acoustic and asked if he could try it out. It wasn't a problem; he went over to the window and came back with the most beautiful guitar I have ever seen. The man didn't do a hard sell or anything like that, I think he enjoyed listening to my husband play and said that he had a beautiful touch which of course he has. He’s a great guitarist.

After 30 minutes or so and twenty ditties later my husband decided that the action wasn't quite right and the sound was too harsh so even though he loved the guitar to look at and hold, it wasn't the right instrument for him. In a way, I was pleased because I would have worried myself to death thinking about transporting it on the plane back home. The man was very obliging and had a sweet smile. Before we left he asked my husband if he would like to try out some Chinese traditional instruments. Of course he said yes and was fascinated with the erhu, a sort of Chinese fiddle. We thought this was only used in traditional music but we were informed that contemporary musicians use the instrument and it is a very popular instrument played in rock and jazz bands. Another interesting instrument he tried was a guzheng, a zither type instrument that you pluck and has moveable bridges.

The Chinese percussion section was amazing and this is something else my husband is interested in and couldn't wait to start beating out some rhythms. There are so many drums to choose from and all different sizes. The ganggu was one he liked, a large drum that was designed in the shape of a flower pot. The Bangu was an opera drum but my husband wasn't too keen on the pitch of this so he soon stopped tinkering on that one and went out to try a zhangu. He really liked this drum of war and made a bit of din when practicing. I felt sorry for the poor bloke in the shop but he didn't mind, I think he was pleased that he had such an enthusiastic customer. It was a shame that we left empty handed but I know for a fact that next time we return from Shanghai we will be carrying a guitar. I hope it will be a guitar and not a set of drums!!
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There is something fascinating about a big wide river separating two sides of a city. In Shanghai the River Huangpu is one of those rivers. Having walked along both sides of the river I think I prefer the eastern side with the Pudong skyline and…Read More

There is something fascinating about a big wide river separating two sides of a city. In Shanghai the River Huangpu is one of those rivers. Having walked along both sides of the river I think I prefer the eastern side with the Pudong skyline and the majestic views across to the Bund.

The day we slowly strolled on the promenade was a very hot day and we were both gasping for a drink. There are several cafes positioned in pefrect spots so that you can sit out and look out across the water at the ships and cruisers but we wanted to walk the whole length of the riverside so opted for a bottle of water each. There are brightly coloured kiosks and vehicles with serving counters selling soft drinks and light snacks. We passed on the snacks even though they looked appetising. I thought they would only make us more thirsty as most of the snacks were coated with sesame seeds.

Not far from the Luijiazui Road Metro stop stands the sci-fi looking Oriental Pearl TV, a really way out edifice that I love very much. I was told that it is a building that half of the city love and the other half dislike it. I found it a bit off putting standing in front of the tower and at times I kept looking up at this giant sized obelisk rather than looking at what was going on across the water or in front of me.

I noticed that quite a few Chinese held parasols to shield the hot sun from the top of their heads. These were very pretty, frilly umbrellas emblazoned with decorative motifs explaining Chinese legends. The pace was slow on the riverside promenade, people were taking it easy. I liked the atmosphere, it was calm and relaxing.

The picture of boats on the river was a jolly one, strange semi-circular boats with three decks, the two bottom decks were closed in and the top deck was open so tourists could stand on the top and wave to people on the promenade. The sign at the top of the boat was bright red, highlighted with yellow Chinese characters and symbols.

We walked on to Fenghe Road past the museum dedicated to everything creepy and hairy.I'm talking about spiders and insects, the museum is full of wild insects. My husband freaks at the tiniest of spiders so I didn't even ask if he wanted to visit. I should imagine this place is great for kids.

I hadn't really studied the map on this day so just carried on walking. We came to Riverside Park and it is here where we were able to get some fantastic views of the Bund. I know the Bund wasn't too far away from our hotel and we did see the buildings close up but from across the river the scene was different and very special. After a three hour walk we were both ready for an ice cream, a double helping at that.



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After arriving at Pudong International Airport in a hot sweat I couldn't wait to get out into the open to see the skyline of Pudong. I had been told by a couple of friends that it wasn't the most beautiful area of Shanghai and to…Read More

After arriving at Pudong International Airport in a hot sweat I couldn't wait to get out into the open to see the skyline of Pudong. I had been told by a couple of friends that it wasn't the most beautiful area of Shanghai and to ignore it and move on to the cultural sights of Pǔxī. My first impression of the landscape was a favourable one. I thought the sea of concrete skyscrapers was interesting if not colourful. A lot of the high rise buildings were a sandy, grey colour with the odd flashing Chinese icon illuminating the horizon. I was fascinated to see green areas interspersed amongst the buildings. How on earth trees and shrubs survived amongst all that concrete was a mystery to me.

After travelling fifteen minutes or so, more futuristic buildings started to brighten up the sky; I was able to focus on the Jin Mao Tower and Shanghai's World Financial Centre. These two buildings formed part of a contemporary city art scene that set my heart racing and gave me an adrenalin buzz. Obviously, my friends and I don't share the same feelings about cityscapes and ginormous skyscrapers.

Pudong hasn't always been a building development area. Before the 90s the area was somewhere that traders could set up businesses, like a giant industrial estate housing many warehouses. Later on when the warehouses closed down the land was taken over by vegetable growers. It was here where all the vegetables were grown to supply the markets of downtown Shanghai.Now, new apartment blocks are going up and being bought by non-Chinese. I was told by a colleague in Shanghai that property prices are very expensive in Pudong. You are looking at 50,000 CNY (6, 178 Euros) per square metre. In Warsaw you can buy A class office space in the centre of the city for the same price so yes, it is expensive.

Pudong doesn't have the charisma and old world charm of Pǔxī. It is very rare you will see cyclists carrying a hundred and one flattened cardboard boxes on their backs or old ladies sat at the roadside washing clothes in brightly coloured bowls but it does have one hell of a spectacular skyline and this is what makes it fascinating to me. I like the madness of the multi-lane highways and the way the Maglev swerves smoothly through the concrete landscape. Where is the history, I hear you ask? Well, there isn't a lot and what you can see is in the distance as you view it from the side of the Huangpu River. The magnificent buildings of the Bund can be seen on a clear day but then geographically they aren't really in Pudong.

I enjoyed visiting Pudong and I think every visitor to Shanghai should get involved with the architecture here. Okay, it's not as swanky and rich in culture as Pǔxī but there are interesting attractions to see, like the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Century Avenue and Park, Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, Oriental Art Centre, Shanghai History Museum and not forgetting my two favourite buildings which I have already mentioned, Jin Mao Tower and the World Financial Centre. Don't leave Pudong off your Shanghai itinerary; if you do you will regret not seeing this outrageous skyline.
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On our first night in Shanghai I remember sitting in the lounge of the hotel looking through huge windows at Chinese Ming rooftops. This was about 6pm and it was still light. Within a couple of hours the sky darkened and lots of jewelled lights…Read More

On our first night in Shanghai I remember sitting in the lounge of the hotel looking through huge windows at Chinese Ming rooftops. This was about 6pm and it was still light. Within a couple of hours the sky darkened and lots of jewelled lights lit up the buildings opposite. I didn’t know at the time that these beautifully structured Chinese buildings belonged to the Yuyuan Garden Bazaar. It wasn’t until the next day when I went walkabout that I came face to face with this huge, heavily decorated shopping complex which is attached to a beautiful network of Chinese gardens bearing the same name.(more about this in another review).

I was fascinated and spent most of the morning walking around with my jaw wide open. I couldn’t believe the beauty of these buildings and the amount of shops involved in the complex.The first street I walked on was filled with large jewellery shops selling wedding rings and other jewellery. Huge poster size photographs of sweet smiling Chinese couples decorated the front facades and outside young boys were touting for business trying to sell fake Rolex watches to visitors. I must have looked like I needed a Rolex watch because not one boy stopped me but at least 20. I didn’t feel at all harassed as Frank Spencer would say, they were very polite. I said, ‘No, thank you’ and they left me alone.

Before entering the heart of the bazaar I decided to walk down the main street and every time I saw a side street with more curly roofed buildings then I would go and have a look. Each shop was full of curios, everything from incense sticks, antiques, shoes, T shirts, toy pandas, fans, silk pyjamas, caps, hats, kites. It was difficult to differentiate from the real McCoy and the fakes. I have never seen so many T shirts. I wanted to buy all of them. In the end I did come home with a bag full, buying at least three shirts for every member of the family, even some cute panda design shirts for Alex, my grandson who was then under 12 months of age. Also, something very strange happened to me in this bazaar apart from falling over with a crash landing and breaking my finger (that’s another story), I learnt how to barter. When I have travelled before I have always been shy when it comes to bartering but here in Shanghai, in this bazaar I really got the hang of it and loved it.

Bartering is part of Chinese culture. In some shops assistants will hand you a calculator showing the full price then they will key in another price showing the discount which is usually 30%. I always bargained a little more so I got 40% knocked off. The more items you buy the more discount you receive. If you realise that you don’t want to buy anything, have changed your mind or you want to go away and compare prices at other shops, then say so. The shop owner/assistant will either say, Okay and leave you alone, or follow you down the street offering you a better price.It’s a lot of fun! I found all the assistants I dealt with to be very helpful in finding different sizes and colours, and they always asked if there was anything else I would like to buy, for myself or a friend. They will do anything for a sale.

The best time to visit is early morning and mid-week. During my stay in Shanghai I went to the bazaar every morning but at the weekend I decided to take my husband. He hated it as it was swarming with Japanese tourists and other visitors, all with cameras, clicking away. The bazaar attracts over 1,000 visitors per day so it can get packed and noisy. There is a tourist information office in the centre of the bazaar; it’s a good idea to get a free map so you can find the main attractions of the bazaar like the Temple of the Town God and where the Layangpian is situated. A Layangpian is a Chinese traditional art form; a peephole theatre where a story is told by revolving hand painted pictures in a box. It is called a Raree show. Viewing holes on the outside of the wooden box enable visitors to view the show.

There are many Chinese food stalls as well as fast food restaurants like Burger King. The queue to go to a restaurant specializing in Chinese dumplings was enormous as was the one outside the biggest sweet shop. I was intrigued to know more about Chinese sweets as I hadn’t a clue what sort of things they liked. Most of the sweets on offer were like small biscuits covered in sesame seeds. Each stall had about a hundred different designs of these biscuits, beautifully wrapped in cellophane with a small ribbon. I bought a huge bag filled with a hundred biscuits to bring home for my family. I tried some out before leaving Shanghai; they were quite nice but a bit dry for my taste. Other sweets were hard boiled and smelt like very strong cough sweets; these came in lots of different sizes and shapes. Lollipops seemed to be very popular, as well as chocolate covered wafer type biscuits. The chocolate looked very cheap though so I didn’t buy any of these.

I found some of the smells in the bazaar evocative; sweet smells like jasmine and vanilla mixed with cumin, cinnamon and patchouli. I loved all the water melon stalls and other stalls selling corn on the cob, chicken satays and fried fish. The cooking smells were sometimes strange; a mixture of hot pork and rice water mixed with an overpowering sweet, musky smell. I never did work out what this smell was. My husband turned his nose up several times when this aroma came wafting by, he said it made him feel sick.

I really enjoyed all my visits to the Yuyuan Garden Bazaar; it was a lot of fun and an experience my senses will never forget. It’s a little bit tacky in parts but overall, a great place to shop and be amongst the crowds.

Yuyuan Garden Bazaar, Old Town, Shanghai

Metro Stop: Yuyuan Garden
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Having never travelled before to Shanghai I didn’t really have an image of Pudong International Airport in my head and no idea what the facilities were like. Taking into account the size of Shanghai and the land space I had an inkling that the airport…Read More

Having never travelled before to Shanghai I didn’t really have an image of Pudong International Airport in my head and no idea what the facilities were like. Taking into account the size of Shanghai and the land space I had an inkling that the airport would be on a grand scale and modern. Indeed it was grand and very futuristic. The roof alone is very impressive; it looks like a giant blue metal pin cushion with white steel pins coming forth from the top holding the large expanse together.

On arrival I was very pleased that the temperature was 28 degrees centigrade but I hadn't really prepared myself for the humidity level. Warsaw is very humid in the summer but Shanghai is a different story. Pudong airport officials were slick and professional when it came to processing 450 passengers from Amsterdam and by the time we had passed through immigration and picked up our bags I was soaked with perspiration. Not the best way to greet two business colleagues who had invited us to their city and were going to be our hosts for the next few days. I very nearly missed Mr Wang and Diva Vu because I was too busy helping an Indian lady and gentleman with their toddler. The man was struggling to wheel the wayward pram with one hand while the other hand was steering the largest and lumpiest suitcase I have ever seen. Poor child wasn't sure where she was going to end up and my pram steering wasn't the safest turning corners at a rapid speed nearly throwing the child out of her safety belt and pram.

The airport is quite away from downtown Shanghai, at least 30 kilometres east of the city. The grey China Sea is right behind the airport and on a misty day the sea blends in with the steel covered terminals and on the day we were there the boats seemed to drift away into oblivion.

Pudong has two terminals and is very easy to navigate. If you are dropped off at the wrong terminal by accident you will have a long way to walk to the correct one. Departures are on the top level and arrivals on the bottom level. Drivers dropping passengers off have to follow in an orderly fashion and be quick about exchanging farewells as police are stood in a line moving people on. So don’t hesitate while removing your luggage from the boot of the car. There are parking lots located at Lot 1 F1 Exit.

If you are familiar with other forms of transport and want to travel by public transport there are several options; shuttle buses connect to both terminals as do long distance buses. A new funky way of travelling is on the Maglev train but this doesn’t actually take you straight into the centre of Pudong only to Longyang Road Metro Station. I didn’t travel on the Maglev but would have liked to. I hear it is basic inside, travels very quickly but smooth only bumpy on turns. Another cheap form of travel is taxi. Shanghai taxis are available all hours. Prices vary due to time of day and how many kilometres you travel. I am told Shanghai drivers are friendly and won’t rip you off so that’s good to hear. On this trip we were driven everywhere so we didn’t have to worry too much about getting to and from the airport. Next time I will make sure we travel on public transport just for the experience.

Our experience of the airport was connected more with our departure than arrival as on arrival we were soon whisked off to the delights of Shanghai and our hotel so we didn’t spend much time in this area.

Lifts will take you to check-in areas, these are easy to operate and very spacious. Terminal 1 has International Check-in marked with the letters E-L. Domestic check-in is marked A-D. You find Terminal 1 on 3F Departure Level. There are 9 Ladies and Gents toilet points situated along the International and domestic concourse. I know as I counted every one. The sign for toilet depicts a figure of a man with a line separating the figure of a female. I am pleased to inform you that all toilet facilities are spotlessly clean, with low level sinks, plenty of white toilet tissue, automatic taps and hand towels from a machine on the wall that automatically perforates. There are disabled toilets and facilities for Mother and Baby. I had a peep in one of the Mother and Baby rooms and was surprised at how jolly the room was all decorated in pink with pictures of Hello Kitty dotted on the wall. My Granddaughter would have loved to have seen this.

Escalators are in use as well as some travelators for some parts of the concourse. Information desks can be found by looking for a sign with a question mark. You will find that most airport staff can speak English so don’t think you have to quickly brush up on your Chinese.

In each check-in section there is the opportunity to check in online by using a machine. You can only do this 3 hours before flying. Usually for international flights there is a separate customer care desk outside so if there are any problems you can deal with them here. Seats are available for each area and there are priority seats for disabled, elderly and children. We sat in the appropriate check out area for a long time seeing that we had another long wait due to a mistake I made when booking the flight. That’s another story for another time. I can vouch for the relaxation quality of the chairs although I didn’t lie down on them. There are spacious aisles so I was able to stretch my legs out. I enjoyed my time in this area as there was always something going on whether it be police officers whizzing around on bikes or walking around with sniffer dogs or a group of twenty employees from Spring Airlines marching into a circle to take part in a morning’s training course. They didn’t practice any Tai chi but they did sing at the end of the course.

Like in any airport there is a vast selection of shops and restaurants selling mainly Chinese goods. Not a great selection of restaurants and all serving Chinese food. You could buy a sandwich and ice cream with an International touch but mostly food was strictly Chinese. On one of my walkabout trips I noticed several Chinese people holding giant size pots of noodles. I was intrigued by this, I assumed they were eating the food dry until I saw a machine dispersing sterilised drinking water and then it clicked; this is where they filled their pots up with warm water.

A couple of times we moved to different boarding gates; the first gate we sat and waited at was very peaceful except the smell of aviation fuel was too powerful for me and made me feel nauseous. I was pleased we moved to Gate 17 where there was a TV lounge and an area with 4 computers and internet connections. I was amazed that this area wasn’t packed out as the Internet was free. This area also had some very stylish shops selling hand made goods from south China, designer shoes and handbags. I am glad I bought those designer chop sticks as I have got the hang of using them now and can’t wait to tuck into my bowl of rice every day.

Gate numbers seemed to change frequently and I couldn’t find any information boards in the departure area so you really have to listen to the sing song announcements which are spoken in Chinese with a delay and then English. The Chinese language is very soothing at an airport and it can sometimes send you to sleep so try not to nod off or you will miss your flight.

Two large international airports in the space of 6 days. Which one do I prefer? I think I like Pudong more than Schiphol as it is so spacious, easy to relax in, not as many announcements and not as many shops and activities which means you can save some money. I loved the minimalist design especially in Terminal 2 where you can walk for miles and the only decoration is a row of single monuments representing different races of people. The roof is wonderfully wacky too.
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October 25th was always a happy day for the people of Hedong district in Tianjin. It was the day the heating for the whole district was turned on. Apparently – according to the local government - any day before that date is 'hot' and all…Read More

October 25th was always a happy day for the people of Hedong district in Tianjin. It was the day the heating for the whole district was turned on. Apparently – according to the local government - any day before that date is 'hot' and all those after are 'cold'. In most apartment blocks in northern China, the residents have no choice over when they can use their central heating and they are unable to regulate the temperature at which it operates. Everyone just pays the same bill once a year for their winter heat.

I am not 100% why China uses this less than efficient system. Some locals venture that it is because the majority of apartments have antiquated heating systems that are not sophisticated enough to allow individual householders to control their own heat, and that changing them would be prohibitively expensive. Another argument was that it was a survival mechanism designed to stop overly-frugal older Chinese people - of which there are millions - from turning off the heat to save money and, consequently, accidentally freezing to death. Others would go as far as to suggest it was a ploy to reduce the amount of coal burned by local power stations as a way of protecting the environment. With the level of pollution in Northern China, though, I was overtly skeptical at that explanation.

Whatever the reason, this policy lead to some rather strange and, often, uncomfortable situations. The most common issue was that the weather would get cold before the heating got cold. Therefore, in mid-October I would have three or four small heaters constantly turned on to keep my apartment warm enough to live. However, there were also days in March - the heating was turned off on March 25th - that were bright and warm. This meant that I would have my doors and windows open even though my radiators were cranked up to full blast. During March and October I - and most other expats - would consistently complain quite vociferously about the heating system. In January, when temperatures dropped way below zero, we were less vocal in our complaints. Yet, we didn't realize we were the lucky ones.

Apparently, in the same way that October 25th represented the boundary between hot weather and cold weather, so too did the Yangtze River. Anywhere north of the river was 'cold' and anywhere south was 'hot'. The problem with drawing such an arbitrary line is that there is no room for shades of grey. Shanghai is much warmer than Harbin, Beijing or Tianjin. It can, at times, be ten or fifteen degrees warmer. However, it still snows regularly and temperatures can drop well below zero. Regardless of this, most buildings do not come with a centralized heating system. If they want to keep things warm, building owners have to install their own systems. Most shops, hotels and major office complexes have this sort of system. Unfortunately, some of the cheaper business hotels do not invest in such luxury.

In late November 2008, I flew to Shanghai for a meeting. My company booked a room for me at Motel 168, part of a chain of inexpensive business hotels that serve most of China's biggest cities. I had stayed there in August and it had been great. It was clean, cheap and inexpensive. In winter, though, things were different. The hotel had no central heating system. My first sign of this came in the lobby when I noticed the front-desk staff were wearing heavy coats and had two fan heaters to keep warm. Things got worse in my room. When I entered, I was hit by a blast of cold air that sent a shiver down my spine. The only way to heat the room was a dual flow air-conditioning unit – an air-conditioner that blows both hot and cold – fixed top the wall. The unit only worked when the key-card for the room was fixed into its slot. So, I quickly slotted it in so as to get warm as soon as I could. I spent the next hour sat shivering and wearing all my clouds as the warm air slowly filled the room.

The next time I went to Shanghai I was ensured that my company checked whether or not the hotel had central heating. I also always wondered quite why the Yangtze was used as the hot/cold divide – when I sat in my room at Motel 168, it certainly did not seem as though it was an accurate boundary.   Close

Stuck to the dashboard on the passenger side of every taxi in Shanghai was a sticker with a telephone number. This was the number passengers could call if they wanted to complain about their driver going too fast or taking a roundabout route to their…Read More

Stuck to the dashboard on the passenger side of every taxi in Shanghai was a sticker with a telephone number. This was the number passengers could call if they wanted to complain about their driver going too fast or taking a roundabout route to their destination. This was quite possibly the most pointless notice anywhere in China. The first reason for this was the language barrier. The sticker was in both Chinese and English, but the operators on the end of the line spoke only Chinese. The second reason was that the operators view of what constituted safe driving differed massively from what most foreigners would consider anything remotely close to safe. To illustrate this, let me tell you a story of a journey my boss and I took one Tuesday afternoon.

We were on our way to a meeting across the city, and we were late. As a consequence, we were in a rush. We contemplated asking the driver to put the pedal to the metal. But, after he set off at over 70kph down a side-street, we decided there was little need. Our journey was around 15km. To get to our destination, we needed to take a couple of the elevated highways that run across the city and ease congestion on ground level. As soon as we got up there, the driver really got us moving. He was doing over 110kph and was weaving between the lanes with careless abandon. He was certainly going to get us to our meeting on time, but the whole process was a little frightening. Unfortunately, he was going so fast that he managed to miss the intersection we needed to take.

My boss yelled out in Chinese to tell the driver he had made a mistake. Then, to our amazement, the driver slammed on the breaks and slipped the car into reverse. In unison my boss and I screamed out "Bu" (Chinese for 'no'). However, the driver would not hear of it and began to move backwards up the highway. The following conversation took place in Chinese as we inched our way back up the highway with passing cars honking at us with unprecedented voracity:

"Please stop, it is not so important. We can take the next turning." My boss said.
"No problem, I can take this one."
"But it is very dangerous, please stop."
"Don't worry, it will be easy."
"Seriously, please, stop. You could get us killed."
"Don't be ridiculous."

At this point we realized that we were fighting a losing battle. So, we closed our eyes, grimaced and hoped we got off the highway alive. Thankfully, we got to our destination alive, somehow. When we arrived, my boss paid the driver - albeit grudgingly - but also took his I.D number, which was also stuck to the dashboard. He wanted to report the driver for his wanton disregard for our safety and the safety of other road users. So, he called the number that had been stuck to the dashboard. However, it did not go as well as we would have wished. The following conversation took place in Chinese and was recounted to me by my boss.

"Hello, how can I help you?"
"I wish to complain about a taxi driver."
"Ok, what was the problem?"
"Well, he missed the turning we should have taken and then reversed back along the highway."
"Ok, sir. Why was that a problem?"
"Why was it a problem? It was very dangerous."
"Ok, but did the driver to cheat you or try to overcharge you?"
"No, it was just very dangerous."
"Well, I am not sure I can help you with that."
"Why on earth not?"
"Well, most Shanghai taxi drivers will do that. It is not very unusual, and he got you to your destination quickly."

My boss politely hung up and grunted in frustration. The whole escapade was a clear reflection of driving in Shanghai. It was exciting and mildly amusing, but could also have proven extremely dangerous.   Close

If you have read any of my previous journals about the four years I spent living, working and traveling in China, you will probably have noticed that I like the occasional beer and have been known to frequent several bars around the Middle Kingdom. In…Read More

If you have read any of my previous journals about the four years I spent living, working and traveling in China, you will probably have noticed that I like the occasional beer and have been known to frequent several bars around the Middle Kingdom. In fact, nothing defines my time in China better than the image of a green bottle of Tsingtao beer. By far my favorite bar in China was Ali Babas in Tianjin, a small expat joint that was always full to bursting and sold cold brews for a very reasonable 8rmb. I also enjoyed plenty of fantastic evenings in The Den in Beijing drinking a cold draft and watching sport on one of the many big screen TVs. On other occasions, I even managed to find some lively haunts in slightly more remote areas, such as Hohhot or Chengdu.

I enjoyed bars such as Ali Baba's and The Den because not only were they always full and bustling with life, but they were also very reasonable in terms of price. Usually, a night out at either would come in at less than 150rmb. This was they type of budget I was used to adhering to for a night on the tiles in China. There were even occasions in which things got even cheaper. For example, I once got riotously drunk at a bar in Xi'an for less than 30rmb in which beers cost a wonderfully cheap 3rmb. However, when I was invited to a colleague's birthday in Shanghai, my standards and expectations were shot quite spectacularly to pieces and I found a gigantic hole in my wallet.

The night began with cocktails at a bar overlooking the Bund. This was no mean sight. The view across the Huang Po towards Pudong was stunning, with the bright neon across the river creating an artificial type of twilight and a overpowering sense of awe. It was the type of bar that is rare in most cities in China. However, such views and such venues rarely come cheap. Cocktails and mixed drinks were over 50rmb each and even a small bottle of Chinese beer was 40rmb. Thankfully, as work was organizing the party, they were also footing the bill. Otherwise, my night may well have ended with a couple of beers and a Vodka with Lime.

Things began to wind down with the first stage of the evening at around midnight. We were all beginning to get a little rowdy and the boss did not appear too keen on continuing to splash the cash - profits would have taken a massive dent if we had carried on for too long. So, a group of us decided to head into the French Concession to a bar called the Velvet lounge. From then on, we would be paying our own way. Buoyed by several vodkas with lime I was feeling particularly boisterous and generous and offered to buy three of my colleagues the first round. Two of us were having beers, one was having a glass of red wine and the other person was having vodka tonic. I was not expecting it to be cheap. However, when the bill came in a little short of 300rmb, I almost lost the ability to speak.

One round of drinks in Shanghai cost the equivalent of three evenings out in Tianjin. It certainly served to highlight the difference between Shanghai and the other cities in China. Over the four years I spent in China, that gap began to close as second tier cities began to grow and prosper at an increased rate. The bar scene is Beijing began to develop and diversify with several high end places opening, particularly in the Sanliturn area. Even in Tianjin, two or three places opened aiming far higher than Ali Babas. However, Shanghai still remained well ahead of the competition, and I always winced when I headed out to enjoy a few beers there.   Close