Living in Shanghai

**I wrote this email to friends who are moving to Shanghai for a short term assignment. Here's my two cents about the basics of short term expat life in Shanghai.
I was in Shanghai from April to November 2010 as part of my company's World Expo pavilion management team. I first arrived in April on an extended business trip, which turned into six more months of a short term assigment.

Service Apartments
When I first arrived, I stayed at Fraser Residence on Shou Ning Lu (“Lu” = Road) off of Huai Hai Zhong Lu near Xintiandi. They have different size apartments – I was in a one-bedroom which was barely big enough for me. Another expat friend was in a two bedroom that was much nicer and decent sized. The best thing about Fraser by far is that there is an Element Fresh in the building (and they deliver, though you’ll learn quickly, everyone delivers) and also the Fat Olive which is a popular expat bar/restaurant. We paid CNY17,500 for the one bedroom there. Note, definitely demand laundry in-room (they’ll even move you when one opens up if you insist), as their shared machine on the 7th floor is not pleasant.

When the trip turned into a short term assignment, I moved into the Ascott because all of my colleagues had moved there. Ascott is down the Huai Hai Zhong Lu from Fraser, quite close to Xintiandi, and a block from the subway. You’ll notice Ascott is a much higher end property than Fraser and the rooms are quite nice. For the one bedroom premier room (116sqm), the deal my coworkers made was 4 months fixed + 2 months flexible at CNY25000 per month, and they were clear this rate was for moving in right when they opened in May 2010. They were literally doing construction on the lobby and half the floors weren’t open when I moved in. I believe it's priced about 50% higher now. Modern feel, functional kitchen, 3x week house cleaning, laundry/dryer in-room (definitely ask for that at either place). There is also a steakhouse/lounge called The Strip on the 7th floor, as well as a decent gym and 20m pool. I would totally live there again if someone else was paying my bill :)

The Xintiandi area is quite central, which makes Fraser and Ascott quite convenient for many expats' work and for enjoying the city. I don’t know where you’re going to have to work so that’s definitely a consideration, though cabs are cheap and can go most anywhere. I actually liked the subway, and depending on the package you may have a driver. If you are working in Pudong or Gubei/Hongqiao in the west, do NOT live out there, you will have nothing to do.

Eating
God I loved eating in Shanghai... so much good food and from all over the world. The different Chinese regions, Japanese, French, Peruvian... street food, 'scene-y' places. You could possibly never cook if you wanted between the dining and delivery options, which I think is up there with the NYCs of the world. But you can also get decent groceries, including American stuff, if you want to cook.

Restaurants – Check out this post for my lists. Shanghai has an amazing restaurant scene, a lot of variety, and also changes so often. IMHO Shanghai dining at the extreme price points are inexpensive… Cheap food is ridiculously cheap, and super high end is reasonable (i.e. US$100 at Jean George). The middle is kind of the same… A $20 meal is a $20 meal, $60 is a $60. Shanghai doesn't have steller Mexican (esp if you're from California) or pizza, but has most anything else you could want. If you end up at Fraser or Ascott, you’ll be right near Dintaifung, Jujube Tree, and Bellagio which were some of my favorite places.

Sherpa’s – OMG this is the most amazing service ever, I wish we had it in SF. It is food delivery, but legitimate restaurants posting and delivering their full menus, not like pizza and sandwiches. Super reasonable pricing.

Element Fresh and Wagas– when you start to crave salads and sandwiches and “California-y” food, Element Fresh and Wagas are your friend. There’s a bunch of them throughout the city, and both deliver.

Western super markets – there are a handful of non-Chinese super markets that you can go to for comforts of home like cheese and peanut butter. City Supermarket is in the Times Square (literally a block from Fraser and few min walk from Ascott) For me, I looved that there were Japanese super markets - GL Japan Plaza in Xintiandi on Madang Lu was close and I was a regular there (not cheap). Carrefour is the big supermarket that you go to to stock up.

Language
I’m not sure how much Mandarin you guys speak, but it’s a great time to learn :) Some colleagues and I took 'executive lessons' (private small group at your place) through Mandarin House. I ended up keeping my teacher and still do weekly WebEx lessons with her!

Also, Google Translate is your friend. I used several tools before but it now combines the translator with audio and pinyin pronunciation!

Here are some key phrases below… There are literally guys who have been in Shanghai for years and only know this...
• Yao 要 / Bu yao 不要 –‘want’ and ‘don’t want’. Latter in particular is critical phrase
• (Wo yao 我要) fapiao 发票 – (I want) a receipt. This is the formal receipt you need for reimbursements. If you just say ‘fa-pi-ao’ the cabbies and servers get it
• Fuwuyuan 服务员 – waiter/waitress. How you call over someone in a restaurant. Xiaojie 小姐is ‘miss’ and is the word guidebooks may tell you, but my understanding is that in Shanghai it’s sometimes used for ‘prostitute’ so fuwuyuan is better.
• Mai-dan 买单 – check please
• Ting 停 – stop. Like what you tell a cabbie to pull over.

Especially in the beginning ALWAYS carry around the printed piece of paper that has your residence address written in Chinese, along with anywhere else you want to go. The SmartShanghai app is totally worth the $5 for it's functionality. It’s like Citysearch but will turn every location into a ‘taxi card’ on your phone, big block Chinese characters for the cabbie to read.

Stuff to do
Shanghai is a great metropolitan city, so there's always something to do. In addition, the expat community is enormous, and supports tons of activities and organizations. And don't forget, there are so many travel opportunities within China and the rest of Asia. This is a laundry list of the mundane, expat and touristy.

Massages – amazing, one of the things I miss the most. If you stay at Fraser or Ascott, there’s actually two places actually right between the two, details in post.

Shanghai Night Bike Ride – wait until it gets warmer and maybe when you have a visitor since it's a fun way to tour the city. It was super fun! Bohdi is the company that runs them, and they also organize cool hikes and stuff.

Moganshan Lu - a cutting edge art district with dozens of galleries. You have to cab there, but it's always cool to go. Stop at TwoCities Gallery in building zero - my friend's the director and has beautiful glass/ceramics!

Shop - this is a whole post unto itself. The fake markets are a must at some point. Women will most likely want to make the trip to the Hongqiao Pearl Market as well. Negotiate everything, and don't feel bad walking away.

Get Clothes Made - there are a few locations across the city that pack in tailors to make, well, anything you want. Inexpensive and some very skilled tailors to custom make suits, shirts, dresses, coats. Everything from a jersey dress to tuxedo.

Concerts/Shows - check out the free expat magazines that are at restaurants and supermarkets and look for the upcoming events. Shanghai gets an amazing selection of popular artists, symphonies, jazz fests, and dance. Also world class DJs come through the club scene.

Go out - this topic probably deserves its own post as well, as Shanghai's bar/club/lounge scene is pretty amazing. Frankly it changes so often I don't even know how to write about it. There's something for everyone from the velvet rope members only clubs, to swank lounges with mixologists and wine bars, to divey American drinking holes, to British pubs

Trivia night - I believe trivia night has moved to Camel on Tuesday nights. Really fun.

Softball - there is a 12-team softball league in Shanghai if you can believe that. Mostly American teams, plus two Taiwanese and a Japanese I think. Mostly guys (I think I was one of five women in the whole league) play on Sunday way out in Pudong at the facility they built for the 2008 Special Olympics (which Shanghai got when Beijing hosted the Summer Games).

Expo - so World Expo is done, but the China Pavilion and a number of other sites are open or have been repurposed. I hear China Pavilion still gets tens of thousands of visitors a day

Weekend trips – there’re places to go within a few hours car or train from Shanghai
• Hangzhou - about 1 1/2 hr train ride with beautiful West Lake and surrounding area tea village and Xixi wetlands (though 6 million people live there)
• Zhouzhuang - about 1 hr drive, an ancient water village built around canals and bridge
• Suzhou - they call it the Venice of China because of the canals, but it's also an 11 million population industrial center

China travel - here are my trips that I got in
• Sichuan - I went to Chengdu, Huanglong, and Jiuzhaigou over the May holiday and loooved it
• Beijing and Great Wall - nuf said.

Websites to bookmark
There are many more sites than this and probably all new ones, but here's a start.

• Smart Shanghai – best site for English info on Shanghai life http://www.smartshanghai.com/. Get their app too.
• Shanghai Daily - local English newspaper http://www.shanghaidaily.com/ with a pretty good 'Life" section http://live.shanghaidaily.com/
• China Daily - English language version of state newspaper, always an interesting read and just good to know what's going on http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/

Other stuff to think aboutInternet/VPN – I am assuming that you guys will have VPN, but remember Google related sites (including blogspot), Facebook, and a multitude of other sites are not accessible from Shanghai without it.

TV – if you VPN through a US site rather than Shanghai, HK, whatever the closest is, you will be able to access Hulu and other US media sites. It is definitely worth bringing one of those display cables (you know like for a projector) to attach your laptop to the flat screen TV in your room so you can watch internet TV on a big screen. I bought a cable there but it was a bit of an exercise to get it, so if you have a projector cable, bring it!

Meds – stock up on pharmacy-ish stuff, I just felt better having the familiar Advil and Pepto on hand than the local stuff. There are a few good hospitals/clinics that cater to Westerners, I think Parkway Health is the one everyone recommends.

“China Days” – common expat term for those days where you just want to scream “$*%(@)”… I talked with a friend, who was in Shanghai for the first few years out of GSB with his wife. He actually loved being there (wife did not) but did mention no matter how much you love it, China Days just happen. But it's so worth it.

Massages in Shanghai

One of the perks of living in Shanghai (and I imagine the rest of China) is the abundance of inexpensive, easily accessible massages. They are typically good quality and a fraction of the cost of massages in the US.

Most massage parlors will offer foot or full body options of various lengths of time.

Foot massages will typically include a neck/shoulder/back rub while your feet soak, and then full treatment of your feet. You sit in a big comfy loveseat with your feet up on an ottoman while they work. I never knew I even had so many little feet muscles that could be so relaxed. Many also practice reflexology so expect some strong prodding.

Unlike in the US, you remain fully dressed or in a pajama-like outfit that they give you for the full body massages (though I have been told you strip down for oil rubs). Sometimes there are options for Chinese or Japanese shiatsu massage -- I think shiatsu hurts more.

There are various kinds of spas from those that cater to expat sensabilities to more local feel. The local places, in addition to having limited English/Japanese speakers, have more communal massage spaces instead of private rooms and less 'ambiance' but are cheaper. The other option to consider here are the blind massage places that hire trained blind masseuses who are amazing.

Honestly I am not a massage expert so I'll stop with the details here. Other flavors of massage and spa options include head massages, aromatherapy, cupping (something that has to do with fire on your back), ear candling (fire in your ear), and foot scrubbing.

Places near Ascott/Fraser and Xintiandi (from fanciest to not)

• Green Massage is a chain with four Shanghai locations, including off Xintiandi on Taicang Lu right next to Bellagio and Enoteca (in case you want to combine massage with dessert or wine). One of the more expensive places I've found in China, but it's open from 10:30-02:00 and a few blocks away so I went more earlier on. A traditional foot and Chinese full body massage is 216rmb for 135 min. I've had a head massage for 45 min/98rmb that is just fantastic. The receptionists also speak English and Japanese, so was a good 'starter' massage place when I was first here. I am finding it hard to get 'walk in' appointments these days, so call ahead at +8621-5386-0222.
  58 Taicang Lu (near Jinan Lu)
  太仓路58号（近济南路）
• ItO-Massage (伊都) is on Pu'an Lu off of Huaihai Zhong Lu. There are two signs that say massage on the block and both happen to be on 3F of adjacent buildings. This is the one closer to Huaihai Lu with the slightly fancier brown sign. ItO is surprisingly nice once you get to the third floor with several small rooms for foot and body massages of 3-5 people. I had a fantastic one hour foot massage for 98rmb (masseuse #021 is amazing if you want to request her). They also have massage with oil and other goods and full suite of other packages. Open from 10:00-02:00 and number is +86-21-6386-3101. http://www.itomassage.com/
  3F, No 138 Pu An Lu
  普安路138号3楼
• Shanghai Xinhui Blindman Healthcare Massage Parlor is the other Pu'an Lu place with the green 'massage' sign also on the 3F (look for 盲人which means blind). On the 3F, turn left and it's the first door in the little hallway. It's a three room shop, one room with three loveseats and two rooms with about four beds each. No ambiance whatsoever but fantastic massages. I found one guy who spoke Japanese but otherwise it's all Chinese. But for 45 min 40rmb foot or body massages. Open from 11:00-23:00
  普安路128号3楼（近淮海中路，金陵中路）
  128 Puan Lu 3F (near Huaihai Zhong Lu, Jinling Zhong Lu)

There is a nice group of massage parlors to try on Dagu Lu (大沽路), including the famous chain Dragonfly.

• Dragonfly is listed in every Lonely Planet type travel site I have seen on Shanghai. I have only been to the Beijing one (since it was on the LP we looked at for our trip there). Not so cheap but quite luxurious (for still a fraction of any Western spa)
• fino is affiliated with a Japanese Azabu-Juban shop and quite nice. They specialize in aromatherapy. I haven't been but the place that I hear recommended often for both nice and inexpensive massages are by the Four Seasons. The foot and shiatsu treatment for 100min is 178rmb. Call +8621-6359-1155 (or 139-1786-0903 for Japanese)

The other area that I have seen recommended for massage places is by the Four Seasons.

Expo Pub Crawl

There are many ways to experience World Expo -- see amazing architecture, wait in lines to see the big guns, or visit small countries that you probably wouldn't get to in your lifetime. Another way to enjoy Expo is to eat and drink your way through it. This post is about drinking.

Zone C in Pudong where Europe, America and Africa's country pavilions are located have the largest concentration of brewhouses and good restaurants (click on map below). A handful of contenders are in Puxi as well. Note, this is not the cheapest way to do a pub crawl in Shanghai, as you will pay a 160rmb to enter the park (or 90rmb after 5pm) and the beers are not inexpensive. However they are good and you also get to see a lot of Expo.

Here are some suggested stops for an Expo pub crawl, as well as other places you can eat and drink at Expo.

Zone C beers
The Americas, Europe, and Africa make up the westernmost zone on the Pudong side. Enter at Gate 7 or 8, or you can come from the Puxi side by subway or to ferry dock L4 or L6.

Belgium - clearly you can't do a pub crawl without including the Belgians. For those on the fly, you can get Stella, Hoegaarten and something else (sorry I forget) at the little kiosk bar in front of the pavilion alongside the Belgian fries and waffle huts. If you have a few more rmb and time, go up to the 2nd floor cafe. The entrance is to the right of the pavilion queue, and can you walk right in. I got a Chimay (had Red, should have gone White) which comes with cheese, and I was excited to see they had Delirium Tremens which is one of my fav Belgian pale ales.

Germany - obviously we had to stop at Germany as well, and lucky for us, they're only two doors down from the Belgians. They have a small bar and slightly larger restaurant with outdoor seating located at the front of the pavilion under the arches. Light and dark beer. Note, at the risk of sounding like a total wuss, it's worth splitting the 1/2 liter beers with a friend so you can keep going, here and at other pavilions.

Netherlands - wasn't on the original list, but the daily parade foiled our plan to cross the street to Lithuania, and we discovered that the Netherlands sold 20rmb Heinekens at their kiosks closest to the street and Luxembourg. Also was a good time for fried sticks of meat.

Lithuania - the bar at Lithuania is actually inside of the pavilion - enter and you'll see a few bar counters and seating area in front of you towards the left. They serve serveral kinds of Svyturys, which was fantastic. Our pavilion directors swears this is the best beer at Expo, and it was one of the best we had.

Mexico - we were hungry after four pavilions so head to Mexico, sponsored by Corona and with Mexican fare at their restaurant (and decent accessible bathrooms btw. Belgian cafe is the other nice pit stop). The entrance to the restaurant is at the exit of the pavilion -- walk down the left side of the stairs where everyone is coming out, and you'll see the restaurant on the left.

Malta - our last stop for the evening was at Malta Pavilion, a small pavilion within the Europe Joint Pavilion I, and one of my favorites. The bar is towards the end of the pavilion visit, and they serve Cisk, a Maltese lager named after slang for 'cheque' from the old owner's banking background. They said we need to come back to get the Cisk 'X'. Say "thank you" to them in their native language - sounds like Italian "grazie"

Czech - one pavilion that we missed on the beer tour was Czech where they serve Budvar, the Czech Budweiser.

Zone C wine and spirits
There's also a fine selection of wine and other drinks in this corner of Expo

Argentina - I am itching to try the Argentinian steak house with wine from their 15 sponsor wineries. Argentinian steak... mmm...

Chile - the other great wine from the region comes from Chile. I hear they have a great wine bar where you can pass away the day.

Moldova - the obscure former Soviet republic produced some fantastic wines. There's a Moldovan merlot that I loved, along with a pretty wide selection from what I hear. Moldova Pavilion is part of Europe Joint Pavilion II.

Peru - Peru's national drink is the Pisco Sour, a fantastic concoction of pisco (grape liquor), egg whites, lime/lemon, sugars and bitters. The drink is fantastic, and I'd recommend a refueling stop here for their amazing ceviche, seafood rice, and the potato turnovers.

Cuba - unfortunately Cuba was closed by 9:30pm on Saturday night, but hear they serve great mojitos

Spain - the tapas restaurant on the ground floor of the Spain Pavilion also serves sherry. Enter the restaurant at the right of the queue.

Angola - I am not sure how Angola made the list, except they are supposed to have 38rmb cocktails at their bar...

Puxi options
So the Puxi side is less trafficked but has some hidden gems.

Asashi Beer Garden - hard to walk by without stopping for a beer. Second floor of one of the dining buildings at the border of Zone D and E by the Aurora Pavilion, there's really nothing else around there. Could be your first stop if you come in from Gate 2.

Madrid - Madrid Pavilion has a fantastic tapas restaurant on the 3rd floor, and they also do sangria and churros. Madrid is at the faaaar corner of Zone E Urban Best Practice Area, but really is one of my favorite city pavilions.

Barcelona - stop by at Barcelona's funky neon pavilion and head towards the back to their wine bar. Also in Zone E Urban Best Practices Area.

Japan Business - not so much a bar, but Zone D Japan Business Pavilion food court has awesome green tea ice cream, yakisoba and takoyaki, and cold cans of beer. Nice stop on the way home from work :)

Here's a SmartShanghai article on Expo pub crawling... pictures at the bottom are nice...
http://www.smartshanghai.com/blog/1669/Getting_Pissed_at_the_Expo.html

Shanghai Night Bike Ride

August 2010

I never thought I'd ever be crazy or suicidal enough to ride a bike (or drive anything for that matter) on the streets of Shanghai. However my fearless visitor said she wanted to try the Shanghai Night Rides offered by Bohdi Adventures.

A few more friends joined along and we had a fantastic time! The group was four of us, two strangers, and two Bohdi guides. They gave us mountain bikes, helmets and water, before we started from the Bohdi offices around 7:30pm. With a few pit stops we rode about three and a half hours. We passed through residential areas up north Shanghai, to the art gallery district 50 Moganshan Lu, down to the Bund and Xintiandi, and back to their office. All flat and not tough exercise at all, but it is tough to be in the saddle that long when you're out of bike shape, ouch.

Bohdi runs these rides on Thursday nights, great 200rmb :)

Shanghai Night Bike Ride ~part 1~ from Aki Naito on Vimeo.

Shanghai Night Bike Ride ~part 2~ from Aki Naito on Vimeo.

Eating in Shanghai

Dining in Shanghai is fantastic, with a wide range of cuisine and prices. It is generally easy to find good food in Shanghai, though sometimes the value can be questionable, particularly at foreigner-friendly venues. Since there are so many places that are great, here are lists of my recommendations by category

Fun Dinner

• Lost Horizon - Yunan eatery near the Bund, relatively inexpensive and foreigner friendly; lounge and bar


• Mr & Mrs Bund - French fusion, fun atmosphere, and delicious food


• Sichuan Citizen - Sichuanese for foreigners, fun place, great drinks


• Jujube Tree - delicious "vegetarian" organic Chinese cuisine like sweet & sour pork and chicken satay - I have no idea how it's done but I fully enjoy this place as a carnivore


• People 6 and People 7 - the whole 'People' concept still escapes my understanding, but uber cool eateries with some funky twists

Work Dinner - Chinese

• Lost Horizon - Yunan eatery near the Bund, foreigner friendly


• Ye Shanghai - Shanghainese in Xintiandi


• Whampoa Club - modern Shanghainese at 3 on the Bund


• South Beauty - Sichuan restaurant group

Work Dinner - Western

• Mr & Mrs Bund - delicious French fusion, private rooms available


• Jean Georges - how can you go wrong


• Kathleen's 5 - top of Shanghai Modern Art Museum by JW Marriott


• M on the Bund - great Bund view from their bar

Other Chinese Food

• Yuxin Sichuan Dish - fantastic tongue-numbing Sichuan cuisine


• Dintaifung - Taiwanese dim sum place in Xintiandi, fantastic xiaolongbao


• Herbal Legend -delicious and healthy Chinese in Xintiandi


• Bellagio Cafe - Taiwanese cafe with great food and amazing desserts

Japanese Food

• Sun With Aqua - pricey but delicious high-end izakaya on the Bund


• Gyu Jin Shabu Shabu & Sukiyaki - all-you-can-eat sukiyaki with heavenly buffet of meat, veggies, other Asian foods, and sauces


• Nanbeitei - delicious yakitori shop in French Concession

Bars with views

• Vue - top of Hyatt on the Bund, gorgeous view of the whole Bund


• New Heights - rooftop of 3 on the Bund


• Bar Rouge - rooftop at 18 Bund


• Century Avenue - 91-93rd floor of the World Financial Center in Pudong, Shanghai's tallest building (for now)

Brunch

• Azul - Peruvian fusion with great set brunches including bloodies


• Sasha's - casual Western in a historic house


• New Heights - a bit overpriced but beautiful outdoor seating overlooking the Bund

Here's the full list of Shanghai eating from me... Enjoy :)

World Expo Part II

I often get asked for advice about Shanghai World Expo now that I work there every day. Here's a few suggestions and other random thoughts.

As we go into the summer months, yes it is very hot and humid and yes there are a lot of people! Many of my suggestions for Expo definitely have a lot to do with dealing with the heat and people...

• Don’t come at 9 AM when the gate opens – masses of people line up for hours before 9AM open because Expo Bureau gives away tickets to line up at China Pavilion to the first 50,000 or so (note: it is a ticket to get into a line, much like at Disney World--you stand in line for up to two hours after you get in the line). After that first push, the lines are much shorter. Here’s a fun chart if you want to see patterns of how busy different days and times are--http://en.expo2010.cn/yqkl/index.htm
• Don’t come at end of month – the city of Shanghai gave each household one free ticket, but the tickets have an expiration date, which is typically last day of the month. The end of month is nutty.
• Come in late afternoon and stay for evening – less people, shorter lines, somewhat cooler (though it’s still pretty hot at night now too), and the pavilions lit up at night is actually one of my favorites parts.
• Get dinner at one of the pavilions – many of the country pavs have food options. Spain’s tapas place (towards the right of the line), Mexico’s fast food but good dishes, margaritas and Coronas, and Indonesia's restaurant are all casual and fast options that you don’t have to line up for and can enter without going through the pavilion. If you get reservation at France, Spain, or Italy pavilion's fine dining establishments, it might cost an arm but you get Michelin starred food and fast track entry into the Pavilions (though confirm that when you book)
• Check out the "small" pavilions. The smaller pavilions have shorter lines but some very cool content. Think smaller Asian countries, Africa, Central/Eastern Europe, Caribbean and Middle East. I heard Iran was interesting. There are also a lot of fairly large but less well known pavilions like Egypt, which was designed by Zaha Hadid and has amazing authentic artifacts. I think Thailand’s line might be a little longer these days, but theirs is super fun.
• Try some of the "big" pavilions closer to 8, 9pm. Australia, UK, Canada, those that have a few hours of lines during the day you can probably get in with minimal wait at that time. However, be aware that many pavilions close at 10pm and will cut off their lines at some point before then
• Pudong (Zone A, B, C) has the country pavilions and Puxi on the other side of the river (Zone D, E) houses the corporate and Urban Best Practice City pavilions. I do think Pudong should be your first stop, but Puxi is definitely worth the trek if you have time. I think the corporate pavilions have the some of the best night displays -- Oil and State Grid, not surprisingly have been allocated ridiculous amounts of power to light their pavilion exteriors in the evening. The Urban Best Practice Area is actually pretty cool if you like museum-type experiences and you have more time to spend. Madrid Pavilion is my favorite, cool architecture, fantastic content on urban renewal in the city, and great tapas restaurant on the 3rd floor.
• The “chop”... For whatever reason, the Expo passport is all the rage, and public goes nuts to collect passport stamps from the pavilions. I don’t have one, though I will get one soon. It’s kind of cool though to fill your “passport” with visits to so many countries from around the world. Honestly, when will you ever get to visit Palestine, Syria and Monaco in a span of 30 minutes. The joint country pavilions are key if you are going for stamp volume.
• Don’t get stuck on seeing the inside of all of the pavilions. The exterior architecture is the best part of many. You'll see some amazing stuff just walking around, there are a few things like Denmark’s Little Mermaid and the sculpture at Luxembourg you can see without going inside. My votes for coolest exterior = UK, Spain, China, Scandinavians of course, State Grid and Oil at night.

Other random thoughts...

• Japan Business Pavilion has the best ice cream (green tea, chocolate and vanilla in cone, 20rmb) and also good takoyaki (35rmb for 8 in a box, 40rmb with soda)
• All of the transportation is free within Expo, including buses, ferry and subway between Puxi and Pudong. You can also rent one of those golf carts for 10rmb at some stations too.
• Beware the silent electric buses. Seriously, you don't hear them coming and they definitely do not slow down for pedestrians.
• The bathrooms are generally OK but ladies beware that most are squatter. You can identify a Western stall if the door is close to the floor, usually the last stall in the row. A step up will be squatter.
• Best photo op that I have seen for the China Pavilion so far is from in front of the Theme Pavilions in Zone B/C and also the covered walkway between that area and China Pav.

Shanghai, China 上海

April-May 2010

I stayed in Shanghai for over a month to prepare for Cisco's activities at World Expo 2010 (minus a one day trip to Korea to fulfill my 30-day visa limit), then another six months through Expo. I enjoyed experiencing the city as a semi-resident, living in a service apartment and working. Much like NY, there are tourist attractions but the urban life is what makes the city so compelling. Fantastic restaurants and shopping, different neighborhoods, easy to get around, I understand why there are so many expats here.

Here's the famous view of the Pudong banks and the Bund from New Heights, the 7th floor bar at Three on the Bund


There are touristy sites in Shanghai, like the Yu Yuan Garden and the Bund and museums, but I find it to be a great experiential city. There are plenty of things to do outside of sightseeing in Shanghai.

I wrote this post about Living in Shanghai for some friends who were moving there. If you scroll down about halfway to “Stuff to do” there’s a whole list of well, stuff to do. The Shanghai Night Bike Ride is super fun and a great way to see a lot of the city in a short amount of time. They are run every Tuesday by this company Bohdi, and they do other tours too. Otherwise the city is quite easy to get around – cabs are super cheap and the subway is very accessible as well.

Also, if you like to go out, Shanghai nightlife is quite robust and there’s something for everyone if you don’t mind shaving sleep time. Note that the expat and local places are different.

The food is phenomenal in Shanghai, Western and Asian. It’s funny, the street food and high end cuisine is quite cheap, while mid-range still feels the same as the US. It is a slightly dated list, but here are some of my favorite restaurants in Shanghai. Definitely find “xiaolongbao”, or soup dumplings, which are absolutely delicious. If you don’t find street food of it, DinTaiFung is a chain and absolutely phenomenal – it’s at Xintiandi so relatively easy to get to on your own.

See the food blog for other Shanghai restaurants. More on food...

• Really good. It's hard to go wrong here. Again like NY, I don't think a bad restaurant would last too long here
• Huge range of cuisine and prices. I tend to like the local food and it is surprisingly healthy. However if you want your Jean Georges or other Western food, there is plenty of it as well, though you'll pay for it. There are also classy Chinese or Asian food places with ambiance and ok food that can get quite expensive
• French Concession is super cute neighborhood with nice cafes and restaurants. I liked sasha's and I hear Azul has a great brunch. Very West Village-like for you NYers.
• The Bund has a lot of high end Western friendly restaurants and bar/lounges
• Xintiandi also used to foreigners and has some great Chinese food including Dintaifung for dim sum. There is also Cold Stone Creamery and a pizza place for cravings (I am totally jonesing for a burrito after 3 weeks...)
• Get your own groceries. My service apartment has a small kitchen and fridge so I have been lucky enough to eat in. I happen to be a few blocks from City Supermarket at Times Square, which is an expat friendly high end grocery store, but I also found a local market that has plenty of fresh foods.

Here's more on two local trips that you can do from Shanghai

• Hangzhou - Hangzhou is about 1 ½ train ride from Shanghai with a beautiful lake, Xixi wetlands, tea village, and a cool show. It would be worth spending one or two nights there for sure
• Zhouzhuang - Zhuozhuang is a water village about an hour drive from Shanghai. Both Zhuozhuang and the much larger Suzhou are called the “Venice of the East” because of its canals, but Suzhou is as touristy as Venice plus an industrial Chinese city, so I’m not a huge fan. Zhuozhuang is also touristy (all of China is, really) but much smaller and quaint. Quite easy to get around and much less crowded.

If you have more time to travel

• Beijing - Beijing and the Great Wall are obvious destinations for a China excursion. You can probably see things in the city like the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square over a few days, and spend one full day at the Great Wall. My friend and I did it in four days. It’s a 2 ½ hour flight and depending on if you’re transferring directly or not, you’ll want to fly out of Hongqiao (SHA) rather than Pudong (PVG) – think LGA vs EWR.
• Sichuan - Sichuan is awesome – the spicy food, pandas, nature – I would love to go back. Chengdu is 3 ½ hour flight from Shanghai, then Jiuhuang is another 45 min where Jiuzhaihou and Huanglong are.

One last thing – not sure if you speak any Mandarin… In the touristy areas, you will find people who speak English but expect that most people don’t. The hotels should be able to set up you with drivers or tours, and unfortunately they are probably ripping you off but still should be reasonably priced. Taxi drivers are on meter, almost never speak English so make sure you carry written addresses with you or have an app that will save addresses or convert other words. Google Translate isn’t bad, and SmartShanghai app is $5 but awesome – it’s like Yelp but has a “taxi card” function where you can show the address in big Chinese letters to your driver (for whatever reason, Shanghai cabbies have horrible eyesight and have a lot of trouble with small font…)

Zhouzhuang, China 周圧

April 2010

Zhouzhuang is a water village about an hour west of Shanghai. The old town dates from 1076 and is connected by canals and bridges. About 3000 people live in the quaint and beautiful town, which also has great crafts and food in addition to the old residences and tea shops.

Here's the KodakGallery album from the day

We hired a driver for the half day, leaving Shanghai a little before noon. He dropped us at the main gate, where they sell tickets to enter the old town for 100rmb.

Zhuozhuang water village

The beginning of the walk towards the heart of the old town is a little kitschy... strange inflated dolls and new old-looking buildings. We saw the rehearsals for the big cultural show that runs in the evening (not sure if we'd go back for that)

The entrance to the main street of town is where the shops start and continue all through the alleys by the canals. Zhouzhuang has some great food and crafts, and spurred an unexpected shopping spree...

• Wansan pork leg - this smoked pig leg is a Zhouzhuang specialty and they have it everywhere. Even our driver bought three to bring back to his family in Shanghai. You can get the hoof or parts of the leg, and price depends on where on the pig the part came from (10rmb for foot, up to 35rmb for front flank). Looks really fatty but actually not super greasy and delicious.
• Stinky tofu - yes it smells but it is yummy. They fry it up and then put a sweet
  soy based sauce and dabs of spicy, I liked it a lot.
• Sweets - so many kinds and oh so good. I really like the peanut-sesame pieces that they pound into blocks. Lai Yun had some malts and the beard candy, which really does look like a beard when it gets stuck on your chin. They also had baked sweet breads and hard candy.


• Art - the beautiful canals and bridges inspire some great art. Little shops sell traditional Chinese paintings and scrolls. There are four famous bridges in the town, which seem to be the primary theme for most of the art.


• Carved stone teapots - a trade passed down over generations, the crafts people carve stone from nearby Tai Hu Lake into intricate tea pots.


• Pottery - stores sell antique pottery, but I was drawn to the little Shin-chan figurine that you pour water on, and well, it pees. For dear my brother :)


• Combs - we saw others crafting horns into combs.


• Silk - as with a lot of shopping areas, handmade clothes and other trinkets as well as bedding are plentiful here.


• Grandma's tea - local blend of flower tea, was ok.


• And tons of other chochkies - jewelry, watches, stamps, notebooks...

The heart of the old town has narrow main roads along the canals, and small alleyways that lead back into residential areas. There are a few old residences that you can tour, Zhang and Shen's are the largest and most famous. We entered the Li(?) residence, a wonderful old house filled with the housewares and art from the era. Unfortunately, no photos/videos allowed (and the ladies follow you around the whole house), but we were entranced by the beautiful inner courtyards and traditional architecture.

The early part of the afternoon was serene and peaceful, low murmur of voices and water. While we sat in the tea shop to eat our tea eggs and try some Grandma's tea, we started to see hoardes of flag waving tour guides with their red capped followers. One after the other after the other. The narrow streets were packed and people yelling everywhere. The late afternoon is indeed the most beautiful time of day, with the light playing off of the water and buildings. However, beware the 3-5 pm tourist scrum that happens every day (we were saying perhaps the morning light might be nice also).

Boat ride in Zhouzhuang

We made our way to the docks for a boat ride (100rmb per boat). There is a set course through the main canal during the busy afternoon, but it was wonderful to be on the water and away from the crowds. The boat driver sang a few "boat songs" as he rowed, though he did ask for an "enjoy song fee" later.

The highlight of the day may have been back in Shanghai. Our driver invited us to dinner with his family in Shanghai. We visited his wife at the silk store that she runs on the north end of the city. Then his elder daughter, a local design student, joined us for a wonderful meal at the eatery next door. She is a lovely girl and we had some really interesting conversation with Lai Yun, my Singaporean friend who graciously translated for me.

Here's more information from wikitravel.

World Expo Shanghai 2010

World Expo Shanghai 2010 will be the "largest ever gathering of humanity in the history of mankind" with over 70 million people expected to attend over the 184 days from May 1 to October 31. Cisco is a senior IT sponsor and host to a corporate pavilion, themed "Smart+Connected Life."

I'm fortunate to be in Shanghai to help prepare the Cisco Pavilion for our customers. Here are some videos and photos from the preparation and stress test of the Expo site prior to the opening.

See the Picasa web album for some photos of Expo Pavilions. The slideshow starts with Puxi side Zone D (Corporate) and Zone E (Corporate, Urban Best Practices Area), then Pudong side Zone A (China, Asia, Middle East), Zone B (South Asia), and Zone C (Europe, Americas, Africa).


April 20

Day 1 of public stress tests. Over the next week, the Expo Bureau will open the Expo grounds to 50,000 to 200,000 people to "test" the site -- everything from safety and security to whether the plumbing will hold. Note that the "test" sample is the size of a small American city...



World Expo 2010 Shanghai - Zone D

Cisco Pavilion is in Zone D closest to Entrance No. 1. You'll see the security lines (96 security machines!), the vastness of the grounds, and the Cisco Pavilion. The public show at Cisco Pavilion introduces the challenges of urbanization and the concept of Smart+Connected Life, then demonstrates the experience through three generations of a Shanghai family in 2020. We are co-located with the other corporate pavilions also on the Puxi side.



Expo 2010 Urban Best Practices Area

The Urban Best Practices Area is in Zone E on the Puxi side, and consists of "Case Pavilions" which host exhibits for multiple cities in one building as well as city pavilions, like Madrid or Shanghai, who have their own structure.

The Madrid Pavilion was well done and had the meatiest content around how they have built and managed their city. Exterior is cool too, its modelled on the Casa De Bambu in Madrid. Would recommend for anyone interested in city planning, urban design, etc.

The joint case pavilions are easy to get in but a little less compelling. Several cities share each building, and their showcases range from the fun, interactive activities (Seoul, Bologna) to museum-like exhibits with some video and signage (most others) with plays on the space to localize. Shenzen was an arty fun-house with rooms filled with paintings and modern art installments, Porto (Brazil) had cool video walls and game on touch screen table.



Shanghai Expo Pavilion of Future

The Pavilion of Future, while I made fun of the 19th century factory-like exterior design, is a fantastic exhibition about how mankind views the future with a perspective to cultural and urban planning. Great video and other content that shows real-life best practices in areas of urban design, sustainbility, city management, and the like. The Pavilion suggests a 'fast' and 'slow' line for a 20-minute or 40-minute visit, but I think I spent a good hour in there, and this was without crowds. Loved it.

April 21

Only 50,000 people were expected for the second day of stress tests, and I could really feel the difference. Much less people, no lines for security, ferries, or buses, though queueing for Pavilions may have been worse since very few were open today.



Expo 2010 Zone A Pavilions

I took the free Expo ferry from L3 on Puxi side about 3 minutes from Cisco Pavilion, to L2 on Pudong side on East end near the Japan Pavilion and Gate 4. Also shown are Vietnam, Korea, Saudi Arabia, and India country pavilions, all in Zone A (note: video title is mistaken!)

Expo has multiple modes of free transport within the grounds. Ferry was good, subway seems straight forward. The bus will be a disaster... they run the length of the Pudong side. With almost no people on site on a moderately warm day, the electric buses were overflowing and smelly with barely standing room and a lot of shoving.



Expo 2010 Europe Pavilions

The European pavilions are in Zone C closest to the river. They have some of the most interesting architecture out of the country pavilions. Of course the Scandinavian countries are all fabulous with clean lines and well designed space.

The UK pavilion is the most fascinating -- surreal porcupine like structure that is actually 60,000 fiber optics rods that let light in turing the day and in turn lights up the exterior at night.



Expo 2010 Americas and Asia Pavilions

The Americas pavilions and some of the Asia pavilions are in Zone B and C. The USA, Canada and Australia pavilions are enormous and impressive from the outside. The Asia square has the Aussies, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Philippines in one place, and Vietnam is over by Korea and Japan

Walking further West towards the China Pavilion, I came across the behemoth Theme Pavilions. I jumped into the Pavilion of Urban Being right as they closed the line -- it shows city infrastructure, rail, utility, urban life, and the highlight is a very well done film with vignettes from urban life around the world (teared at the Sichuan segment themed "resilience")



Expo 2010 - Pudong side

I have many photos of the China Pavilion but I didn't attempt to get in line, as I hear they're running 2 hour waits with reservation during testing

I went to the Expo Culture Center, which has performance hall, movie theaters, and shopping -- 360 view of the Expo site from their 6th floor observation decks for aerials of Pudong and some of Puxi side. No exhibits, likely not for a customer visit.

April 23

200,000 people were expected for today, though there were no lines at Gate 1 by 2pm when I entered.



Expo 2010 Japan Business Pavilion

There happened to be a short line at the Japan Business Pavilion two doors down from Cisco Pavilion. They have a main movie, the series of 3 min shows by the sponsoring companies, and a live show outside. Interesting video including a 3D show, a globe-shaped theater where it "snows" at the end, and choreographed windows. I am going back for the "world's best toilet" which was not on display today...



Expo 2010 at night

Expo at night is a fantastic experience. The awe of Vegas, and certainly the energy costs, but more beautiful. I can be mesmerized by the lighted buildings all night! Expo is open until midnight, definitely worth waiting until nightfall.

We had dinner at LaoFengGe PinZhenXuan next to the Coca-Cola Pavilion on the 2nd floor, Zone D. Good selection of Shanghainese food and appropriate for customer meetings. They take reservations with minimum one day advance notice (33300078 and 33300079)

Hangzhou, China 杭州

April 2010

Hangzhou highlights:

• West Lake - stay in a hotel on the lake, get a boat ride for the day, haggle for silk in shop
• Xixi Wetlands - national park lands that used to be Song dynasty resort area, go early morning to beat the crowds
• Longjing tea village - taste at the tea shops and see the roasting
• Impressions on West Lake - amazing night time show by Zhang Yimou (Beijing Olympics opening ceremony) set in the middle of the lake
• FOOD - Hangzhou cuisine is lighter with fresh fish, vinegar based sauces, and just delicious

We decided to take a weekend trip to Hangzhou, a 'second tier' city about 150 km from Shanghai. I say 'second tier' in quotes because while it is considered a 'small city' by Chinese standards with 6.1 million residents, Hangzhou is over 6 times the size of San Francisco, which many consider a legitimate size city.

We trained it... purchased tickets on Monday, 64 CNY (about each way first class on the express. We got to Shanghai South station and tried to get on an earlier train, but no luck. Btw, this train station is bigger than many legitimate international airports in the US. However, the capacity for the space is severaly under strain... the waiting area was standing room only, and wow do the Chinese not need their personal space.

The craziest thing was the mad rush of thousands to the train, though puzzling given (I think) most of the train had assigned seating...


Craziness at Shanghai South Train Station

The train was nice actually, though 7 pm meant too dark for good views. We arrived in Hangzhou in about 1 hr 30 min, and we (mistakenly) decided to avoid the mad crowd and wait to get off the train. We were literally the last ones to get off of the train. We walked towards the taxi signs... and discovered why rushing in the disembarking process would have been a good idea. So we got in a semi-orderly line down this narrow, poorly lit hallway... the gypsy cabs started to peddle... I am very fortunate to be with two Mandarin speakers, one Chinese, one Singaporean. I do however know that "bu yau" (don't want) is the correct answer to these non-authorized cabs. Even the locals have healthy skepticism about safety, not to mention the 2x-3x price.

Now, we decided not to enlist the services of the gypsy cabs. But. In turn we experienced first hand the challenges of urbanization... This city has exploded in size and popularity in the past decade without building corresponding infrastructure. That means that a 1 hr 20 min train ride of 150km can be followed by a 1 hr 30 min cab line queue to travel 5km. Wow.

Once in a cab, we drove out of the very typical built out Asian city downtown towards West Lake area where we were staying at the Shangri-la Hotel, a beautiful old hotel right on the lake. It is actually a gated complex with multiple buildings. They do also have staff with pretty decent English skills.

We tried to book some tours in the morning, and it turned out lucky for us we couldn't book morning-of. We hired a cab driver for the day and head out to Xixi Wetlands, about 20 minutes from West Lake.

We arrived early, around 9am and traded phone numbers with the driver for pick up in a few hours. They are wetlands and national park lands. The area was used as Song dynasty resort land for the later generations (who subsequently lost power I think), and has a number of areas with old (or more often reconstructed) buildings from that time period. It was a lovely walk in the park, at least for the first few hours until the tour groups started.

After walking the length of the park, we decided to take a boat ride on the canals to return to our pick up location. We wanted one of the small boats with a personal rower, but apparently you can only charter one of those at the main entrance, not at the smaller docks along the way. So we found one of the loading docks for the larger (20-30 ppl) motorized boats. After some queueing, we had a pleasant ride on the rivers.

GO EARLY. We had minutes at a time to ourselves in the morning. We spent the late morning and early afternoon walking around groups and waiting behind cigarette smoke

Some funny footage from Xixi... apparently old Kung Fu masters used to practice agility on tree stumps...



Crouching Paula Hidden Lai Yun

After Xixi, our next stop was Longjing tea village. Longjin, which means Dragon Well, is the home of Longjing green tea, and the village is home to the farmers who grow, harvest and roast the tea, as well as the tea houses who cater to tourists to come to taste and see. It was a beautiful town built into the hills, along with the terraced tea fields. The tea is definitely expensive (especially when they know you are a tourist) but worth going to taste and see the tea being made and walk around.

Longjing Dragon Well tea village

Dinner at Lou Wai Lou - this is one of the famous restaurants in Hangzhou. Very large but we barely got a table when we arrived at 5:30 pm, they don't take bookings. Hotel at recommended no later than 6 pm for no wait and that might even be late. Absolutely delicious local cuisine and reasonable (123 CNY per person)

We had tickets to the 9:15 pm Impressions performance (there's also a 7 pm). Absolutely amazing and entertaining. Imagine the awe and beauty of the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony with more creativity using the landscape of West Lake and less scale. The lake is literally the stage -- there is a platform that can be raised and lowered in the lake so the actors "walk on water" and also arrive via boats. The trees and pagodas are lit up, and in different colors throughout the show. Definitely go see one if you have the chance, Zhang Yimou has others across the country. Photos and video doesn't do the magical performance justice, but here is their promotional video



Ultimately the show was a 9 out of 10, with the minus one point solely because of the audience. As ironic as it sounds, Americans have a certain etiquette for spectating that is a luxury - no talking during the show, no flash photography or filming, no smoking... unfortunately these things were extremely distracting during the show. A beautiful scene in the light show is unfolding, then you see flash-flash-flash. Clearly the flash photography is doing nothing to capture the night time scene, but happens throughout the show nonetheless.

On Sunday morning, our attempt to drive out to the ancient Lingyin Temple was thwarted by parking lot-like traffic on the main Beishan Road around the lake. We hopped out of the cab and were denied by the bike rental folks -- apparently you need to procure a special card before using the kiosks to rent. But that led us to try a boat for our transport mode for the day, and that proved to be a wonderful experience.



On West Lake

The boat driver dropped us at the west end of the lake to a pearl shop. We didn't find any we wanted, though very pretty fresh-water pearls there, and we head across the street to a tea shop, where we tasted and bought about 500g for 800CNY between the three of us. Then we stopped at a "Farmer's Happiness" restaurant for lunch -- these are eateries where you point and choose your meal (rather than from a menu). Food was fantastic and fresh. We ate many vegetable dishes, amazing Peking duck, jellyfish, more fresh water fish, and soup.



Lunch at Farmer's Happiness