Entries tagged with “shanghai nanjing lu bund pudong” from LINDY-LOO'S LIFE
I finally got myself to Shanghai this weekend, and now that I'm back I just keep thinking "Why the heck am I living in Suzhou when I could be living in Shanghai!?". Holy smokes Shanghai is awesome! I will certainly be going back a few times a month. I left Saturday on the fast train that tops 250km/hr and takes 40 minutes to get to Shanghai. It costs 50RMB return so a weekend in Shanghai to get there and back and stay a night or two in a hostel and eat and drink for two days won't even cost $100CDN....even with the 3 Starbucks coffees I had per day!
I arrived to a cold and rainy state which only made it remind me even more like Vancouver. I headed on the metro from the train station straight to a downtown area called The Bund. This required that I walk about 3km along Nanjing Rd. - plastered with advertisements, name brand stores, and funky cafes.
If I had to describe Beijing with one word it would be 'mystique'.
If I had to describe Shanghai with one word, it would be 'wealth'.
From the moment I stepped off the train, the people just looked better dressed, held themselves higher, and had a purpose. The buildings (inside and out) are also much nicer and newer.
These pictures have reminded me to tell you a bit about the weather lately. It is officially way colder than it should ever be on the 30th parallel. Damned Pacific ocean currents! It has been in the teens for the last few weeks and the trees have suddenly changed colour and are losing their leaves. Apparently it will only get cooler for the next month or so before it starts warming up again. Can I really complain though? After all, I know what the rest of you are living with right now, so I should just be thankful it is above 0! The main bummer about the weather was the lack of visibility for pictures. It kinda looks cool though with the mist over the Pudong skyline.
With all the wealth in Shanghai also comes a huge disparity of income. Shanghai has the highest average salary in China (2700USD), but there is an obvious gap between the rich and poor. And in a communist country, this is evidence that making money here is all about connections. In a sea of wealth, there are many trying to acquire it...illegitimately. Enter: the scammers. In the span of 6 hours, 7 people came up to me trying the same scam. I must have looked like a tourist! The scam goes like this: a young pretty girl approaches you telling you she is going to University and looking for someone to practice English with. She is so happy to meet you and wonders what your name is and where you are from. I have never personally gotten further than this with any of them, but the story goes that the scam follows with the 'English student' walking around with you for a bit and helping you buy some stuff maybe or trying to help you get somewhere. To a point where she finally starts getting tired and thirsty and recommends you stop somewhere for some tea...she just happens to know the best place. A few cups of team and maybe a sandwich later, you are slapped with a huge bill (a couple thousand yuan) and a big bouncer standing in the door way forcing you to pay it. After the first few times of them approaching me, I just started telling them "Je ne parle pas Englais".
To the East of The Bund is Pudong. This area of Shanghai is very new and I can't begin to describe how intensely 'big city' it is. This is the area that you always see on tv. Construction in this area began in 1999. I don't imagine one of these buildings can be built quickly, although they are certainly trying. If you look closely, three of these buildings in the picture on not yet finished.
I was pleasantly surprised to see a golfing range in the middle of this architectural paradise. At least the Chinese propose to have some sort of work/life balance.
I think the tallest building in the world is currently in Malaysia; however, this tower on the right is currently under construction to be the tallest building in China and it is trumping that tower to the left of it, which used to be China's tallest building. I started counting the amount of floors but then I got dizzy. About 400 I'd say.
Besides the great energy and architecture, Shanghai also has a killer art district.
Wait, did I mention I forgot my passport and so was not allowed to stay in any hotel and then only realized this later in the evening when I went to check into a hostel? Good thing Gina has a friend in Shanghai and I was able to stay with her for the night. Although it ended up being a good experience, I sure won't do that again! The next morning, she (Jessica) was able to take me to this farmers market for artists and gorgeous maze of back alleys. This was my view at breakfast.
And here are some pics of the cool alleys we explored. Reminded me a lot of the alleys in Victoria!
I arrived to a cold and rainy state which only made it remind me even more like Vancouver. I headed on the metro from the train station straight to a downtown area called The Bund. This required that I walk about 3km along Nanjing Rd. - plastered with advertisements, name brand stores, and funky cafes.
If I had to describe Beijing with one word it would be 'mystique'. If I had to describe Shanghai with one word, it would be 'wealth'.
From the moment I stepped off the train, the people just looked better dressed, held themselves higher, and had a purpose. The buildings (inside and out) are also much nicer and newer.
These pictures have reminded me to tell you a bit about the weather lately. It is officially way colder than it should ever be on the 30th parallel. Damned Pacific ocean currents! It has been in the teens for the last few weeks and the trees have suddenly changed colour and are losing their leaves. Apparently it will only get cooler for the next month or so before it starts warming up again. Can I really complain though? After all, I know what the rest of you are living with right now, so I should just be thankful it is above 0! The main bummer about the weather was the lack of visibility for pictures. It kinda looks cool though with the mist over the Pudong skyline.With all the wealth in Shanghai also comes a huge disparity of income. Shanghai has the highest average salary in China (2700USD), but there is an obvious gap between the rich and poor. And in a communist country, this is evidence that making money here is all about connections. In a sea of wealth, there are many trying to acquire it...illegitimately. Enter: the scammers. In the span of 6 hours, 7 people came up to me trying the same scam. I must have looked like a tourist! The scam goes like this: a young pretty girl approaches you telling you she is going to University and looking for someone to practice English with. She is so happy to meet you and wonders what your name is and where you are from. I have never personally gotten further than this with any of them, but the story goes that the scam follows with the 'English student' walking around with you for a bit and helping you buy some stuff maybe or trying to help you get somewhere. To a point where she finally starts getting tired and thirsty and recommends you stop somewhere for some tea...she just happens to know the best place. A few cups of team and maybe a sandwich later, you are slapped with a huge bill (a couple thousand yuan) and a big bouncer standing in the door way forcing you to pay it. After the first few times of them approaching me, I just started telling them "Je ne parle pas Englais". To the East of The Bund is Pudong. This area of Shanghai is very new and I can't begin to describe how intensely 'big city' it is. This is the area that you always see on tv. Construction in this area began in 1999. I don't imagine one of these buildings can be built quickly, although they are certainly trying. If you look closely, three of these buildings in the picture on not yet finished.
I was pleasantly surprised to see a golfing range in the middle of this architectural paradise. At least the Chinese propose to have some sort of work/life balance.I think the tallest building in the world is currently in Malaysia; however, this tower on the right is currently under construction to be the tallest building in China and it is trumping that tower to the left of it, which used to be China's tallest building. I started counting the amount of floors but then I got dizzy. About 400 I'd say.Besides the great energy and architecture, Shanghai also has a killer art district.Wait, did I mention I forgot my passport and so was not allowed to stay in any hotel and then only realized this later in the evening when I went to check into a hostel? Good thing Gina has a friend in Shanghai and I was able to stay with her for the night. Although it ended up being a good experience, I sure won't do that again! The next morning, she (Jessica) was able to take me to this farmers market for artists and gorgeous maze of back alleys. This was my view at breakfast.
And here are some pics of the cool alleys we explored. Reminded me a lot of the alleys in Victoria!Some other great things about Shanghai on first impressions were: there was less smoking, and less spitting, and it was cleaner. The only downer was it was very, very crowded.
There is so much else I want to tell you about Shanghai. The history of this city is crazy, there are some amazing stats about it, and I got some good Chinglish pics. But I will wait for another day to fill your brain with lessons and facts.
There is so much else I want to tell you about Shanghai. The history of this city is crazy, there are some amazing stats about it, and I got some good Chinglish pics. But I will wait for another day to fill your brain with lessons and facts.
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