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Top 5 and Worst 5 things about Shanghai

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Shanghai Expat Forum Index » Hot Topics Forums » The Best OF Shanghai

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monalisalee

StreetBeater

Joined: May 10, 2005
Posts: 2464
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 01, 2009 - 11:49 PM

Yeah that was one of the better posts of America is Best #2, but was 6 months ago.
RIP AIB2.
My Chinese wife is a great rice cooker, but uses the rice cooking machine.
Kung fu: That is very handy if you are being attacked by a rice cooker, believe me!

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johnboy88

laurinda

Newbie

Joined: Nov 12, 2002
Posts: 7
Location: Shanghai, Cn
Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 12, 2009 - 04:18 PM

have a look

laurinda

Newbie

Joined: Nov 12, 2002
Posts: 7
Location: Shanghai, Cn
Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 12, 2009 - 04:26 PM

bilayu wrote:

Top 5 worst things about Shanghai: (in no particular order)

1. Shanghainese Women
2. Shanghainese Women
3. Shanghainese Women
4. Shanghainese Women
5. Shanghainese Women

:confused:

MrPotato

Talker

Joined: Dec 29, 2004
Posts: 94

Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 14, 2009 - 01:01 AM
Post subject: Re: Top 5 and Worst 5 things about Shanghai

Shangstar wrote:

What are Chinese good at and what are they bad at?

My opinion depends on what kind of day I'm having. Here is my list on a bad day.

Good at:
(1) Looking after "Numero Uno"
(2) Bending laws, rules, and regulations
(3) Ignoring complaints
(4) Maintaining overinflated pride (especially if it's cultural or nationalistic)
(5) Making things overly complicated; i.e. "doing things the hard way"

Bad at:
(1) Apologizing for anything
(2) Admitting they are wrong
(3) Looking at things from another point of view
(4) Making necessary changes
(5) Expressing real thoughts or feelings

MrPotato

Talker

Joined: Dec 29, 2004
Posts: 94

Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 14, 2009 - 01:11 AM

^Oh, and maybe I should have added that they are good at censorship.

leafvert

Barker

Joined: July 06, 2009
Posts: 136

Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 14, 2009 - 11:19 AM

Emm...Interesting.

What do you mean by proverbs ?

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leafvert

Barker

Joined: July 06, 2009
Posts: 136

Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 14, 2009 - 11:20 AM

Diomed wrote:

Good
- Low rent

Low rent ? Have you ever been to somewhere else in China other than Shanghai? It has THE most expensive rent here.

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sacuraman

Newbie

Joined: Aug 11, 2009
Posts: 5

Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 14, 2009 - 12:11 PM

5 Best
- Being "special" as a foreigner
- Everyday (~every 30 mintues) witness to something that makes you shake your head- "what were they thinking"
- Too easy to meet pretty ladies where in my country, I never have a chance
- Fun SH Dart League to meet nice foreigners and local folk
- No need for a car

Worst
- Pollution- air, water, noise, waste, chemical, food...
- Too many prostitutes, barbershops, KTV's (w/ girls)- During my 1st 2 years there, I would put this in the "best" column.
- "Tough life" challenges for most of my SH friends and their families
- Language Barrier- that is my problem
- Lack of: general public hygene, respect for others, respect for non-SH folks, general open-minded creative thinking

With every city, there are good and bad. It was a blast in SH and I hope some of my "worst" items get removed.

BenJ

Reacher

Joined: July 08, 2009
Posts: 237
Location: France, Lyon - PRC, Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 15, 2009 - 02:47 PM

Quote:

Sh Expats (or said so) are good at :
- complaining
- complaining
- complaining
- complaining
- drinking

Sh Expats (or said so) are bad at :
- overcoming cultural gap

MrPotato

Talker

Joined: Dec 29, 2004
Posts: 94

Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 15, 2009 - 10:55 PM

BenJ wrote:

Sh Expats (or said so) are good at :
- complaining
- complaining
- complaining
- complaining
- drinking

Sh Expats (or said so) are bad at :
- overcoming cultural gap

LoL.

I said it was on a bad day. I'd planned to write my opinions on a good day too, I'm just waiting for that to come. Hey, it should arrive at any time though. This place is full of little pleasures, that's why I enjoy it.

But until then, I'd like to say that BJ is good at:
1. flaming
2. repeating
3. assuming
4. taking cheap shots
5. complaining just as much as anyone else

BJ is bad at:
- tolerating any complaints that don't originate from him and accepting expression from others as valid.

That being said, I respect his right to expression and appreciate the humor of it; even if I am the subject of his jeers. However, I wonder if he even attempted to write a response to the actual subject of this thread. If not, I'd be interested to see it done.

Tanna

Reacher

Joined: June 07, 2009
Posts: 337

Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 16, 2009 - 12:25 AM

I lived in Shenzhen for three years, have visited Shanghai around ten times, and have just moved up here. My lists of the two cities is almost like a comparison, but I must admit I love Shanghai a lot more than Shenzhen.

Shenzhen is good for:

1. Convenience - delivery, massages, cheap pedicures and hair washes
2. Being right beside Hong Kong for a bit of sanity
3. Being right beside Macau for crazy partying
4. Cheap rent and relatively high salary
5. Great city planning and architecture due to being newly designed.

Shenzhen is bad for:

1. Lack of soul, culture and pride of the city
2. Really bad (mainly) Hunan Ren taxi drivers who don't understand your Mandarin and have smelly breath
3. Lack of a decent metro system (although it's in construction now)
4. Unfriendly, rude people who don't want to help you at all because they don't know
5. The incredible gap between the rich and poor.

Shanghai is good for:

1. Local's pride in their city, and willingness to talk to you and help you
2. Culture
3. More opportunities
4. International feel, more expat gatherings
5. Food, including all the great stalls I missed so much after leaving Taiwan

Shanghai is bad for:

1. Seemingly more of a dodgy nature and wanting to rip you off
2. All the Expo construction (although won't it be great when it's done!)
3. Ignoring red lights
4. B*tchiness and snobbery
5. Traffic jams

BenJ

Reacher

Joined: July 08, 2009
Posts: 237
Location: France, Lyon - PRC, Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 16, 2009 - 11:18 AM

Ok, my 2c then.

My Shanghai 5 thumbs up :
- large et comfy houses in downtown for cheap
- delivery for everything, food, furnitures, planes tickets ... dirt cheap
- transports are numerous, fast and taxis are cheap
- parties are so many you just have to pick and get your drinks for free
- this weird mix of 1900s architecture you can find in French Concession, great former villas occupied by quite poor families now, it looks just like some kind of these post-apocalyptic movies, when you see big luxury buildings occupied by tribes, I really like it

My Shanghai 5 thumbs down :
- most of my tops are only about how cheap is this city
- lack of cultural life, or is completely perverted by money, or hidden & "underground" which is not better
- damn language, for sure, and no english for what is supposed to be a cosmopolitan city
- Shanghainese themselves, which look even more rude when you know some Chinese from other provinces (not angels, of course, but much nicer)
- the ugly skycrapers and residential compounds with no style.

Don't take it personally, Potato, but come on ... even though this is true, these are probably the most typed words in this forum, I just wanted to point this out. I was just a little bit disappointed, if you had added "spitting in the street", it would have made my day, but you didn't go that far. Glad you found it funny though.

Last edited by BenJ on Aug 16, 2009 - 09:14 PM; edited 2 times in total

donkeykong

Reacher

Joined: Dec 18, 2008
Posts: 339
Location: XJH
Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 16, 2009 - 12:04 PM

Good:
Metro
People-watching
Food delivery
Cheap living
Safe city overall

Bad:
Pushy people
Public cleanliness/health
Prices on imported items
Weather
Lack of quality control

MrPotato

Talker

Joined: Dec 29, 2004
Posts: 94

Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 20, 2009 - 03:54 AM

Good at:
(1) Keeping violent crime to a minimum
(2) Cleaning up the trash everyone throws around
(3) Building skyscrapers
(4) Making foreigners feel welcome
(5) Providing jobs for people who would otherwise have none

Bad at:
(1) Ignoring the different values placed on human life
(2) Seeing the "wai di ren" as anything better than animals
(3) Letting decades old transgressions go
(4) Taking an insult
(5) Ignoring money thrown at them

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ugvjtyq

Newbie

Joined: Aug 24, 2009
Posts: 3

Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 25, 2009 - 09:03 AM

bad traffic above-ground, and lack of fashion

matteroffact

Seeker

Joined: Aug 24, 2009
Posts: 62
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 25, 2009 - 09:58 AM

I've mainly got over my problems with the city (traffic, spitting, queue jumping etc.). Most of these complaints are skin deep anyway. Instead, I'll focus solely on what I like:

-nightlife. I can always have a good time when I'm out in SH. This is due to a quality collection of Chinese and expat party-goers.

-DVDs. I'm addicted. I have 1000+. Waiting anxiously for District 9 and Up to come out.

-food. Yup. The western grub here is good, but I'll really miss the unbelieveable selection of Asian cuisine when I leave (whenever that is).

-lifestyle. I can afford a lifestyle here that I could only dream of back home.

-architecture. Sure there are some giant piles in this city, but then a gem like the SWFC comes along and none of it matters.

-friends. I've met so many friends (a lot of which will be life-long) from all over the world in this city. I never would have been able to do that back home either.

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donkeykong

Reacher

Joined: Dec 18, 2008
Posts: 339
Location: XJH
Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 25, 2009 - 09:59 AM

worst thing:

SCREECHING F'ING BICYCLE BRAKES

erlangshen

Talker

Joined: Feb 03, 2008
Posts: 78

Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 25, 2009 - 11:16 AM

victorinchina wrote:

-- Saying "Hello.................... *giggle giggle giggle*"

ooo that reminds me of a funny story. I was staying in Singapore with my family. We boarded an elevator with a nice lady from US I think? During the elevator ride, the lady kept on saying "niao...niao...niao". Probably because me and my family look chinese. We were wondering why is this lady kept on saying bird in chinese? Is there like a bird that got on the elevator or something?

Only after a few hours that we figure out that she meant to say "ni hao" but not very good at it Very Happy

MrPotato

Talker

Joined: Dec 29, 2004
Posts: 94

Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 26, 2009 - 11:04 AM

Why is it that Chinese people are not very good at "connecting the dots" or "filling in the blanks"? I mean, if some Chinese person came up to me and said something, like "Owzitgoen," it wouldn't take me a few hours to figure out that they were trying to say "How's it going?" It would take me maybe a minute at the most. The same would have been true if I had been in the elevator with you. It's too bad I wasn't there, because I could've saved you hours of confusion, even though I'm a lowly laowai.

But really, how smart do you have to be to apply some situational context to the words being used? Body language is a pretty good indicator too. Why is it that most Chinese people are so clueless when they encounter even the slightest deviation from their normal cultural experience?

I'm not just trying to be a wise-ass about it either. I really want to know. I'm truly amazed at how slow and clueless most of the people are, it's like they have almost no problem solving skills whatsoever. Don't believe me? Try to take a taxi and tell the driver to turn right when he really wants to turn left for some unknown reason. He will insist you said left no matter how many times you shout RIGHT. I shouted it five times once!

you guai, you guai, you guai, you guai, ..... YOU ZHUAN! Ai yo! Xiao guai!
The guy still insisted on zuo zhuan.
Crying or Very sad

Is education the only thing that gives people intelligence? Can't people decide to use their brains no matter what?

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run_away

Lurker

Joined: Aug 13, 2009
Posts: 20
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 26, 2009 - 03:42 PM

GiveEmOpium wrote:

heretoday wrote:

I can't say there is anything bad about Shanghai. I just love it. Smile

please tell me the doctor that issues your prescription drugs.

100% agreed!

TheChemist1981

Seeker

Joined: Jan 29, 2009
Posts: 62
Location: Minhang District
Status: Offline

Posted: Aug 26, 2009 - 11:40 PM

Good:

Metro - extensiveness, promptness (on some lines)
All the little parks, and a few big ones too
The view from the Bund Promenade
Cheap food and shopping at the local markets
Variety and quantity of things to do in and around the city

Bad:

Metro - service frequency on some lines, overcrowding, goddamn horribly early closing hours
Pollution, and in particular the tendency of Chinese people to litter rather than putting garbage in the bin where it belongs
Lack of decent TV/Internet service
Prices of imported food, especially cheese
Lack of bicycle friendliness, especially in inner city areas (within the Inner Ring Road)

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revolution9

Talker

Joined: Sep 03, 2009
Posts: 89

Status: Offline

Posted: Sep 19, 2009 - 01:00 PM

Thumbs up
1. Old folks sweeping the streets, tending the gardens. Genuine salt of the earth.
2. Gorgeous women everywhere (but they're all youngies. Where are the 40-50s? Never see them out and about - ftw?)
3. Great food.
4. Generally no agro, anywhere.

Thumbs down
1. Crap coffee
2. Tea scammers on Nanjing Lu.
3. Nowhere to sit
4. Everything's fake.
5. No picnic areas - completely an "indoor" culture.
6. Shanghai still not tourist friendly (with Expo looming they'd want to get their act together!) Try getting a metro card or even a map. Metro poorly signed and no maps on the walls. Information staff try to be helpful (I'm not saying they don't do "their job") but like a lot of front line staff don't know what their role is and can't anticipate or think outside the square. Also metro machines with no language options other than Chinese.
7. Everyone double dipping into food on table (still can't get used to that one sorry).
8. Sad, synthetic, crap emotional love songs played loud and often, everywhere you go - especially supermarkets - makes you want to slash your wrists
9. Everybody wants something

Actually my mate summed up Shanghai brilliantly - the whole place is like one big padded bra. lolz!

Humac
StreetBeater

Joined: July 07, 2007
Posts: 2273

Posted: Sep 19, 2009 - 02:43 PM

revolution9 wrote:

Thumbs up

2. Gorgeous women everywhere (but they're all youngies. Where are the 40-50s? Never see them out and about - ftw?)

Having met quite a few women in that age group I can tell you that they look young too...I'd have guessed in their 30s.

revolution9 wrote:

Thumbs down
6. Shanghai still not tourist friendly (with Expo looming they'd want to get their act together!) Try getting a metro card or even a map. Metro poorly signed and no maps on the walls. Information staff try to be helpful (I'm not saying they don't do "their job") but like a lot of front line staff don't know what their role is and can't anticipate or think outside the square. Also metro machines with no language options other than Chinese.

Are you sure? I love the Metro, everything is in English, the maps are easy to follow. Transport cards are easy to get. Got mine in my local convenience store. And the ticket machines in the Metro stations are all in English... and there's a Metro map on every platform if I remember correctly and a map of the area around the station near the exit gate. Just saying to a friend the other day that I wished public transport was so efficient in the UK.

revolution9

Talker

Joined: Sep 03, 2009
Posts: 89

Status: Offline

Posted: Sep 19, 2009 - 09:52 PM

^Yep, Shanghai Main. Can't buy a metro card there, have to go to the next stop (Han Zhong Rd) to buy one. No folding maps available either, and couldn't find a wall map anywhere. No language options on the machines that I could see. Unforgivable at an important station like that.

leidelaohu

Board Royalty

Joined: June 11, 2007
Posts: 7216

Status: Offline

Posted: Sep 19, 2009 - 10:15 PM

Humac wrote:

Are you sure? I love the Metro, everything is in English, the maps are easy to follow.

You're both right about that one ... there are maps, they're easy to follow. Only problem is, if you look next time you'll notice that they are almost all on the wrong side of the ticket gates. So if you are new to the city there ya are, standing in front of the ticket machine for twenty minutes trying to figure out how to get where you want.

Once you have the ticket and you're on the platform they have good maps. Fat lot of good that does for a newby.

Quote:

And the ticket machines in the Metro stations are all in English...

I hate those fucking ticket machines. They're crap. Give me back the nice clean simple reliable ticket counters. Luddites, let's rock !

Quote:

Just saying to a friend the other day that I wished public transport was so efficient in the UK.

I thought England was great. Try Los Angeles Sad