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cstick
Newbie
Joined: Sep 20, 2009
Posts: 1
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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 Posted:
Sep 20, 2009 - 04:31 AM |
 
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| Post subject: best of shanghai |
Interesting views of feeling welcome. I just arrived yesterday for a 2 mounth assignment, never having traveled this far or to China or alone for that matter. Staying at an apartment hotel I guess you call them...the room is crappy, no one at the front desk knows anything, my company knows I'm here for the weekend but basically just gave me the address to show up for work on Monday. Some hospitality. I want this to be a fantastic experience but can't get over this sinking feeling I have in my stomach that it's going to be totally ****. If I were younger I'd be drinking myself calm at some of these happy hours but that's not really my MO these days. Does it get better? |
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MarkDow
Ranter
Joined: Mar 05, 2008
Posts: 545
Location: Shanghai, China
Status: Offline
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Sep 20, 2009 - 06:26 AM |
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| Post subject: Re: best of shanghai |
| cstick wrote: |
| Interesting views of feeling welcome. I just arrived yesterday for a 2 mounth assignment, never having traveled this far or to China or alone for that matter. Staying at an apartment hotel I guess you call them...the room is crappy, no one at the front desk knows anything, my company knows I'm here for the weekend but basically just gave me the address to show up for work on Monday. Some hospitality. I want this to be a fantastic experience but can't get over this sinking feeling I have in my stomach that it's going to be totally ****. If I were younger I'd be drinking myself calm at some of these happy hours but that's not really my MO these days. Does it get better? |
Yes it does, but start drinking! |
_________________
Not your ordinary average bear! |
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Humac
FooJay
Joined: July 07, 2007
Posts: 1619
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Sep 20, 2009 - 07:30 AM |
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No need to drink. It does get better, a lot better. If someone had given me a ticket home in my first two weeks I'd have grabbed it without a thought... I've just signed up for my third year. |
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Shangstar
Fire-eater
Joined: Feb 07, 2008
Posts: 2787
Location: Spitland
Status: Offline
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Sep 20, 2009 - 09:30 AM |
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after 1 month, you'll be wishing your assignment was longer than 2 months. When I first stepped foot in China in 2000, I shat myself and wanted to go home. |
_________________
Charles Darwin: Differences between humans are differences in degree, not differences in kind |
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prego2000
Barker
Joined: Feb 27, 2008
Posts: 138
Status: Offline
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Sep 20, 2009 - 02:47 PM |
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| cstick wrote: |
| no one at the front desk knows anything |
Highly unusual in these parts. |
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netzwerg
Talker
Joined: Sep 30, 2009
Posts: 86
Status: Offline
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Oct 01, 2009 - 07:31 PM |
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After 1 month in Shanghai now a little resume from a 25 year old german guy:
Good:
- lack of crime, you can walk home at 3am through the darkest corners and feel safe
- beautiful women totally easy to date and have fun with (if I pay...)
- cheap and everywhere available public transportation including crazy taxi driving
- head shaking situations happening everyday
- tasty cheap chinese food, better dont want to know what I have eaten here though
- nightlife
- lack of Ladenöffnungszeiten
- lack of religion
- fake markets
- the overall "crazniness" of this city
- 24/7 McDonalds home delivery service
- 24/7 fake DVD home delivery service (no return, just keep them)
Bad:
- ridiculously dangerous traffic with traffic lights only for decoration
- beeping for no reason
- you cant trust or rely on anyone (except 2 people I call friends here)
- spitting or peeing in public
- general "stupidity" of people
- I often feel like I have a shirt on that says "rip me off" everywhere I go, but it does not work with me..
- "I dont care" attitude
- people being not on time at all (that pi**es me of most... im german  )
- lack of seat belts in taxis with taxi drivers that probably won their licence in lottery
- nobody speaking english at my hotel/motel/appartment building
- pollution
- beautiful women that should get a check up for mental health
- shopping, shopping, shopping
- the culture of everything being about money
Overall: I love it here, luckily, I will stay for 3 more months. Great time. |
Last edited by netzwerg on Oct 05, 2009 - 01:39 AM; edited 2 times in total |
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leidelaohu
Board Lord
Joined: June 11, 2007
Posts: 5751
Status: Offline
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Oct 01, 2009 - 07:41 PM |
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| netzwerg wrote: |
| Overall: I love it here, luckily, I will stay for 3 more months. Great time. |
China is about perfect if you can stay a few months, then go somewhere civilized for about six months. Repeat, repeat. If you are stuck here trying to do something, the stupiidty of the place eventually pisses you off thoroughly. |
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Hosehead
Talker
Joined: Jan 30, 2009
Posts: 91
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Oct 05, 2009 - 11:41 PM |
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| Post subject: Re: Top 5 and Worst 5 things about Shanghai |
| Shangstar wrote: |
| What are Chinese good at and what are they bad at? |
Thanks for the topic Shangstar! These days been wondering what the Fk I'm still doing here and for inspiration searched "Why I Love Shanghai" and landed here.
Unfortunately after reading all the posts I didn't learn anything earth-shatteringly new that I've been missing to achieve either a Harmonious Society in my apartment or Better City Better Life out of it. If anything I guess I should probably (1) start eating out more, tasting the wide variety/delicious/cheap/etc. foods, (or even better, having it delivered), and (2) getting massages, since those seem to be a common opinions.
(I must say that one thing I will disagree on is the "beautiful women" idea. Sure there are some hot women here but have you ever just looked into a crowd and counted how many really good looking women you see? I have. It's not that many. There are a lot of ordinary-looking chicks here. I would say it's not much different than anywhere else, maybe 1 in 10 women could you say are really beautiful. Try it next time you are in a crowd or on a metro train or looking in the windows of a bus and I think you'll see what I mean. I guess the saving grace is there are SO MANY people that even 1 in 10 means a lot....?)
Anyway I have now bookmarked this page so I can come back and remind myself of the good things, like 1 L beers.  |
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netzwerg
Talker
Joined: Sep 30, 2009
Posts: 86
Status: Offline
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Oct 06, 2009 - 12:14 AM |
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| Post subject: Re: Top 5 and Worst 5 things about Shanghai |
[quote="Hosehead"]
| Shangstar wrote: |
(I must say that one thing I will disagree on is the "beautiful women" idea. Sure there are some hot women here but have you ever just looked into a crowd and counted how many really good looking women you see? I have. It's not that many. There are a lot of ordinary-looking chicks here. I would say it's not much different than anywhere else, maybe 1 in 10 women could you say are really beautiful. Try it next time you are in a crowd or on a metro train or looking in the windows of a bus and I think you'll see what I mean. I guess the saving grace is there are SO MANY people that even 1 in 10 means a lot....?) |
You should get out a little more and not try finding women on metro trains or busses...
Try some clubs or whatever for a start. There is just so much here. |
Last edited by netzwerg on Oct 06, 2009 - 12:22 AM; edited 1 time in total |
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netzwerg
Talker
Joined: Sep 30, 2009
Posts: 86
Status: Offline
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Oct 06, 2009 - 12:16 AM |
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| Post subject: Re: Top 5 and Worst 5 things about Shanghai |
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Shangstar
Fire-eater
Joined: Feb 07, 2008
Posts: 2787
Location: Spitland
Status: Offline
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Oct 06, 2009 - 01:33 AM |
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the women here are not that nice. They can afford to tart themselves up a bit with well chosen clothes and makeup, but thats about it. Stand one naked with no makeup and you'll see it's not really that great. As with a lot of things here, appearances can be deceptive. |
_________________
Charles Darwin: Differences between humans are differences in degree, not differences in kind |
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condesa
Barker
Joined: Aug 02, 2009
Posts: 160
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Oct 06, 2009 - 04:02 AM |
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| Post subject: Re: best of shanghai |
| cstick wrote: |
| Interesting views of feeling welcome. I just arrived yesterday for a 2 mounth assignment, never having traveled this far or to China or alone for that matter. Staying at an apartment hotel I guess you call them...the room is crappy, no one at the front desk knows anything, my company knows I'm here for the weekend but basically just gave me the address to show up for work on Monday. Some hospitality. I want this to be a fantastic experience but can't get over this sinking feeling I have in my stomach that it's going to be totally ****. If I were younger I'd be drinking myself calm at some of these happy hours but that's not really my MO these days. Does it get better? |
Chinese are dry and kind of rude in general (there are exceptions obviously) so I wouldn't expect much from them, locals are not the best thing that this city has to offer. It does get better once you find things you like to do and once you start making friends with the expat community that tend to be a fun and very varied crowd.
I suggest you to get out with your camera and start walking around the city you will feel better.
Good Luck to you  |
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loulouloulou
Squeeker
Joined: Aug 27, 2009
Posts: 13
Status: Offline
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Oct 11, 2009 - 09:49 AM |
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good:
cheap taxi
food (not all but a few)
bargin
internet shopping
bad:
traffic jam (even at midnight!)
crowd/manners/slow walking speed on the street
public hospital
customer service!
starbucks in shanghai sucks.. much less taste of coffee. do not offer cream on the top. no fresh blueberry muffins... |
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youthful while progressive+individual but not alone+modern traditions+liberty and peace |
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Iceberg
Seeker
Joined: Oct 06, 2009
Posts: 50
Status: Offline
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Oct 16, 2009 - 04:12 PM |
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Best:
The easy girls
The easy money
The cheap stuff
Massages and Ayis
Transport is cheap and effective
Worst:
The chinese
The traffic
the pollution
The stares
and the rudeness. |
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Shangstar
Fire-eater
Joined: Feb 07, 2008
Posts: 2787
Location: Spitland
Status: Offline
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Oct 16, 2009 - 04:21 PM |
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the expat community in Shanghai is miles more fun than in HK. |
_________________
Charles Darwin: Differences between humans are differences in degree, not differences in kind |
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Frankenstein
Seeker
Joined: Aug 02, 2007
Posts: 62
Status: Offline
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Oct 16, 2009 - 06:19 PM |
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Best:
Buses: Efficient, quick, cheap - and now with free CCTV! Bonus points for crabby middle-age conductresses haranguing passengers, which is a great chance to learn how to swear at someone in Shanghainese, and it's the ideal opportunity to meet a granny by landing in her lap when the driver stops suddenly.
Gardens: Every alley near me is festooned with grapevines, gourds or melons growing in little tubs outside. Beans wind around trellises on rooftops and tiny pots of bulbs light up the winter. Further out in the countryside, you'll find grannies tending tiny plots of vegetables.
Parks: Free entertainment central. I can spend hours in local parks watching people perform opera, waltzing, hip hop, calligraphy - all human life is here. Plus the city wants to ensure that no resident is more than 500 meters from a garden, and is even promoting rooftop gardens. It's gotta go some way to counteracting some of the pollution.
Street fights: Who doesn't enjoy a noisy gathering of guys threatening to slap each other with their girlfriend's handbag? Though I'd always back a woman in a Shanghai fist fight.
I'm feeling too kindly today to list the worst. |
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Mr_Globe
Lurker
Joined: Sep 11, 2009
Posts: 25
Status: Offline
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Oct 16, 2009 - 06:35 PM |
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Humac
FooJay
Joined: July 07, 2007
Posts: 1619
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Oct 16, 2009 - 06:47 PM |
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| Mr_Globe wrote: |
| One word "Sherpa's" |
Always a disappointment. Too expensive, portions too small, lots of food doesn't travel well. You need to get out more! |
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root
Raver
Joined: Oct 06, 2008
Posts: 417
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Oct 16, 2009 - 06:58 PM |
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Bad: hot in summer, overpopulation.
Good: huge market for everything. |
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Mr_Globe
Lurker
Joined: Sep 11, 2009
Posts: 25
Status: Offline
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Oct 16, 2009 - 07:10 PM |
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| Humac wrote: |
| Mr_Globe wrote: |
| One word "Sherpa's" |
Always a disappointment. Too expensive, portions too small, lots of food doesn't travel well. You need to get out more! |
Maybe, but I was talking about Sunday afternoons with a major hangover, due to being out all night including the morning.
But yes, I only order junk-food anything else is a disappointment. |
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BoaoInn
Lurker
Joined: Sep 05, 2009
Posts: 39
Location: Boao Hainan PRC
Status: Offline
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Oct 16, 2009 - 07:21 PM |
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Chinese are good at
1. Bargaining!
2.Making beautiful carvings out of their food
3. Finding the most COMPLICATED way to do something
Chinese are bad at
1. Swimming
2. Understanding Western humor
3. Dancing...at least my husband is but, god love him, he still gets ot there and TRYS! |
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Boao Inn B&B |
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Humac
FooJay
Joined: July 07, 2007
Posts: 1619
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Oct 16, 2009 - 09:34 PM |
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| Mr_Globe wrote: |
| Humac wrote: |
| Mr_Globe wrote: |
| One word "Sherpa's" |
Always a disappointment. Too expensive, portions too small, lots of food doesn't travel well. You need to get out more! |
Maybe, but I was talking about Sunday afternoons with a major hangover, due to being out all night including the morning.
But yes, I only order junk-food anything else is a disappointment. |
That's different. You're forgiven! |
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KalanStar
Reacher
Joined: Oct 06, 2009
Posts: 241
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Oct 19, 2009 - 08:46 AM |
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Five Best:
1) Freedom to walk, drive or bike without paying attention to rules or traffic signs.
2) The massage parlors
3) The cost of living
4) The metro system
5) The economy
Five Worst
1) People trying to rip me off
2) Chinese yelling on their mobile phones
3) Expats complaining that Shanghai is not like their homeland
4) Overcrowded metro trains
5) Same sex touching (I just can't get used to my Chinese mates trying to put their arm around my shoulders!)
All in all, I love it here |
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Shangstar
Fire-eater
Joined: Feb 07, 2008
Posts: 2787
Location: Spitland
Status: Offline
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Oct 30, 2009 - 03:19 PM |
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Two bad things to list here, which I need to get off my chest:
(1) People who spending friggin ages at the ATM - what the heck are they doing - sending an email through it?
(2) Why oh why do conveyor belts at supermarket checkouts never work here? |
_________________
Charles Darwin: Differences between humans are differences in degree, not differences in kind |
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ThomasCaron
Ranter
Joined: Dec 11, 2006
Posts: 551
Location: Shanghai
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Oct 30, 2009 - 04:15 PM |
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Best:
My job.
The women.
The food.
Cost of living.
Dragonfly.
Worst:
Arrogant laowai.
Xintiandi.
Metro closes early.
Never enough time.
I'm smoking again. |
_________________
"Wisdom is silent, and the most effective propaganda for truth is the force of personal example." - Henry Miller |
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