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Jester
Newbie
Joined: May 26, 2006
Posts: 7
Status: Offline
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 Posted:
Aug 28, 2006 - 07:40 AM |
 
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Sorry guys, didn't mean to scare the sh*t out of you about the Phil but a fair warning is better than nothing right....
Anyway, BTE... if you wear expensive branded clothing, especially accessories like watches/sunglasses/rings then you may as well be a target too....
So just wear casual clothes and leave valuables at home/hotel if you're going for some leisurely walk so as not to attract too much attention.
The secret in the Phil really is being low-key as much as possible, just ask the rich Fil-Chi community.... |
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tbone
Lurker
Joined: Jan 25, 2006
Posts: 22
Status: Offline
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Sep 09, 2006 - 10:46 AM |
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Whats the deal with all the shady guys offering laptops? I was offered an IBM thinkpad by about 5 different guys around people's square. I'm assuming they use a new or counterfiet ibm thinkpad case with old parts or something. anyone been taken by this one? |
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paopao
Newbie
Joined: Feb 01, 2006
Posts: 9
Status: Offline
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Sep 09, 2006 - 11:27 AM |
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yea im getting those thinkpad offerings as well
thinkpads are great laptops whats the deal?are they rebadged or stolen? |
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Ouling
Barker
Joined: Aug 29, 2004
Posts: 170
Location: Atlanta Georgia, USA
Status: Offline
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Sep 09, 2006 - 02:03 PM |
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It's always the petty theives thats the hardest to catch. Fcuking sissies is what i think of it. I would respect them alot more if they can just beat my ass and take my wallet. And yes, I had my wallet snatched a few month ago when I got off the plane... |
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Do you have a good and honorable reason to be in Shanghai? |
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MissVicki
Barker
Joined: Aug 23, 2006
Posts: 160
Status: Offline
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Sep 09, 2006 - 02:49 PM |
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So the people that approach you on Nanjing Rd asking if you want to buy bags etc. Are they safe? |
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Ouling
Barker
Joined: Aug 29, 2004
Posts: 170
Location: Atlanta Georgia, USA
Status: Offline
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Sep 09, 2006 - 03:23 PM |
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are you hot? |
_________________
Do you have a good and honorable reason to be in Shanghai? |
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pixelstrange
Reacher
Joined: Aug 22, 2005
Posts: 361
Location: Putuo
Status: Offline
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Sep 09, 2006 - 04:58 PM |
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| Ouling wrote: |
| I would respect them alot more if they can just beat my ass and take my wallet. |
To be honest, I'd rather get my wallet stolen than have my wallet stolen AND get beaten. Maybe it's just me. It's only money. |
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MarcoSF
Newbie
Joined: Sep 30, 2006
Posts: 5
Status: Offline
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Sep 30, 2006 - 06:51 AM |
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| Post subject: Help!! |
Hello there!
I'm heading to China in October. I'm being sent for work first to Korea and then to China on October 19th. At first it'll be work for about a week BUT I have requested time off so I can stay and explore a little bit more.
I'm a Peruvian living in San Francisco, California, for more than 15 years...
Since the company won't pay for my time off, I need to find affordable acommodations... do you have any suggestions?
Anything that you might recommend to a new arrival? First time in China!!
Cheers!!
Marco |
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robnot
Rocker
Joined: Aug 21, 2006
Posts: 657
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Oct 11, 2006 - 01:01 PM |
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MarcoSF I keep seeing your post in the wrong place, maybe thats why you never got a reply? Start a new post for new topics... this one is related to tips for handlin yourself on the mean streets of china.
Anyway since I am replying to you, check out Motel 168 or Jinjiang Inn (not Jinjiang hotel as this is expensive). Google them for details. Thye are both clean and cheap (about 20usd per night) and will buy you time while you talk to an agency to find more permanent accomodation. You can also search the classifeds on this site and others for available accomodation.
Now... so that I am not guilty of adding a reply to a different thread, here's my addition to street smarts, or in my case lack of. While in Humen I satyed at the Forla Hotel. Very nice and yet very economical hotel. I was going to leave all my valuables in my room when my chinese colleague told me that this was very risky as someone might rob the room. It is true that I had heard of this happening to friends of mine so I carried all my stuff including passport, house keys, brand new video Ipod, raybans (real!) and stacks of cash (almost 1000usd) in a shoulder bag and left to go out to dinner.
50 metres away from the hotel while crossing the road 2 guys on a motorbike grabbed the bag off my shoulder. I had also heard of this lots of times, mainly happening to unsuspecting ladies and I thought that if it ever happened to me it would be easy to wrestle the bag away from someone on a bike, after all he would be on a bike and I would have both feet firmly planted on the ground. Boy was I wrong. First of all they come at you REALLY fast on the bike... when they grabbed my bag the force with which it came off my shoulder flung me so far forward I was almost on my face on the street. I actualy thought I had been in a traffic accident. Only a second later I looked up and saw the bike had stopped to regain their balance. I then realised what was going on but they were already 10 metres away. By the time I started running for them they took off and disappeared.
A complete nightmare. I could not even fly back to shanghai where I live as I had no passport. Had to go to the local police, airport police, district police, (by which time I could fly home) then Ministry of public security, my consulate in shanghai before I got my new passport with new visa. Awful.
As someone said... carry only what you need and jam it in your front pocket. Its just not worth the risk any other way.
I still fantasise what I would do to those guys if I ever caught them.... no mercy! |
_________________
Where there's a will, there's a relative |
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tijssie80
Veejay
Joined: Sep 04, 2006
Posts: 1812
Location: Shanghai, Honkou
Status: Offline
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Oct 28, 2006 - 09:10 PM |
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Never felt safer than in China and I am from (reportedly) one of the safest countries in the world...
There are many ways to get ripped off here but ALL of them won't happen if you use Common Sense (all the scams like mentioned here).
Pickpocketing happens everywhere, just be happy they never use a weapon here. We Westerners are usually bigger then these Chinese guys anywayz so bring it on if you wanna rob me  |
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Great legs! ...what time do they open? |
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theAutumn45
Rocker
Joined: Oct 28, 2005
Posts: 796
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Oct 29, 2006 - 08:08 PM |
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You can get a free copy of Yellow Pages in English. Call 5385-4017, and they will deliver it to you. By the way, they also have a pocket version. You could ask for both.
There is a list of important numbers in the Yellow Pages. I also call 114 for numbers, and they'll transfer me to English operator. |
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theAutumn45
Rocker
Joined: Oct 28, 2005
Posts: 796
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Nov 02, 2006 - 03:58 PM |
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Refer to my previous post:
I suggest the EXPAT new to the city to get these two copies of English version of Yellow Pages. They may not be perfect, but will help you surviving better! |
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twinpointe
Barker
Joined: Mar 16, 2006
Posts: 175
Location: right here right now
Status: Offline
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Nov 02, 2006 - 06:42 PM |
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Where and/or how do you get the English yellow pages. Should have taken then from the hotel before moving into the apartment but too honest I guess. |
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theAutumn45
Rocker
Joined: Oct 28, 2005
Posts: 796
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Nov 02, 2006 - 07:32 PM |
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| theAutumn45 wrote: |
You can get a free copy of Yellow Pages in English. Call 5385-4017, and they will deliver it to you. By the way, they also have a pocket version. You could ask for both.
There is a list of important numbers in the Yellow Pages. I also call 114 for numbers, and they'll transfer me to English operator. |
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JustCindy
Squeeker
Joined: Nov 20, 2006
Posts: 13
Status: Offline
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Nov 20, 2006 - 07:20 PM |
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| Michael wrote: |
| So one question has come up.. other than the police.. is there any agency, tourism bureau or such that deals with complaints about places and situations like this? |
One of my friend lives near a noisy construction site. U know, he cannot fall asleep almost every night. Really poor, right?
So he made complaints to Shanghai Call Center. The staff there helped him out! Well Done!! |
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Leroy
Newbie
Joined: Aug 05, 2004
Posts: 4
Location: Amsterdam
Status: Offline
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Nov 25, 2006 - 07:32 PM |
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Yes Teanosugar, I had the same experience with 2 "students"....Also ordering drinks by themselves.But when paying time I insisted to pay only what I ordered! Can u imagine the "students" were not happy aferwards? But I think most important is not to behave as a tourist.After reading these posts you know the traps....By the way , locals make a deal with the taxi drivers about the fare price. You can do that too, giving out a signal you know your way in Shanghai....  |
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rogerbee4
Talker
Joined: Sep 25, 2005
Posts: 93
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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Nov 25, 2006 - 09:59 PM |
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| Post subject: Scams |
Outside concert halls and theatres you can usually buy tickets
at a lot lower price than at the box office
I got caught with a stupid scam. Tried to buy tickets for a concert that started in five minutes so was more than happy to buy "VIP" tickets outside the hall in Pudong. Well "VIP" must mean great seats and free drinks in the interval - no ??
You can imagine my suprise when, inside the hall we were shown to the cheapest seats. What's this all about ??
After a few minutes in our seats I looked carefully at the tickets.
The smart arse had stuck "VIP" over the ticket price
I had paid 250 rmb for 2 x 50 rmb tickets !!
No big deal, in fact give the guy points for being so smart and me so stupid !! |
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Dai Chotomy |
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robnot
Rocker
Joined: Aug 21, 2006
Posts: 657
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Dec 07, 2006 - 12:37 PM |
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lol |
_________________
Where there's a will, there's a relative |
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Dextrum
Lurker
Joined: Dec 17, 2003
Posts: 28
Location: me:Shanghai my money:bvi and caymans
Status: Offline
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Dec 27, 2006 - 05:43 PM |
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| bewithdss wrote: |
| feel strange to this,the srong white need to be rubbed in shanghai? |
1.If the barber shop has pink frosted windows do not be alarmed, massages will be provided together with a shite haircut.
2. When eating fish with a Chinese, enjoy the spectacle of watching him or her spit the bones onto their plate. Remember to bring a camera to record this amusing event.
3. If involved in motor vehicle accident causing minor damage remember to always pay up as being a laowai it is of course your fault.
4. If shopping in the new markets with your new girlfriend whom you met in Julu Lu the night before, remember not to pay too much for the fake LV bag that she asks you to buy for her, as she will be back at the same shop the next day to return the bag for her cut of the price. |
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HK2ShviaUSA
Reacher
Joined: Feb 14, 2006
Posts: 274
Status: Offline
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Dec 30, 2006 - 01:20 AM |
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She wouldn't net much as a fake LV bag shouldn't be more than 150Y! And you deserved to be fleeced if you paid more than 400Y! And why would you take your new gf to go shopping if you just met her the night before? Just cut to the chase - pay her for providing you with services and begone with her! |
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DaisyD
Squeeker
Joined: Nov 07, 2006
Posts: 19
Location: Shanghai
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Jan 10, 2007 - 11:26 PM |
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| hammerforlife wrote: |
| On a related subject what are the emergency telephone numbers in Shanghai, police ambulance etc and are there alternatives with English speaking? |
Police 110
Ambulance 122
30% People around 20 30 can speak English, just grab one on the street, can be your translator |
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DaisyD
Squeeker
Joined: Nov 07, 2006
Posts: 19
Location: Shanghai
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Jan 10, 2007 - 11:34 PM |
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by the way, Shanghai Police stations start foreign language services for emergency calls from today, more than 10 different languages. |
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JD
Ranter
Joined: May 14, 2003
Posts: 559
Status: Offline
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Jan 11, 2007 - 12:02 AM |
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Fow a long time, I didnt manage to get seated on a bad taxi... Recently I've got quite a few crooked cabs from Pudong airport international taxi queue.
The crooked ones have been solely dark red taxis (private cabs)
Following are the incidents (most recent ones)
1. Chinese speaker ? Driver is making and effort t0 find out whether I speak chinese, which I do not admit (ok I dont speak that well). He adds 30-40 kuai additional charge on the meter.
2. Pudong sight-seeing. Instead of taking it straight to Lupu-bridge, the chap gets off the A20 and gives 10 km rķund. Usually when I bother to ask why he got off when its already too late to get back and damage is done.
3. Slow-drive. When its getting close to 11 pm, these reptiles slow their vehicles and never exceed the speed limit (as at 2300 +- 5 minutes the surcharge applies) . They will go an extra mile to get that extra mile in search for the higher charge (the latest one says that they are allowed to drive only 60 km/h on the highway when it rains  ) ). Comes it 11 pm and here we go again 140 km/h with next to collapsing 1980's santana.
You can get your extra charge back by issuing the complaint with the taxi authrority but its so damn cumbersome process that few take that effort (lucky us with enough staff to deal with). The red ones are going for this as they will not be discredited or otherwise punished like their colleagues driving for bigger companies who will actually return the full fare and in most cases fire the crooked driver... |
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Adam7
Rocker
Joined: May 11, 2004
Posts: 759
Status: Offline
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Jan 11, 2007 - 09:27 AM |
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I had a guy take me the long way, unfortunately I wasn't paying attention and he turned off the gaojia before I could yell at him. Anyway, I call ahead to my wife and spoke in English to get the guards at our compound ready - it helps that all through summer we give them cold drinks every time we leave the house, amazing was a few chilled cans of coke can do!. So we arrive and 10 or so security guards surround the cab and start to yell at him for ripping off the westerner. Was fun to watch. Paid him the normal amount and hope he'll think twice about doing it again...I doubt it.
Oh and FYI... the barbershops with the pink colored windows are NOT for getting haircuts, or real massages for that matter. Stay away. |
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Why? Just tell me why? |
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sienna
Low Seater
Joined: July 17, 2006
Posts: 3419
Location: kiss my ass
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Jan 11, 2007 - 10:34 PM |
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Adam7:
Jeeez, that's harsch!!! So many taxi drivers have fooled me and the only thing I do to them is yell...but still I have to pay the money as it shows on the taximetre.  How much did he tried to fool you of?
I try to speak with the taxidriver during the ride, in that way we form a relationship and he feels bad to cheat of me.
Another tip:
Everytime you go to Windows or any other sleazy club, WATCH your bag, or better, leave your important stuff with your date and check in your bag. |
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 <-- a different girly Shanghai blog |
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