About Shanghai

Browse by Categories

NFL Experience in Shanghai 2011-11-30 17:31

Oh yeah baby, Football was in China this past weekend at Shanghai Stadium. I’m not talking about futbol, with a lower case f. No. I’m talking about high-impact Middle Linebackers coming at you like a freight train Football. I’m talking about 6-foot 6-inches, 350-pounds, I-can-run-40-yards-faster-than-you-can-drink-your-beer FOOTBALL.
Xujiahui is my playground, my prison, my secret garden. 2011-08-17 17:55

I have lived in Shanghai for just over ten years. Ten years and four months to be exact and of those ten years and four months I have lived in Xujiahui for just short of ten of those years. That's a mighty long time to be stuck in one city let alone one neighbourhood.

Before living in Shanghai, I lived in Hong Kong and moved more often than an illegal immigrant with visa issues. Partly because I was an illegal immigrant with visa issues. Haha... (Only kidding, I'm British, we own Hong Kong). And in other places I have lived I have moved with alarming frequency. Six months in one place felt like a long time, I felt like I was growing roots at five.
I'm Shanghainese 2011-03-15 14:45

I'm Shanghainese.

And that is how the Shanghai girls introduce themselves. Just like that. If you meet any other person from any other place they are likely to say to you 'I am from Anhui' or 'I am from a small town, maybe you never heard of it, it is in Shandong'. They don't use their place of birth as an adjective, it remains a pronoun. The sentence they use to describe where they were born comes like this subject/verb/object, so that they themselves and the town or city where they were born are separated, not joined together. Not a description of the other or of oneself, but not in Shanghai, because the Shanghai girls say:
It’s a Jungle in There: Why You Need Some House Plants 2011-05-25 17:53

There’s a stretch of florists along Shaanxi Nan Lu that deserve a bit of exploration. On this small stretch of road between Fuxing Lu and Yong Jia Lu, opposite the new Culture Centre, you can find a strip of florists selling fresh cut flowers, fakes, and potted plants big and small.

If you’re not in the mood to wander the Caojiadu Flower and Aquarium Market, this is good place to visit. It’s generally quiet and the prices don’t seem to be much different from those that Nichols found at the market.
You're in Bandit Country now, boy. 2011-04-05 21:03

I have two friends who live 'down south'. I don't mean Xuhui district, nah nah... That's still downtown. Xuhui is civilisation. Foreigners don't get stared at and people don't drive on the wrong side of the road most of the time. I don't mean Cao Bao Lu neither, although we are entering rough neck county round there. Still not in the zone though.
What not to Pack When Moving to Shanghai: Home Appliances 2011-03-11 16:27

When we contemplate the move to Shanghai, the natural urge is to cram as many of our favourite brands as possible into our suitcases: reader, this not necessary….in some cases at least.

This series of articles will let you know where you can find those staples that you thought you needed to bring (but could have left at home).

Item four on the agenda: home appliances.

There are a few issues here: voltage and plug differences, warranties and repairs, and, finally, sheer superfluousness. The latter may be dealt with first as it is the easiest to explain: most appliances are easy available here in Shanghai and furthermore, your apartment may already have appliances that adequately meet your needs such as a TV, DVD player, fridge, microwave, electric hot plate, rice cooker, kettle, and washing machine.
A Good Read, Part 1: Fake Books and Bookstores 2010-09-08 16:25

Part one in a series about where to find a good read in Shanghai Part II, Used Bookstores and Online Shopping
Part III, Libraries in Shanghai

I must admit, I don’t read nearly as much as I should. My bookshelf sits there brimming with half-read titles still crisp from the press, some with the saran wrap still intact. But come this winter, instead of re-watching the same episode of Battlestar Gallactica for the 12th time, I’m going to get in touch with my inner bookworm and attack that imposing stack of books. But why do I have so many books I have never read? Where do they all come from?
Shanghai Charities: Lifeline 2010-10-20 11:08

My name is Kim and I am currently a board member and a volunteer for LifeLine Shanghai. My husband and I moved here from Northern California in September 2007 for a three year work term/adventure. After being here for three years, it feels like only yesterday that I arrived all starry eyed at Pudong International Airport.
Get your Pray on! 2010-09-06 16:18

Houses of Worship that are “appropriate for the masses”
Its Hip to be Square - the deal with Chinese Square Dancing 2010-08-24 14:59

Shanghainese Jeff Lu gives us the local scoop on this kitschy recreation.

About Shanghai

Houses of Worship that are “appropriate for the masses”