Obamarific!

My friend Tony and I took a daytrip out to the city of Yiwu (义乌), approximately 3 hours away from Shanghai by train. I have fun pictures of the Shanghai South train station and of the Yiwu International Trade City (mega-mall of Chinese suppliers), however I'm dying to post this one picture - Obama pens! Clearly, they are not sanctioned by the Obama administration. Maybe someone wanted to produce a batch as gag gifts, or maybe they sell really well in some developing country, who knows! I had a little chuckle when I saw these, a real gem.

Craving

Sometimes, a good hearty sandwich can really hit the spot. It was one of those days, and we headed to City Deli to enjoy a Reuben (bottom) and Vietnamese sub, the Banh Mi (top). The Reuben was great - bread that was sturdy enough to hold everything together without being tough, soft layers of pastrami, sauerkraut, melted cheese and a sweet thousand island dressing. I believe the original Reuben recipe calls for corned beef, but this variation was just as good. The Banh Mi was not the best Vietnamese sub I've ever had (shout out to New Asia in Richmond, BC!), but this one has character. I liked the combination of pate with the sweet roast pork and it had a good portion of the pickled vegetables. The bursts of spicy from the jalapenos rounded out the sandwich nicely. Craving sated!

Hazy Days

So tempting...

Snoopy is my favorite!!! I may just have to go back to the store and get myself a pair of those fuzzy slippers, or maybe even a pair in each color.

Charity Flea Market at 1933

The 1933 building has always intrigued me. Something about it being a former slaughterhouse? A pharmaceutical manufacturing plant? (Started as the former when it was built in 1933, changed to the latter in the 70s.) Having only read about it in guide books, the charity flea market was a good excuse to go check it out. It's just a few minutes from Metro Line 4 (where along the way, we managed to score a super tasty scallion cake from a street vendor) and as we approached, we could see a large intimidating facade. We entered by the American Apparel store (only one in Shanghai so far) into the concrete maze. The building is full of stairs, walkways, passages...we saw lots of photographers taking advantage of the space. The building is essentially circular and the top floor has been transformed into an amazing viewing area, with a see-through floor, to the space below.

The charity flea market was pretty well attended and occupied most of the, was it the 2nd or 3rd floor? We found some small gifts there, then wandered around the building. The coffee at Ann's Coffee wasn't bad and was relaxing after the shopping. A trip to 1933 is definitely recommended!

While grocery shopping...

What more can I say? There's never a shortage of weird and entertaining uses of English in China. Those are chocolate bars, by the way.

Happy Halloween ... I <3 Chocolate

Adam and I spent Halloween apart, not that it really matters since we're not really into dressing up anyways. I'm not against eating candy though! Especially chocolate covered extra-crunchy peanuts. I like this brand (see picture) and definitely could not resist the Halloween packaging.

Comfort Food

Whenever we feel like a bowl of no-frills Shanghainese noodles, we head over to 王家沙. Inevitably it will be in the evening for dinner, when the items on their menu board start to dwindle (we like the counter service area on the ground floor). I've been on a mission to try their eel noodles, only to find it sold out each time we go. This time, however - success! The eel strips are served on the side, covered in a glossy, garlicky, dark sauce. The noodles are al dente, swimming in a simple broth. I was very pleased with this choice and rank it a close second to our all-time favourite, the dan-dan noodles!

Fall has arrived

Since the beginning of October, the weather in Shanghai has been so pleasant! The humidity is gone, the sun is shining and it comes with a crisp breeze. It's no wonder so many friends/family pick this time of year to visit~

Yu Garden

Adam's dad is in town, so we're finally hitting some of the tourist spots that we have been saving up. The destination today was Yu Garden.

I last went to the Yu Garden area in 2001 with a friend - it was a rushed affair, the driver dropped us off and directed us to the xiaolongbao take-out window, we lined up for it, then hurried back to the car to eat the steaming dumplings in 35 degree summer heat. We didn't get to see much and needless to say, it was not the best experience.

Today was a pleasant contrast. The weather was cool. The crowds from the national holiday break had since gone home. And I actually got to see the inside of Yu Garden. The garden is serene, like an oasis in Shanghai city. Yu Garden has been around since 1559 and showcases some beautiful architecture, ancient trees, and lots of lucky koi and turtles swimming in the ponds. There are also two resident cats, seen here napping in the shade.

The maze of stores in the Yu Garden area provides plentiful choices for souvenirs and trinkets. The day so far had been relaxing and I didn't mind a bit of good-natured bargaining on behalf of Adam's dad. After wandering through the stores, we ended up back at 南翔, the ever-popular XLB joint. As expected, the line at the take-out counter stretched along the wall. Instead of waiting in line, we went to the upstairs sit-down section and enjoyed the XLB while taking in the view. Much better.

Touring Shanghai

Wonderful weather today, spent the day hanging out with Chellis, her parents, and Chellis' dad's co-worker (all visiting from the States). Highlights of the day included: coffee and view at the Bund, shopping and browsing at Tianzifang (田子方), dinner at Xintiandi (新天地). I brought my trusty Time Out guide just in case and we found a picture in the book with the exact view from where we were!

I'm slowly building up my repertoire of places to bring out of town guests - trying to find a balance between touristy "must see" places and lesser known fun places.

Adventures in Pudong

We don't venture over to Pudong very much, but this weekend since Adam had a bit of business over there we decided to stick around for dinner. Some quick online research led me to Sushi Inc, the sister restaurant of Haiku by Hatsune, which we had heard good things. It's on the second floor of the Citigroup Building office tower, so it's not at all crowded on weekends, probably much more popular for business lunches. Nonetheless, the food and the service were good (and a nice change from the crowds at Super Brand Mall). An amuse-bouche of bitter melon salad was provided as we looked over the menu. We started with cold tofu and sashimi salad (the only dish that was a bit disappointing), then got the "Clayton" roll (very tasty), assorted vegetable tempura and a grilled fish head. Sushi Inc, like Haiku, is famous for the extensive list of creative sushi rolls. Next time, we'll probably check out Haiku and try a few more rolls.

A day at Chongming Island

The ferry arrives at Chongming Island.

Haibao is omnipresent, at the Dongping National Park.

Preparing for a leisurely bike ride in the park.

Chongming Island has started efforts in renewable energy.

At the wetlands on the eastern shore of the island. Not many birds to be seen.

When a mouse becomes a tiger

We found that an old wireless mouse mysteriously became sticky on one side, like the plastic had melted. It still works fine, so what to do? Nothing a bit of fabric, glue and craftiness can't solve. Here it is, in restored condition, sporting some new stripes!

Oil Painting Class Part II

Feeling more at ease, the second class seemed to be easier. I completed the details and layered on more shades of colour - tada! For those who are interested, check out Cherry's blog for information on her classes:
http://impressiongallery.blogcn.com/diary,24734705.shtml
and pictures of other students' work:
http://impressiongallery.blogcn.com/index.shtml

The environment at the studio is relaxing and calm, a great way to spend a weekend afternoon.

18Gallery

Enticed by a thumbnail picture in the event listing for Icon Tada's exhibition, I decided to check out 18Gallery at Bund 18. The exhibition seemed to have elements of things that I like: geometric shapes, clean lines, and a harmony of colors. The Pudong skyline loomed ahead as I reached the Bund and I quickly scurried into the cool building to avoid all the noise and dust of the construction outside. 18Gallery is on the fourth floor, attached to Lounge 18, which incidentally is closed for renovations until September. Open and airy, I browsed through the artwork. I wouldn't mind having one of the pieces in my home, but with the prices ranging from 4 to 5 digits, it wasn't meant to be. On the way out, I took the stairs instead of the elevator and saw an interesting installation made of rusty bicycles.

Oil Painting Class Part I

Looking to explore my artsy side, I went to painting class with Adam's co-worker, Liz. Her friend Cherry owns and runs a small art studio, teaching students of all ages and levels. This was my first time trying oil painting, so I was a bit nervous! Cherry had all the tools and materials prepared and carefully walked me through the basics. Here, I am working on the base colours. After the first layer dries, I can finish the painting the following week.

Shanghai Book Fair

We often pass by the Shanghai Exhibition Center when we are in a taxi along the elevated highway. The spire rises above the highway and each time I strain to get a glimpse of the building. It's pretty from the outside. We thought it would be fun to check out an event there and see the inside of the building. I heard there would be foreign language books, but we would go regardless, just for the experience.

We were welcomed by bright red balloons and banners. We were also welcomed by a bunch of ticket scalpers. There was no line-up at the ticket booth, so I don't know why I would have bought the admission ticket for the same price from those dudes.

The fair was busy, but not packed (considering it was Sunday). The noise was a bit overwhelming: a person performing on the piano at the music books section competed with the mechanical voice of a English-learning software program, mixed in with all the people telling you that the merchandise was on sale. We (unintentionally) ended up with a collection of books related to Chinese culture. We also found an awesome map of China.

Wandering through the building, we found the interior to be quite sad. The paint was peeling and the lights were dirty in some places, but the central atrium was quite grand and opened into the main hall that was framed by arches lined with lightbulbs, in an art deco non-tacky way. It's an interesting building in need of some repair. No major event in Shanghai is complete without a plug for the World Expo and we found a display of old Expo postcards, a replica of the China pavilion and a couple of Haibaos. Maybe next time, we'll check out the International Convention Center over in Pudong for comparison.

Brunch at New Heights

Adam and I went for a treat - brunch at one of the fancy restaurants along the Bund. The brunch itself was okay, but it's the view that entices people to go. New Heights is on the 7th floor of Three on the Bund. We walked around the outside patio afterwards and took in the sights.

(top) Adam surveys the re-construction of the promenade along the Bund for the World Expo.
(bottom) The Pearl Tower and the rest of Pudong is just across the way.

A second chance for Lay's

I've told a few people that I found Lay's potato chips in China to be less tasty than in North America. The comparison was between the "classic" yellow bag that is the plain salted kind. My theory is that potatoes in China are a different variety, hence a different and slightly inferior product in my opinion. However, I know everyone and every potato deserves a second chance, so I gave the Sichuan Spicy Flavor a go. It was tres tasty! Good job! I enjoyed this particular flavor of potato chip, but I secretly still think that the potatoes are different and in this case it doesn't matter because the flavoring covers it up.

MOCA Shanghai

It was a blisteringly hot day, so Mom and I decided to check out a museum. I'm partial to modern art museums, so I suggested MOCA Shanghai. The museum is located inside People's Park, nestled in trees and right by the water lily pond. We entered the building through large glass doors, into an airy atrium where a walkway swooped up to the second floor. I read that the museum was formerly a greenhouse and the designers wanted to maintain the glass facades...only I don't think they figured out how to ventilate the place so that it would not feel like a greenhouse inside. We tried to give each exhibit our full attention, but we quickly ended up at the cafe/restaurant, where we used our ticket stubs for a discount on otherwise overpriced iced drinks to cool off.

We both reflected on how poorly some of the installations had been implemented (video rooms that were not properly soundproofed or dark enough, general lack of cohesion or impressiveness), but then read in the pamphlet that the museum is independently run, i.e. not government funded. My guess is that China doesn't have an established network or structure for fundraising in the modern arts, so for now it looks like MOCA Shanghai will be at a bit of a disadvantage as compared to the more famous Shangahi Art Museum.

I did enjoy one particular installation at the museum (pictured above): a miniature metropolis made of recycled rusty metal scraps. Makes one think of urban decay.

Afternoon tea friends in HK

We're in HK for the Dragonboat Festival long weekend and what trip to HK can be complete without a visit to a 茶餐厅 (HK-style cafe)? If Adam could have his way, he'd have a daily dose of yeen yeung 鸳鸯 (half milk tea, half coffee) and nai yau doh 奶油多 (condensed milk on toast)! We went to a random one this time. The food wasn't particularly good, but look at the menu! The cafe takes pride in the following famous 招牌 items, from left to right:

豆浆 (soy milk)
油条 (plain donut stick)
松糕 (sponge cake)
粽子 (rice dumpling)
肠粉 (rice flour crepe)
油炸鬼 (sweet donut)
煎堆 (sesame ball)

Haha, too cute!

Mandatory Post-Relocation IKEA trip

This was actually not the first trip to IKEA in Shanghai. Adam had ventured there before, hence his confident pose outside the store this time. Between shipping some of our own stuff from Vancouver and the furniture in our partially-furnished apartment, we are only one item away from completeness. We did the unthinkable and went to IKEA on a Saturday afternoon. Yes, it was packed. Yes, there are Swedish meatballs (and also Chinese food too). No, we did not buy anything. There's not much to say about IKEA in Shanghai, except that the restaurant is HUGE (in proportion to the rest of the store). I went back another day in the afternoon and noticed that it is a popular hangout for young and old.

Notice the guy in the picture, behind Adam. He's handing out furniture catalogs for another store - pretty clever.

Note: Observations on IKEA in China in the LA Times -
http://www.latimes.com/news/la-fi-china-ikea25-2009aug25,0,5131176.story?track=ntothtm

Rockin the white socks ...

This is a major problem for men in China, the wearing of white socks with dark suits and shoes.

According to my coworker, the government has actually issued some kind of directive discouraging the practice, but we'll see ...

I went to the fights, and a subway station broke out ...

... unfortunately I didn't get a shot of the fight that broke out between two guys on my way to work this morning. I was walking down a flight of stairs when I heard a woman scream, then caught a glimpse of two middle-aged men throwing fists at the top of an escalator.

One guy seemed to have the upper hand, and got a few final shots in while the security guards separated them.

Can anybody tell me what this sign on the subway floor means?

Note: The subway trains come in 6 cars and 8 cars, so the sign on the floor tells people where to wait/stand depending on the length of the next train (which is announced and also shown on a screen along with wait times).

Dumpling Joint (North East Food)

So my feeling for dinner tonight was "quaint more than ghetto" but we ended up going to a dive-y dumpling place.

Happy to find that it's quite tasty and cheap, and the staff is proud of what they serve. Pork and veggie dumplings, shrimp and pork dumplings, and stir-fried veggies.

I'm trying Harbin beer too, which you can actually get in Vancouver. It's not very good.

27RMB not including drinks!