Chionggirl in Shanghai

Just discovered that booking Malaysian Airlines via elong.com is actually cheaper. Yay! Have booked my ticket home form Chinese New Year!

(This was written about my move about a month ago, so some contents maybe abit disconnected.)

Moving house in Shanghai is actually not a difficult task. But there are alot of horror stories that I have heard about movers. The most commom story I have heard is that the agreed price before the move is drastically different from the price AFTER the move. They wil charge you fees for moving from the lobby to the road, from your apartment to your lobby; They drive a long distance to earn extra 'mileage' so that you wil pay them more.. So I did have hesitations when I finally decided to move house.

First of all, you need to find a reliable mover. I reckoned that I was a light mover, so I didin't thought of engaging a mover till the day I decided to move. In retrospect, it wasn't that bad. A friend had advised me to check with the security guard below my previous apartment if he knows of any 'freelance' mover. And a good advise it was. The security guard recommended a rag-and-bone man who worked around the neighbourhood, who delivered my stuffs (about 8 boxes, including luggages and knicknacks) to the new place so fast, he was faster than me taking a cab! He was also a very friendly man, though I think he is a middle age person, he was really strong, I guess due to the nature of his job.

For those of you who are would like to engage professional movers, I think the only reliable one is Da Zhong 上海大众搬场物流有限公司 (http://www.96811.net/800/default.asp). You have to call them a week in advance though. If you are a single person like me, and reckon that you do not have as much stuffs as the families who lived here, get a friend to help you move your stuffs as you call for a Volkswagon 大众 van. That worked for most of my friends, BUT, provided that your friends do not mind spending an afternoon being the good friend (which I have learned, some 'friends' you have here are entertainment-related friends and not help-friends...)

As an expat, it is better that you let the govenment know that you have changed your location of residence. Well, that is basic courtesy too. So after you have moved, do remember to check with the security guard on the police station 派出所 that is responsibile for your area. Report there with your work contract, passport, your landlord's ID and your rental contract, and let them know that you have moved. Do this as soon as possible. I can't tell you what may happen, but it is better to be a good guest and do what good guests do while in China :)

Will write about things to lookout in a new place next. :)

i will let the pictures speak for themselves... :)

I was back at home over last week for a friend's wedding.

Before i set off, I had anticipated some strangeness in being back home. Interestingly, it never happened. I was at Vivo City, Holland V, Tiong Bahru market etc. It felt as if I had been on the island for the past 3 months, and visiting these places was not as unfamiliar as I thought it was.

Adding on to it, the weather at home was cooling, and I didn't felt the heat. Friend's wedding was good, none of us broke a sweat.

However, home seemed more home that the usual mention of 'home' when I was back home. It's where close friends and families are around. Now that I am back here in Shanghai, I can really feel the difference of not having close friends around to hang out with. You know, the kind that you can call at 4pm for a 7pm dinner... Laugh until you tear, gossip on common topics...

Absence does makes the heart grows fonder. Much fonder.

Yes, so I have bought a heater from Tesco! (see previous entry)

Being new to cold weather, I was warned by many of my friends here that it is essential to have a heater in the house to keep warm against the cold. I did to some research on my own and decided to buy one when I came back from my home trip.

There are quite a number of choices to choose from in Tesco, and I have a hard time deciding which is one that is for me. There are the flat ones, the fan-looking ones, those that rotate, those that turn etc..

Initially, the salesman at Tesco recommended me the fan kind, and I had thought maybe it would be better. But I realised that it is better that I have one that is handy to move around than one that looks like a fan, and so I bought this:

This is how the actual heater looks like

The back, where there is a handle and a switch to turn on the rotation.

The top, to select temperature and wind speed.

The front, where obviously the heat comes from.

The heater costs RMB169, and the brand is called SINGFUN 先锋， and it supposedly uses a cereamic heat-emitting device to conduct heat. The heater can be heated up to 1800W, but I did read somewher that a guy bought another heater, had it turn on till 1000W heat and it warms up the room. I am going to believe that it can happen to mine :)

So stay tune to this space as I update you with the effectiveness of the heater!

As the weather makes a dip south, I decided it is time that I buy my 3rd appliance in Shanghai, the heater.

My original plan is to hop on a bus that brings me to the only mega supermarket I know, Carrefour. I had always wanted to check out Tesco, but the Chinese website doesn't seemed to provide me with alot of guidelines.

Anyways, so I hopped on to the same Carrefour-bus and was all prepared to alight at the Carrefour stop when I saw the big Tesco sign as the bus passed the stop. This is it, an opportunity for me to explore Tesco! So I alighted like everyone else and head on to Carrefour.

We know that there isn't any Tesco in Singapore, so i am curious what has this supermarket brand got to offer. It is essentially similar to Carrefour, however, this one that I go is defintely going to be my default supermarket in Shanghai. Below is the evaluation between the both:

Transportation -
Carrefour 1 - Only one bus takes me to the one that I go to regularly.
Tesco 3 - There are 3 bus lines that takes me to and from Tesco

Variety -
Carrefour 1 - It has quite a number of offers
Tesco - 2 I dunno if it was my first time to the supermarket, but I feel that they have more to offer compared to Carrefour

Durians -
Carrefour - 0 Didn't really see them
Tesco - 1 Saw large ones on display, and they are void of the durian smell! Kinda weird huh... I doubt they are as good as the ones back home anyway

So it is clear that Tesco has my vote and I am so happy that I have found a mega supermarket that is so close to my place! Woohoo! I am looking forward to supermarket shopping!

1) Went to Wagas Restaurant and ordered an expensive breakfast - RMB70
Actually it was a lunch item. Nobody at the restaurant offered me the breakfast menu when they saw me looking the regular menu. Oh well. I should've asked.

"Cough. Cough. Camomile Tea. Sandwich. Cough. Camomile Tea. Sandwich. Sandwich. Cough. Cough. Cough. Sandwich. Cough. Cough. Sandwich. Cough. Camomile Tea. Cough......"

Oh, with a little bit reading of Shanghai Daily in between.

2) Bought fruits and a fruit peeler RMB 12.50
Bananas, pears, apples. I noticed I have been sick because I haven't been taking in fresh fruits. My body resistance is really low *Cough. Cough*

So far so good. Fresh produce here so far has not been disappointing.

3) Went for cell group.
Nobody knew it was Special Day. Everything went on per normal. We got a new member from UK. She was a bit tight-lipped at first, but after prayer, she was more comfortable.

4) Went for 1 1/2 hour massage. RMB120
Asked for a female masseuse this time. Not shiok. I think I will get the male one again next time round.

5) Bought DVDs.
Decided that those 'deep thinking' DVDs that I bought from the lady below my block are too heavy fo rme to watch after a tiring work day/week. Grabbed some comedies and a Milan Fashion Show music CD.

6) Painted my fingernails in lavender
Decided that I want to have a dark shade for my fingernails. Asked the girl if she could do my toes too, but we don't have much time.

I also made friends with the girl and have decided that I will frequent her stall for nail painting next time.

7) Bought slices of cakes.
After waiting for a while for the bus, I decided to get myself some cakes at the famous cake store just behind the bus-stop. I think I should end the day with some cakes.

There you go. 7 items. Very biblical. Oh, it was also 7th yesterday as well. What a coincidence! :)

Yes, it was kinda weird to do it all alone on my own... But it's ok, it's not like I have not done it since I have been here. But it does have it's edge over the other Special Days that used to have... It's uniquely different. :) Spiritually, I think I have been edified in some ways... I felt it today.

It is good to be reminded that with a new age, I am not moving on with life on my own. I have a Helper, a Father, a Friend by my side. I am not alone.

And that is good to hear. :)

you know, whoever invent the instant world. I would like to say thank you to you. You gave us Nissin noodles, instant Coffee, instant Milo, instant tea... And today, i enjoy instant Laksa Bee Hoon.

Mentioned earlier that a friend's husband brought over some stuffs for me, and in it was a laksa mixture from Prima Taste. You know, the kind that comes in a box. I realised later that you can find that here, but anyway, thats not what I am writing about...

After church today, I came home to cook food... i reckon since I have some ingredients in the fridge, I might as well use them. But I didn't use much anyway.. Hahaha...

So anyway, with the laksa paste, I cooked Bee Hoon Laksa with Toufu and dumplings. And you know what, after testing this new method of cooking, i realised toufu actually tastes really nice in laksa! They actualy complement each other.

Yep, that is my laksa bee hoon. Those are spoon and chopsticks brought from home (I had to have something to eat with when I first arrive in Shanghai!) Yep, laksa tastes closely to one back home. MMmm... so I want to say thank you to Prima Taste. Good thinking!

Oh, by the way, I have signed up for Sunday School teaching today. I sat through a class of 1st graders and boy did I felt good. I really missed hanging out with kids. I miss Sunday School. It has been my mind since I arrived and saw the announcement during church service. However, I held back because of my work. I am concern that work may get in the way, and that I may not be able to serve.

But then, I received what I believe is an impression from God. I was reminded sometime back by a preacher who went to where God led him, with practically nothing, no preparation, no knowledge, no money. He obeyed and was rewarded beyond his imagination.

So I did it. "Here I am God, use me." I believe so long as I honour God with my actions, he will work out the rest for me. I am confident about that.

I missed Sunday School. I really do.

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Oh, I went to Tai Kang Lu again yesterday. Unfortunately, both of my phones ran out of battery. Otherwise, you would have seen really nice pictures of Tai Kang Lu. I think I really need to go again before it turns colder. And definitely go with a camera, it has so many interesting places to take pictures with. I saw many photographers came with their high end cameras to take pictures all over Tai Kang Lu.

If you know me and will be visiting me in the future, please bug me to bring you to Tai Kang Lu. You will love it there.

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I had been sick for the whole of last week. I have eaten medication brought from home, but soon ran out of them (the standard ones). I have forgotten about the other medicine I brought over before I flew in, anti-histamine for a uticaria outbreak I had 4 hours before my flight.

So while I have forgotten my meds, I ran out of the standard ones. Desperate (I was sneezing, coughing and having really a runny nose), I went to the nearest Chinese pharmacy at my place.

Nice display right? Haha. The 2 bottles are from the 双黄连口服液 box. They are for sore throat. The box on top are cold medication which you see on the right. The bottle on the right is Multi Amino, supposedly for body resistance (I later researched and read that it is a protein supplement, some sort. Not something that i am looking for..). The bottled sore throat medication was good, it restored my lost voice within a day. How do they taste? Hmm.. If I recall correctly, they are are not too difficult to swallow, tasted a bit chinese herbal.

Yeah, I had no choice but to buy these meds because I can't keep sneezing away. I took a risk, and thank God, the meds are ok. I am still having a little bit of runny nose, but now I have switched back to my Singapore meds.

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It has been a really really busy couple of weeks for me, that's why I didn't update my Facebook, nor my blog. Anyway, getting on FB can be a pain (the connection of the gateway keeps dropping), so I have done less FB-king these days.

We are in November, and Shanghai is undergoing a huge temperature change. Weather is expected to dropped to about 5 degrees tomorrow. I will probably document about it. Today, in fact, I have to wear double layer. The Shanghai wind tends to be really strong during autumn.

Alrighty... I will write again from Shanghai! :)

Street Lamps along Nanjing Xi Road (taken after shopping at CIty Shop)

Giant cooking pot behing Jing An Si, supposedly a promotion for a new series of cooking pot.

The famous Jing An Si

85 Degrees... A very popular bakery in Shanghai. More famous than Breadtalk.

One of the many street lightings along Jing An area.

There are many, many places to explore and see in Shanghai, more so now that we are less than 300 days away from the Expo. So watch this space for more pictures of Shanghai :)

I have heard that Qi Pu Lu is a marketplace like area that one can get bargains and have been wanting to go there. So today I did. Just hop on any taxi and tell the driver that you are going to Qi Pu Lu, and they will know where to take you.

There are a few buildings along Qi Pu Lu. Don't go to the old Qi Pu Lu building. It is now a unpopular place, and I nearly had a case of pickpocket again. Some men saw me coming their way and one of them decided to follow me. My alert radar picked up when he i saw him from the corner of my eye. So I quickly turned my trusty postman bag to the front (the same one that alerted me of the pickpocket when I was at JIng An Si). After I did that, the man walked ahead of me.

So where do you go if you want to check out the marketplace? You can go to Xin Qi Pu Lu (1st picture above) and Xing Wang Shopping Centre (no picture, cos I don't want to look too much like a tourist).  Simple rule of thumb is go where the young girls go, you can't go wrong with that.

Fortunate for me (haha!) the things that are sold there are either too small (I was looking for cheap boots, but... haiz... They don't have my size... WHY DON'T THE CHINESE PEOPLE SPARE A THOUGHT FOR US FOREIGNERS?!) , or they are too 'kawaii' (cute in Japanese) for me, as they are imported from Korea. So those of you who do not have the above, do be prepared to bleed if you go to Qi Pu Lu, cos you will really buy alot of things. THe prices are low (just keep quiet when you are browsing and hear how the owner negotiate with locals on prices and manage your expectations on the prices), and it will definitely interest the typical young Singaporean girl (for the rest of us, I think we have been Zara-fied, Mangon-ised, and Uniqlo-nised).

If not, they are selling some winter clothes which I am not sure if I need to buy as yet, since I am still learning how to be ready for the cold. I am pretty sure I will return to buy the coats and jackets cos they are quite nice, if you do not include the aunty-ish over-bling shops that are favoured by the 'buyers' of the other towns. There are also quite a number of shops that sell UGG boots and Dr Martens lookalike boots. I didn't bother to ask cos I am afraid of dissapointment :(

I did however, bought nice gifts to bring back home :D Heh. For those of you ladies who know me personally, you will get one from me when I am back home. :) I also bought 2 pcs of blankets from a roadside stall at RMB20 each. The same thing costs me RMB50 at Carrefour.

Qi Pu Lu is pretty crowded (just like what I always say, it's like Chinese New Year in Singapore). Look at the bridge above, it is packed with people, and its only 1pm! It is a very interesting marketplace, something like a few Bangkok MBK lined together in one area. I am surprised that there are no Caucasians found here, unlke Tao Bao Cheng, I wonder why. Maybe the guidebooks told them to stay away.

Well, at least now I felt kinda proud of myself. I have braved Qi Pu Lu! :)

In Shanghai, you have literally access to food products that are comparable to Singapore.

However for many of us Singaporeans, none can be compared with the 'ang moh jiak' (westernised food products) we can get from conveniently from Singaporean supermarkets. There are just some food that the Chinese cannot replicate.

I am one such person, however, the desire for such products is lesser I guess, since I don't cook much at home. But I have to admit, having such food does bring some comfort.

I have been to two supermarkets that sells 'ang moh jia'. One of them is in the Jing An Si area, called the Jiu Guang Supermarket and the other one, which I went to yesterday, was called City Shop, located at the Shanghai Centre.

Ok, maybe some of these MAY BE found in the Carrefour and the Tesco here, but so far, I haven't seen them. Yet.

The price of the foodstuffs in City Shop are, I would say, comparable to the price back home, of course it would be slightly higher. It is still rare commodity, since only a minor group of the population here consumes them. I was just checking out, so I bought these sauces and canned food. Yes, Ayam brand canned salmon in mayonaise is important. So are beans in ketchup and Heinz ketchup sauce. I am a pretty much a soupy person, and Campbell of course, is my choice.

City Shop is a disappointment though. I can't find my Post Blueberry Morning cereal. Duh. I would probably have better luck in Jiu Guang. Hmm. I think I will probably try Pines Supermarket in my next supermarket post.

This post is about the kind of food mour eat when I am dining on my own. Just some convenient food I eat. First up, my attempt at making good frozen wonton.

1) First wonton soup trial

Yes, too much pepper. Cos I accidentally dropped too much pepper from the pepper packet. And it looks like a bowl of oily Shanghai soup cos I was over-enthusiastic about the sesame oil.

The taste was plain, because I thought Maggi Seasoning Sauce is good enough to replace salt (I didn't want to buy salt, cos I don't think I will use much of it). But the frozen wonton has its own taste (MSG, I reckon) so I was kinda happy that I didn't have salt. (Come to think of it, i should eat the leftover wontons sparingly... MSG = No Good..

2) Latte Drinking at the Government Affairs of Exit-Entry Administration Bureau of Shanghai Public Security 上海市出入境管理局

While waiting for one of my missing documents to be couriered to me at the Bureau, I order a cup of Latte from the Cafe (a cafe that sells no warm food, but packets of dry food like potato chips, Kinder Bueno Chocolates and Oreo Cookies... No Bao包，no bread, no salad :( )

And while waiting, I wondered around and saw this. The latte was server in a mug that has paint that has worned off. I looked around and saw the mugs on the other tables. Theirs look fine. I am sure that the mug is clean and all, but serving from a mug with paint coming off from Henry Hippo and Hilda Hippo... I consoled myself. It could have been worse.

Oh, while waiting for my latte, I noticed the sign on my table.

Just spent RMB3 at the cafe and you can use the table. That is SGD$0.60. Yep. Easy peasy right?

3) Chinese Fast Food 心一代

That is Jian Jiao 煎饺，something like 锅贴 (RNB5). Oh, I like it because it smells of Fried Soon Kueh with sweet sauce when it was sitting on my lap on my way home (and I love Fried Soon Kueh/Bng Kueh with sweet sauce, and my regular is the one at Tiong Bahru Market).

The ones on the right are 小笼包 (RMB10). Instant 小笼包. For a foreigner, I think it's not too bad lah, though this set had some broken ones (the soup leaked out into the box), and some of the skins are not thoroughly cooked. But I told myself, it's fast food, be more forgiving.

4) Waffle Sandwich - Mr Waffle

Smoked Chicken Waffle Sandwich from Mr Waffle. A colleague of mine gave me the coupon to Mr Waffle and since I lived near to one, I decided to get dinner today (see what coupons do to you, Marketers, don't ignore coupons!). It looks nice, and it tastes better! It is really nice.  I also got muffins to bring to office tomorrow (they were on 1-for-1 offer). Will report on how they taste like.

As you can see, I am all for experimenting. But i wouldn't go so near to the really Chinese-Chinese food. I don't know how to appreciate it. Now I understand why the ang mohs in Singapore don't go to hawker centres. It's not a matter of them being atas and all... It's about getting adjusted to the taste, it's a cultural thing.

I am learning new things, it's a good thing.

Whenever this Singaporean colleague and I mentioned anything related to my adjustments in Shanghai, he will always remind me of this.

"So wait till winter lah!" His standard reply when I tell him on several occasions that I have yet to visit this famous 'road'. Well basically, winter is too cold to be strolling on Tai Kang Lu 泰康路. "Or you can go now, it's a good time go to Tai Kang Lu now (when the weather is cool).

I was finally at Tai Kang Lu with some friends dining at Kommune Cafe (http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/shanghai/listings/dining/cafes/has/kommune/), catching up before work starts. Sorry, no pictures of the Cafe cos I don't want to look like a tourist when with my friends (yeah, and let them tease me, no...). But I do have some pictured of what Tai Kang Lu is like...

I walked right into this alley to get to the Kommune Cafe. The taxi driver said, "You must be going to 田子坊 (seeing that i am not local)" I thank him for the tip and promptly got out. That's the thing about cab drivers here (especially the 大众、锦江 ones） They are pretty helpful when they know that you are an Asian foreigner, would be even more helpful if you speak Mandarin, they will be able to know that you are Singapore, in which they have high respect for.

This is the kind of shops you will see on Tai Kang Lu. I didn't have a chance to really walk through the shops as I have to leave for church after our long brunch. Which goes to show when the company is good, you will have a very long brunch.

Yes, definitely a must-go again when I get the time. I will post up more photos then.

One of my main goals for this 8 day holiday is to do shopping. There are many well priced products (translated as CHEAP) in this city and I must get to know them one by one. And so today I did.

I went to Shanghai Science and Technology Museum (the underground shopping at the metro station of the same name, on line 2) on Sunday and bought two fake bags, one Agnes B and one Tods, both seem like they will give way in a couple of months, especially the Tods one. Oh well, the positive side of this is that I can change my bags according to the seasons. Heh...

But they are bit pricey, I paid RMB300 for both. I consider it a price to pay to learn about cheap bargain purchases in Shanghai.

Today, I went to Taobao City 淘宝城 because my colleague recommended it to me. He told me it's the place you see alot of angmohs (Singaporean for 老外，Caucasians) carrying black carrier bags. Indeed it is. In my impression, and after some research, Taobao City is suppose to be the offline version of the famous tabao.com online shopping website. So with hopes that I can get things that I saw on taobao.com.

I proceeded to Nanjing Xi Lu (map and building picture: http://sh.city8.com/key_%E6%B7%98%E5%AE%9D%E5%9F%8E). There is a bus line that brings me directly to this road. You can also take Line 2 and alight at Nanjing Xi Road station and walk about 10 mins to reach there.

The place wasn't what I thought it would be. It's rather run down (the word 宝 has fallen off and no one has replaced the character) and was rather quiet. The centre reminds me of Bangkok's Marbukong Market (MBK is much busier) and some forgotten shopping centres in KL.

Because of my previous experience the day before, I wasn't interested in the bags that were sold there (lesser variety and everyone sells the same thing, almost). The only difference is that there are many shops here that sell Apple iPods. I didn't enquire because I am not very interested in buying them :) I was getting bored after the two floors (i was looking for boots but my big feet found none) and was going to leave, when i saw a lead in on the ground floor.

I stopped at a shop that sold nice looking sweater and I stepped in. I was sucked in there from that moment. After selecting a few nice sweaters, the young girl told me that all my intended purchases will cost RMB1580. As a fairly new shopper in Shanghai, I think its reasonable, but I was not willing to part with this amount of money for a load of sweaters.

The building has shut down its air con and it was getting stuffy. My mind was confused because of the lack of oxygen to the brain (it's true!). I had in mind to get a trenchcoat (i think it is) with a Burberry label on it and some sweaters.

The young girl told me that she had given me a wrong price for that coat and she is not willing to part with it. After some negotiation, I settled for that coat, 2 sweaters, a pair of suede gloves and a long knit top for RMB1100. I thought it's a good price, considering the Burberry lookalike has good workmanship on it (double lining!) and cost RMB460 originally (I went to Taobao.com to do a quick search later on and found that the coats of this nature cost about the same price online).

One thing I have learnt about shopping is that, you have to be firm in negotiating prices. Yours truly has always been the nice person and I seldom haggle with prices, sometimes, I think it is not necessary. The young girl who sold me my bargains today is a good businesswoman. I don't think any young girl her age in Singapore will be able to push a sale like that. They are good with words and will make you feel welcome. She even made me (okay 'made' is a little mean, 'asked' would be a better word) buy her and her colleague a drink when we left the building. Me being me, think its okay lah. Anyway, two cups of milk tea cost $10, won't kill me.

After the purchase, I felt rather troubled as I thought I could've got the tops at a much better price (H&M has similar designs at similar price). But after a few hours, the feeling went away. That's retail therapy for you. I even had a thought on the way home. I think women should be paid more because we help keep the world economy going with our shopping. Can I hear an Amen to that? :)

With this, I conclude my shopping post. I am sure I will be able to find new shopping haunts in the future. You will be the first to read about it here :)

Toodles!

For those of you who are working really hard in Singapore, I apologise if the header sounds insulting. But it's the truth, we are currently enjoying 8 days of Chinese holiday now, with China's National Day starting out on the 1st of October, and the Mid Autumn Festival happening today. Some of the things that i have done since...

Day 1:

Finally sometime to have a decent breakfast.

It didn't went very well because my egg didn't manage to become half boiled like the Singaporean Kopi-tiam version (This is the umpteen times that I have tried, and it still turned out raw :( ) So in a bid to not waste the egg, I did a double-boil of the egg...

That is the remnant after my consumption. Yeah, I reckon it's because I have putted the eggs in a bowl and not in a mug like what they do back home. Nevermind, I shall improve it next time. I am a lil' reluctant to buy light soya sauce since i do not cook much, so I used butter as a replacement for taste.

After breakfast, I went out to do some banking. And since it was still early, I decided to walk back home. Walking home in the weather now is such an wonderful experience. It was quite a walk, but because of the fine weather, I didn't feel tired. The same distance would make me feel tired if it is in Singapore.

So anyway, I walked passed a little store selling watches. I think it is at Jiaozhou Road 胶州路. And since my own watch is down and I prefer to bring back home to replace the battery, I decided to take a look.

Apparently, they are selling watches that are made by a Shanghai watch factory that has stopped operated. The name of the watch is called Baoshihua 宝石花, and I learnt later from the internet that it is an original Chinese watch brand. Some of the designs were pretty antique and the prices are reasonable. Yep, I bought something from that little stall...

The one on the left cost RMB70 and the one on the right cost RMB50. I love them because they are the typical ladies watch, very Gu Niang 姑娘 looking, very dainty. And best of all, the second hand  runs around the clock face, and not jerk like the analogue watches nowadays do. I totally LOVE that! It's so antiquish! :)

After that, on the way home, I passed by the shopping centre where I get my toiletries and stuffs, and went soft on a yellow cardigan with star prints from Vero Moda (It was on a RMB120 off for RMB300 purchase promotion!). On the way back, I have to pull myself to be away from H&M, which is on sale as well. But I think someday I will fall for it as well (but wait, the Jimmy Choo collection is entering in November.. hmmm), since it is so near home...

It was a wonderful day, and later part of that, I went to a friend's house for a simple dinner with her friends, watched the National Day parade over TV and then went for a drink at Paulana Brahaus at Xintiandi. Got to meet some new interesting people and had a good time chatting with them.

It was a fruitful day. I will write more tomorrow about my holidays again. Seeya!

... and after playing with it, it bit me :S

I hope it's a way of showing that it wants to be intimate with me, though I am still worried about the bite... Please pray that it will not be infectious...

It's a beautiful cat, but this is the 2nd time that it has tried to bit me... Hmm... I don't know if I should be close to it again...

Hmmph.

1) I have accidentally washed my contact lens into the sink.

I was wearing them in the morning, you know, right first, then left. Because of my small eyes, and my aspiring nails (learning to keep them long, but I am not sure how long can I hold on to it. They are especially irritating when I do typing on the keyboard), I have been having a hard time putting them in of late. Sometimes because of misplacement, the contact lens ends up on the corner of the eye, which to me its fine, cos I know I can push it in place. That was the case when I did the same ritual yesterday.

So I thought i had the left eye on. And guess what, when I step out of my tiny toilet, I realised my vision is still blurred. So I did a eye test, cover right, cover left. I can't seem to see clearly even from the corner of my eye. Great, I didn't put the left lens in. I went back to the toilet and try all sorts of ways to look for the lens, as it is quite likely that it dropped from my face and onto somewhere. It can't be found. Then I realised that before I stepped out of the toilet, I had washed my lens case.

Great. I thought there is a glimpse of hope and tried to shine a torchlight into the hole in the sink (it's rotatable; open and close). Nope, can't be found. And then I concluded that I have washed away my contact lens.

Fortunately for me, there is a Paris Miki outlet near my place, and I went to have the prescription done today. I have to wait for 20 days for it to be made. Good news is, the astyic (sp?) on the left eye has reduced by 25 (pt/marks/dots?!?) and the right eye has a lower power. Yippy! :) When I get my lense, I will go make a cheap pair of frames from the Shanghai Railway Station and have the lens done at Paris MIki. Yep, it is in the pipeline.

Hold on a sec, i will now go get the nail clipper...

.... . . . ...

Ahhh... nice short nails. I like... :)

2) Good tidings from Singapore! :)

A good friend's hubby is in Shanghai, and I have requested them to help me bring back a bag of clothes from home (I miss some of my clothes and of course, some kia-su shopping I had done for autumn-winter wear). So I went to meet him at the Hongqiao State Guest Hotel this morning to collect the stuffs.

No photos here, but the Guest House is super atas lor! Very grand neh, a basic suite is USD$200 wor... You can check out more (though the website does no justice to the place) at www.hqstateguesthotel.com

And my lovely bag of things...

I saw it when my sister showed it to me on the webcam sometime back, but seeing it for real is most delightful! :) And you do see a familiar brand there, Sheng Shiong Supermarket carrier...

Yep, inside contains Nescafe Coffee and Laksa Mix (which I realised can be purchased has well, but at about 20% pricier) that dear friend has purchased for me.  Nice! It was a delightful feeling to be able to open up these bags and take out the contents inside. I smell home! :)

3) Did some cleaning up of the house today

... and I decided I shall replace my new profile picture to this:

It pretty much says about my life here, i feel. I have not engage an Ayi to clean up my place yet, cos I think I can still manage my place on my own, though it does get extremely dusty at times. Was tempted to show you a picture of the contents i gathered from sweeping the floor, but decided that it is not suitable for public viewing, hahaha...

Anyways, I think I can still manage all these stuffs on my own. Come October holidays, I will take the curtains to the laundromat and do more serious cleaning around the house. I do recognised that with the kind of long hours that I have been putting in, it is difficult to be regular with my cleaning.

We'll see how lah...

4) Went for full body massage today

And came back aching with pain. But super shiok!

I had a male masseuse (nope, I didn't realise that until we were about to start, but its ok, I was alert at all times to make sure I wasn't take advantage of) did my back for one whole hour. I tell you, it is most shiok because he really pressed hard on the muscles! I have never had such painful body massage before, but it felt great. The stressed up musciels on the shoulder and the waist feels painful even now, but I know, it is for the greater good... Definitely will go there again.

Yes, I went to Kang Jun again. If you don't have the reference, here is the post about my first experience there. If you are coming, I will definitely bring you there! :)

Alrighty, that's all for now. Till next time...

Since the day I arrived in Shanghai, I registered myself with the overseas singaporean portal (http://www.overseassingaporean.sg) to stay connected with other Singaporeans in Shanghai. The group organised a gathering yesterday at one of a Singaporean-themed restaurant at Kerry Centre.

It was nice to see and talk with your own people. Though it's the first time I meet them, it was not difficult to mingle around, though technically speaking, I didn't mingled, I sat at one table for the whole time, haha...

We talked about the new Miss Singapore Universe and her preference for Rat colour and her Hell Sign diploma, among staying in Shanghai, about The Bund... We even 'bao' our own 'popiah'... Nice right? :)

There was lucky draw and someone shared an announcement of her role with the expat wives in Shanghai organising a charity carnival. Overall, it's a very active community and some regulars actually know each other...

It was a good thing that I went, it was fun. I think I will join them again for the next gathering. It's good for networking as well...

Again, I have to say, that's all for now. Till next time....

I stayed at Largos Hotel, a very boutique hotel located at the heart of Kowloon. Very convenient location near the Jordan MTR station. Because I was alone, and I wasn't entirely holidaying (there was working time), I thought this simple hotel which I booked from asiarooms.com was rather... practical. You decide if you wish to stay there if you do go to Hong Kong.

It costs HKD$440 per night and internet connection is HKD$120 for 24 hours. Which is not that bad actually. Like I said, it's practical, and me being a no-fuss woman, has no complaints. Do bear in mind though, there are no instant coffee, no cable (HK and Chinese tv programmes only), no proper meals (the in-house restaurant closes at 3pm) - but i guess it doesn't matter cos you would probably end up eating out anyway. As for the rest, you can look at the pictures below and decide if you want to stay there...

Hotel Entrance:

Hotel Room for 2 (Standard Suite):

Yes, that is yours truly.. :)

Hong Kong felt like home. I guess it's the way the people does thing, the way they talk, the kind of internet freedom I can enjoy, the way people behave... And of course, the food :) I have decided that if I ever were to need to take a break, I will go to Hong Kong again.

Ok, that's all the updates I have here for Hong Kong. Next post, something about Singaporeans...

(This post was written during my stay in Hong Kong. )

This Chinese work visa process application seemed endless. Even after the previously mentioned visa application, my visa journey did not end there. The reason why I need to leave Shanghai for Hong Kong is because my temporary residence permit is up (yeah, 1 month passes so fast!). So in order for me to stay in Shanghai, I have to exit China, and return with a new permit application, the Z visa application (http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/zgqz/t84245.htm), which is the employment/work visa for a period of 3 months, so that i can return to Shanghai to realise the 1-year permit (which my office admin lady has helped me to applied. More updates about that later). The following describes my 'passage' to obtain this visa.

To travel to Hong Kong from Shanghai, the popular mode of transport is Hong Kong Express, that shuttles you to Hong Kong in 2 hours. My company has paid for the air ticket, so pai seh, i wouldn't be able to let you know the price of the air ticket. But you can check out the prices at http://www.hongkongexpress.com

For accomodation, I settled with Largos Hotel, booked via http://www.Asiarooms.com. I chose it because of the rate, as well as its location and convenience, which is at Jordan Road and near Jordan MTR station. And of course, because it is near Women's Street, for my shopping purpose :)

Ok, on to the visa application... Upon arrival at the Hong Kong International Airport, I went to unit A04 at Block A after some asking around. The two guys manning the booth were friendly and helpful with my application.

Not much problem there as long as you have the right documents. Do note that if you collect the visa in 3 days, it cost HKD$800. As I was prepared to pay express fees to have the visa done, I have only applied for 2 days away from work (yeah, I am very eager to get back to work, haha!), so I have to pay HKD$1200. The application process was pretty painless with the two guys, so I soon made my way to go to my hotel.

As I was used to the friendly cab prices at Shanghai, I wasn't expecting to pay alot for the cab fare. I was so wrong. When I reach the hotel, the meter came up to HKD$473.50!! :( Yeah. So a word of advice, do your research before you decide to take the cab. The airport has friendly airport shuttle services and trains that will deliver you to your hotel. So do lookout for the City Flyer (https://www.nwstbus.com.hk/home/nwstbus.aspx?intLangID=2) brochure at the airport so that you can save yourself ALOT of money.

The bus stop where I board my CityFlyer Bus to the airport. It cost me HKD$33 compared to the exhorbitant taxi fare I paid...

Having been used to be alone for the past one month or so, I had no problem getting around. I had to adjust my money sense though, haha, cos being so used to the cost of living in Shanghai, Hong Kong is a different thing. But all in all, the cost of things are almost the same as Shanghai, only the cab cost MUCH more... :)

I can't really recall the rest of my experience in HK cos it's been a week and many things have kinda blurred my memory... Yeah, sorry to say, but i tend to have shorter memory nowadays... So here are some pics to whet your appetite...

Lunch at Char Chan Ting (Hong Kong style Cafe)

Yoshinoya localised - hot Ling Maart (Honey lemon)

Quarter Pounder in HK (they don't have it in Singapore nowadays). I went to McDonalds to have Big Breakfast... We don't have it here in Shanghai...

And finally, I am sad to announce that the location where Krispy Kreme used to be at the Hong Kong airport is now replaced by StarBucks Coffee..

The trip to HK was marred by the typhoon that struck on my 2nd day there. It's like what happened to me and my friend and our moms when we were in HK last year as well.  So no, i didn't do any serious shopping, except for 3 pairs of similar shoes I get for HKD$290 from Lady's Street (it's a challenge to find shoes my size in Shanghai).

Oh, and of course, the flight was delayed in HK by and hour due to the winds that was blowing and I arrived in Shanghai a little over midnight. The minute I stepped out of the arrival hall lift, a man came to me and asked me if i need a ride. Assuming that he is a taxi driver, I followed him. And when I saw that it's a private car, I was a little... stunned. But I took it anyway. Yep, i did. Haha... Cos there were not alot of cabs.

It was only when I was on that car that I realised how trusting I was. LOL. What if I were being sent to a place and beaten to death or worse, I wondered as the car zoomed passed the highway. The drier had a lady companion with him, so I thought, I guess I should trust them, and I was also praying very hard that I am not in a baddies car.

I am glad to say that I arrived safely to home, thank God. The trip cost me $200, and after that when I told my colleagues, they told me it shouldn't be that expensive. Oh well. So much for experience. And seriously, I was really bold enough to get on a car in that kind of situation.

Don't go tell my mother. She will kill me if she find out what I did. Hahaha...

Well folks, so much for the HK trip. My life will be very busy in the next few weeks, so I might not be doing as much blog posts. But I will drop snippets whenever I can. The next 'comprehensive' blog post will probably be posted during the 8 days Chinese National Day holiday (Woohoo!). I will document what I do, I try (which most probably will be dvd watching and massaging and shopping! LOL).

Till then! :)

This is a part of the work permit procedure where I need to get out of the country when my Chinese residential permit expires, go apply for a Z-pass in a foreign country, and then return to China.

I am so looking forward to internet freedom and more civilisation! :D Hopefully I am able to get shoes for my size 9 feet.

Yes, you will see write-ups on it and pictures when I am there! 'Later!

I have been trying to send money over to Singapore and have met with much challenges.

Yes, challenges because in China, you can only remit up to USD$500 if you are an overseas passport holder, while the locals can remit up to USD$50,000. That is a very tight rein on money earned by foreigners here.

So when I got to know that I am unable to remit as much money as I need, i decided to open turn on the internet bank service with ICBC (Industrial and Commercial Bank of China), cos the page on the website says I can do remittance online. Because of the size of the country and notable banking crimes in China, I was given a USB key to proceed with the online transaction, which I didn't use eventually, because... yes, the service is only reserved for Chinese. Oh well.

I finally tried to remit the money across using Western Union. The money was converted into USD (mandatory procedure in China when bringing/sending money out)P at the agent and then banked into the Singapore Western Union branch. I addressed the receipient to my brother, and he was able to collect the money from the Singaapore branch (any). If you would like to take this route, do note:

1) Money is remitted within 15 mins.

2) Ensure that you provide the EXACT name of the recipient, otherwise, it will be bounced back. THe receipient should also have an identification document to prove his identity.

3) If you wish to convert RMB to USD that is over USD$500, you must provide your employment  contract for verification. Don't ask me why. Otherwise, you can bring USD directly to the Western Union agent and they can deposit for you.

4) There are charges to the Western Union service is about 15%, which is relatively compared to remitting it through the banks, which will cost a few hundred dollars for each USD$500. (Speaking of which, in order to remit one lump sum, you can only put in USD$500 at a time and there are charges EACH TIME you put in the money. Not very worth it.)

So there you go. I am sure there are other more intelligent ways to send money home. But for now, this is, to me, the most hassle free method. I will post up any updates pertaining to this matter.

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IKEA membership here in Shanghai is FREE :) Yay! We only need to fill up a form, provide an identification paper, and voila, I was given a card! :) Unlike Singapore, you need to spend SGD$300 to qualify for a card (well, China has the numbers, Singapore doesn't, I reckon that's why).

There are nice privileges that comes with this card. Like a set of loungewear I bought at RMB49 (UP RMB199) :D oh, and of course, the free coffee. I didn't redeem that cos there were too many people at IKEA when I went there last Saturday.

But IKEA, like McDonalds and Burger King, really made me feel like home, cos the food taste pretty similar to those restaurants back home, ie, they stay true to their international standard taste (is that the right way to put it? Haha. ). I have tried KFC the same day I applied the IKEA card by the way  *Shakes head* Ur-uh. Not the same, KFC, no good.

Okay, report over :)

I had my first drinking session with the folks of my division last night.

I have been pre-warned in my previous trips to Shanghai, and was part of it on one occasion. I was witnessing it all as a guest with my other colleagues, hence we were spared. But this time, I was there as part of the team, and the tradition kicked in.

It was an innocent round of Qingdao beer for everyone initially, and it was a very normal thing for someone to toast to anyone who is new to the team. There were 4 of us then, so each of us were given a toast. Then, people start to find reasons to toast to one another, and the drinking began.

My superior got the most, since he is pretty beloved in the team, and one of the guys kept asking him to drink. All this was ok, until my boss decided to let us try the 白酒, white wine. I don't know exactly what it is, but it was served in small glasses, like shots. I wasn't spared of being asked to take a shot of it, as with the new colleagues.

I have always had the habit of visiiting the toilet soon after drinking any kind of beverages, and I had to excuse myself in one of the session. When i return, I took a sip of my beer and realised that it had the white wine added to it. I don't know how much they had put in there, but it taste ... ewww. And it is said that when beer is mixed with the white wine, it is volatile, and the effect will comes on slowly.

I think I managed well with the amount of alchohol dunked so far. I have problem with beer because alot of time, it fills up the stomach and I can't take it in further. Thankfully, the amount was manageable... in the restaurant.

When I reached home, I was pretty floaty and had to empty the remnants into the toilet bowl. Yeah, that's right, I threw up. The potent mix was really something and if you have a chance to try it, or are invited to try it in Shanghai, be ready.

Actually our session was a rather mild one compared to the regular drinking sessions in China. I am just thankful that I didn't make a fool of myself in the restaurant. Haha :) The hangover though, was pretty bad. And I had to run some errands and I went around with a pretty groggy head. The effect is really... something.

Well, I am sure this will not be the last of it. If there are more interesting future sessions, I will be sure to update!

Sunday is now a regular church day for me. Being a Christian, it is wonderful to be able to find like-minded believers in Shanghai and knowing that there are people from my side of the world living in this side of it.

So, the same bunch of people that I met with are also my cell group mates. Hanging out with them so far has been fun, since they know that i am still new in town, they tend to show me around places. It just so happen that on Sunday, I met with someone new to the group who brought me to a wine tasting session at an unexpected place called the Hongmei Lu. This is their official website www.cavalier-village.com.cn.

It has a very nice mediterranean feel, and according to its owner Mr Zhang, who is an art director for movie sets, he designed it all on its own. It's rather quaint and nice, providing a cosy venue for lodging and events.

During the session, I also met new people, local and foreign. I was speaking Mandarin, English and Cantonese all in one session and listening to people speaking in French with one another... I guess this is the essence of soaking in the community life of a foreigner in Shanghai...

Overall, I think it is not difficult to make friends with people in Shanghai. Especially amongst Singaporeans and Malaysians. But the other nationalities are just as receptive, because I guess, the common language is English. But some expats do like to hang out with their own kind, as with any country. I guess I don't have my preferred list when it comes to making friends, it's not a bother when I see that happens.

After the wine tasting, I decided to do my manicure and pedicure, as they are looking pretty unsightly. No luck finding them at the Jingan Si area that my friend recommended. As it was still early, I decided to try my luck at the shopping centre near my place.

As I was walking towards my bus stop, texting my friend that I can't find the place, I hear the sound of velcro unlocking. So i turned around and hear nothing. The sound then came back again. This time, I realised that it was my bag that made that noise. And this is because the flap on my TRUNK bag is made of velcro. From the corner of my eye, i saw someone walking rather close to me. He was trying to pickpocket!

So instinctively, I turned my bag to the front (it was sling on the side) and look back. The man made a quick U-turn and walk off. 100 points for me and 0 points to him!

Well, this lesson has given me a good lesson and you should learn it too. Shanghai is overall a pretty safe place, but petty crimes such as these are not uncommon. So do be on your alert if you are moving around on your own. You will find these strange things you don't see in Singapore, such as people coming to you, telling you that they are new in town and need money to eat, or trying to sell you cheap copycat perfumes on the street, especially when you are standing at the traffic light or waiting for a bus.

If you are not confident of your Mandarin, do not speak, because once you start, they know you are not local, they will stick to you and follow you. So refrain from speaking, either you ignore them (yeah, it's not a Singaporean nature to do this, but I had to do it), or motion a "I don't want" sign with your hand and walk away from them as soon as possible.

All in all, Shanghai is still a safe place to stay and work. Being alert helps, and not looking blur and lost help as well. Be streetwise, don't be gullible (and I do mean it) when people on the street try to sell you a story, and you should be fine.

That's all for now from the adventures of Chionggirl. See you later!

So, I had this massage, and then realised that I am running short on cash before my paycheck. I had some Singapore dollars with me, and thought it would be good that I could change them for some RMB.

So after the massage, i researched through the night for money changing service so that I can do it today (Saturday). Yeah, so much for a sleepy massage, haha! :)

So while doing my research, I came across these articles:

http://shanghai.asiaxpat.com/forums/living-in-shanghai/threads/85665/money-changer/
http://www.shanghaiguide.com/faq/index.php?page=index_v2&id=61&c=2
http://www.shanghaiguide.com/faq/index.php?page=index_v2&id=61&c=2

The last one is absolutely a very enticing suggestion. I am without my passport currently, as it is being sent for work permit application, so I need to get money with little hassle. I decided to try my luck.

I will try the legal means first, of course. I woke up today to to go to Huaihai Lu Bank of China (BOC) branch to see if I could change the currency without my passport. The security guard told me, no way, not possible. I was disappointed, so I went to my next bank to try again. Took the subway to People's Square 人民广场 station and went to look for the Bank of China branch there (at Park Hotel).

I can't find the BOC bank Chinese Merchant Bank nor Park Hotel, but I spotted a Chinese Merchant Bank with an money exchange sign. Ah! Finally some help, I thought. Yeah, i thought.

Went in to enquire with the information counter, and again, no passport, no money exchange, and even worse, they don't take Singapore dollars (and you think they like us so much...). I was about to leave when a very interesting thing happened.

A Chinese man in his 40s came to me and ask if I would like to change money, and that he can do the changing for me. Well, of course I am prepared for these situations after reading the articles, so I was interested to find out more. Yes, as they wrote, this actually can happen within the premises of the bank!

He said he will give me RMB for my SGD in accordance to the current rate. He brought me to the bank's machine that shows the current Forex rate and showed me the current bank buying rate, and motioned me to the ATM within the bank. Before I know it, he was putting in his atm card and cashing in the amount for my SGD! Well, he seems to trust me alot, I must say... You would think we are the ones who would have trust issues, but what do you know? They are more eager to do us a service than for us to trust our cash with them...

So, the transaction was completed. I had a thought and wondered if the cash are fake or real, but I guess I could trust money that comes out of an ATM machine right? And so far, I haven't had any issues using the notes I have, which really hasn't been much. But I am pretty sure that I will not have much or any problems at all using the remaining notes.

I am glad that I decided to go ahead with my decision to check the legal means first before I do the illegal ones. But it wasn't that bad, and the money changer was not trying to make me part more money for less. Would you dare try it?

If you are keen to have some safety precautions in case you are in a similiar situatio like myself (no cash, no passport) and is interested to do the above process, take note of the following:

1) Even though at the station, it says it will bring you to the BOC branch at Park Hotel 国际饭店, Exit 8 actually takes you to the abovementioned bank. The bank is just diagonally opposite this exit， below the  sign of the Pacific Hote 金门大酒店. The currency exchange sign is very prominently displayed outside the bank. Unless you want to go to the BOC branch at Park Hotel, which you shall come out from exit 9, do take this exit.

2) The money changers carry a slingback bag with them. They will not walk too close to you to give you a nasty shock, but will approach you and ask you politely if you would like to change your cash with them. Do note that they speak in Mandarin. And I guess speaking in Mandarin puts me at a friendlier position.

3) Getting them to withdraw the money from the atm is the safest way to ensure that you do not get fake notes. Do insist that you want the same rate that the bank offers, I did not do so cos I guess the rate I got based on the machine is trustworthy and I need not pay any admin fee.

4) If you really feel safer doing the currency exchange through the legal means, please note that BOC assures you of changing SGD to RMB, the other banks do not offer that. These banks are opened till  5pm everyday.

5) Remember to bring your passport. Only oiginal passports are allowed, no photocopies.

6) If you don't mind paying administration fee, there are visa/mastercard atms machinese littered all over town, so you will have no problems withdrawing cash from your credit card.

7) Don't ask me about travellers cheques; I don't think Singaporeans carry that with us when we go overseas.

Now you will be more equipped to do your shopping in Shanghai! :)

Massages is a one of the many things that Singaporeans enjoy doing in Shanghai. i went to one yesterday and totally enjoyed it.

The name of the shop is Congen Massage Healthcare Club 康骏会馆推拿足道. It is located at No. 436 Dagu Road 436号大沽路 （Tel: 021-6340 1161) Website www.shkangjun.cn

The centre offers services such as Full Body Massage, Foot Massage, Thai Massage and other wellness services. It is popular with my colleagues and they often go there for massages. Since I am with two of them, i decided that I should really try it.

We took the Foot Massage, and I simply love it! The masseuse are experienced and they allow you to enjoy the massage without talking you into buying the packages (unlike the salons, spas, massage places in Singapore), so it was a totally relaxing experience. I actually fell asleep during the massage, so you can imagine how enjoyable the experience it was. Ok, I can still remember the pre-massage foot soaking, the shoulder and back massage, and POMP! I was in dreamland... :D Definitely a must-go again. (Regular Foot Massage cost RMB80, while Foot Massage with Aroma Oils cost RMB110.)

I would also like to mention that before the massage, we had dinner at a pizza place at the quieter, not as touristy side of Xintiandi (I only recall it is opposit a box office of UME Cinema, I think), and try 3 glasses of wine between us for 98RMB at Just Grapes, a few doors away from Congen. There are also DVD shops littered around the area, so you can get your DVD fix too.

Dagu Road will become one of my haunting places because it's a fabulous place to chill out without too many people. It's a refreshing change to the very congested human traffic in the city. I like! :)

Next, money changing in Shanghai...

Any foreigner (or alien, as we are normally known as in in China) are required to go through a medical checkup procedure if he/she wishes to stay in China for an extended period (visitor's permit, work permit, etc).

Our admin girl kindly arranged for me and another intern to do our health checkup today. Our appointment was for 1pm one.

First up, the address of the centre. Apparently this is the only one that foreigners go to in Shanghai, and it is located in a very obscure part of Shanghai, near the Shanghai Zoo. The address is

Sorry to have such a boring title. But it works, right? You responded to it :)

I am nearing to my full month of stay in Shanghai. Time really fiew/flies isn't it? As you know, when it hits the end of the month, it is the day many are happy about: Payday.

Banks in China can be spotted in most places, but there are MANY different banks, and sometimes, they sound really familiar. I had to create an account myself, and I decided to do it yesterday.

The first mistake I made was to not pay attention to the name of the bank that my HR/Accounts department told me. I had assumed that it was the ICBC bank that is right in front of my bus stop. Turns out it is the China Construction Bank, NEXT DOOR. Fortunately, creating an account with a bank card at any bank in China cost RMB15, and there is no minimum deposit required. ICBC is also a more popular bank with many atms littered all around town. So well, I guess I could keep this account. Good for me to manage my $$ too.

So since I have got the wrong bank, I went to the right one this morning to create my account. Apparently, you either open a passbook only account or a bankcard only account with this bank. Do check with your bank before you ended up like me, as I always do, I opened both accounts, just in case. But the guy over at the counter was kind enough to tell me that I can return to cancel off the passbook account if I do not have a need for it, as they will charge a RMB3 for 3 months of zero deposit in the passbook account. He could proabably tell that I will need a bank card so that i need not queue like the aunties and uncles with a passbook.

Items to bring with you when you open an account in China:

1) Passport

2) Get ready your contact details, your address.

3) They will require you to key in a 6-digit passwod for either passbook or bank card, so do get your numbers handy.

Overall, the service at the banks are fantastic, just like bank services should. The registration was fast and there are no major boo-boos that I encountered.

Next entry, getting my medical health check-up done...

Since I have been working very hard for the past one week, I have decided to be a tourist for a day.

Well, partly, or a big part of why this happened was because I have to go to Pudong to do extend my visitor's visa. And since I have to go to Pudong, I decided to stopover to Lujiazui to see the Jin Mao Tower.

I do have to comment on the customer servoce of the Shanghai Immigration department. I took my queue number and went to the counter to be serviced. The 'policewoman' was nowhere to be seen at the counter, so I waited. For like 15 mins or so. When she finally came out of the office, I told her my request to extend my visa and showed her my documents. She took a look at them and told me ' go there to take a form and fill it up, then go to there to make a copy of this (temporary residence permit)'. I am appalled. Why don't have the form at the counter, and why can't she do the photocopy at her office?! Well, anyway, being the good 'alien', as they refer people like us, I did as was told. Before I did that, I asked her if there are anything that needs to be done, she said no.

So I did what was told and went back to her. She then said, where is your photograph? I know I need a photograph, but thought I should try my luck to see if I can get away with it. Well, I can't. But why can't she just tell me to do both at one go? So now I have to go down to the ground floor ot have my picture taken. Hmmph.

When I return, she was no longer there, and I was served by a male colleague of hers. After he showed me the printed records of my recommendation, there was no mention on where I should collect the visa. I mean, c'mon lor... What is so difficult to just point to the receipt and show me the details and tell me when is the date of collection? Hmmmph.

I rest my case. At least something was done. Now on to my tourist venture.

Because of the massive construction in and around Shanghai, getting to Jin Mao Plaza and The Bund took a lot of walking. So be warned that you should wear something comfortable for walking.

Jin Mao Plaza is magnificent in its outlook, and the speed to that took tourist up to the 88th floor is pretty amazing. 9 seconds and we are at the 88th floor. By the way, the entrance fee is RMB88 to visit the viewing gallery.

I took some pictures from the glass viewing panel. It is truly amazing to see the 360 degree view of Shanghai. But it has been cloudy, so didn't manage to see much. It wasn't as fantastic as I imagined it to be though. I would give it a 7 out of 10.

I decided to go home because I have accidentally dropped my purse (or so I thought) after alighting from a cab at the metro station. It is yet to established if I have dropped it or it was pickpocketed. I have distinctlvely remember paying special attention to my purse because I realised I did not bring enough money for my adventure when I wanted to pay the cab driver. After alighting for the cab, I remember putting it back into my bag. When I was going to pull it out to buy the transport card, I realised the purse has gone missing :( Had to withdraw some cash with my credit card to do that.

For a moment, I felt helpless cos I do not have money with me and there are no money changer in sight (I still have some SGD with me). Fortunately, there are many atm machines around, and my credit card managed to save the day. And double fortunately, is that there isn't alot of money in the purse, and my important documents were not in there. Oh well, we learn...

After taking some rest at home, The Bund was the next place that i decided to go. Thought I should have a proper visit of the place since I am in Shanghai. It was easy to go there via bus and train from where I am putting up.

However, there are constructions in that area, and the area is very dusty. Do be prepared for noisy traffic and people trying to get you to buy ferry tickets. The Shanghai Time Tunnel (direct translation) sound interested to me and I paid RMB50 for a return trip to check it out. It was nothing spectacular and I was sorely disappointed.

Nonethless, it was a fantastic and eventful day for me because I have explored all 3 public transport options of Shanghai. I am more confident moving around in them and I am most sure i will discover more things in the days to come.

Will write more and post some pictures of the area I have been maybe in the next post. Now I need to sleep, eyes are drawing curtains... :)