Author: Jeff

The Beijing Life

Jeff, ,

It’s been a busy couple of days. On Saturday, Fan Wei, Meng Meng, his wife, and I had dinner at a restaurant (Wang Shun Ge) famous for its fish head (I’m pretty sure the English translation is just “Fish Head Restaurant”). Although I have never been a big fan of eating fish head, the one we had on Saturday was delicious. I never thought one fish head could be so filling, but I was proved wrong: some of the bigger fish heads weigh five of six kilograms! If you’re ever in Beijing, I highly encourage you to give this restaurant a visit. The next day, Fan Wei had to teach a class in the southern part of Beijing, so I made the long trek to meet her and her husband Feng for lunch. We then drove to Pan Jia Yuan and visited Beijing’s famous “Glasses City,” where I managed to purchase a pair of glasses for 150 RMB! The most ridiculous part was that I got them in about a half an hour. In the U.S., the same thing would probably cost at least $150 and take at least a week or two to manufacture and deliver. Of course, the quality in China isn’t as great, but for the price and convenience, I think it is completely worth it. Plus, I primarily wear contacts, so it’s even less of a problem for me.  After feeling very good about the bargain price that we got for the pair of glasses, the three of us went and saw How to Train Your Dragon in 3D. I have to admit, was a little hesitant at first, but I was presently surprised by the movie and the 3D effects. It was the first full-length 3D movie I’ve ever seen (yeah I know, I’m a loser for not seeing Avatar), and the whole experience was amazing. And while the movie itself is geared towards a younger audience, I saw plenty of adults in the audience who were having a great time (myself included). I feel like with recent films like Avatar, Alice in Wonderland, and now How to Train Your Dragon, 3D movies are making a bigger impact at the box office, which only means that there will be more and more 3D movies in the future. While not all films will be appropriate in 3D, I think that those of the action and animated genres will benefit greatly from the growing prominence of 3D technology. If implemented correctly, the 3D effect will definitely be a great draw for audiences of all ages.

Earlier today (Monday), I traveled to my grandparents’ house in Mai Zi Dian, where I’ll be staying for the rest of my time in China. It feels good to have visited all of my closest relatives after nearly a year of absence. All in all, it’s a good change of pace, and it’s a trip that I’d like to keep making every year for as long as possible. I spent a good portion of my childhood here, so I always feel like I’m coming back to a second home rather than just visiting.

Of course, no trip to China would be complete without my getting demolished by mosquitoes, and as if to prove a point, one mosquito gave me no less than 20 bites last night (my very last night at my uncle’s)! FML.

Bumming Around

Jeff, ,

With not much to do here, I finished Heroes through Season Five, and have been reading about options and futures in the meantime. Tomorrow, I’m going with my cousin Fan Wei to get a new pair of glasses and a little shopping at Xiu Shui Jie and maybe a movie afterward.

Worst Flying Experience of my Life

Jeff, , ,

What was supposed to be a fairly routine two-hour trip from Shanghai to Beijing turned out to be an 8-hour nightmare. First, the flight got delayed by one hour from noon to 1 PM. Then, the flight was delayed again after everyone had boarded the plane. Apparently, for various weather and security reasons, Beijing International Airport was not allowing any new flights to land. Another hour later, and we were finally in the air. However, when we were about 30 minutes away from Beijing, we received word that due to inclement weather, we would not be allowed to land in Beijing, and were landing in the nearby city of Shi Jia Zhuang instead. This threw many of the passengers into a panicked frenzy, and things only got worse after we landed in Shi Jia Zhuang and discovered that the situation in Beijing was still “unclear.” No one seemed to know how long it would be until we would be in the air again, and the flight attendants were scrambling to satisfy passengers’ needs for food and water. Finally, after what seemed like hours, we received the clearance to depart and landed in Beijing about 45 minutes later…and approximately 6 hours behind schedule. Needless to say, this was the single worst travel experience that I have ever had, but on the bright side, I guess I have a good story to tell in the future. (However, I am seriously considering taking the train next time. I hear the new high-speed train makes the trip in about 5 hours.)

Shanghai, take two.

Jeff,

Woah, I can’t believe it’s almost been a week since I arrived in Shanghai. I’ve been hanging out with Ben Wang for the past couple of days. On Friday, we visited his friend at Shanghai International Studies University. It was about 45 minutes out of the city (aka the middle of nowhere), but the campus was pretty amazing. Probably around 5 times the size of Penn, with only 5000 students. (Btw, tuition is only 10,000 RMB a semester.) I think it brings up an interesting issue though. Chinese people are always concerned about “saving face,” so they build magnificent buildings and facilities that drive them into debt, and the facilities end up not being used to their fullest potential. When we visited in the afternoon, the campus was nearly deserted. Although this was partially because many city kids had already gone home for the weekend, Ben’s friend mentioned that even on a normal day, most of the buildings are never fully occupied, with many classrooms permanently left empty. It’s a shame that such resources end up going to waste, and it only makes sense that schools such as this one begin to increase their class size and use their campus more efficiently.

On Saturday, we visited several major shopping districts in Shanghai, including Xu Jia Hui, Nan Jing Xi Lu, and Xin Tian Di. I’m always impressed by the size of China’s shopping malls, and even more surprised at the number of people who actually shop at these places. Places like Nan Jing Xi Lu and Xin Tian Di are considered high-end shopping districts, and yet, there are still a noticable number of Chinese people who are making purchases at stores like Loius Vuitton and Tiffany & Co–stuff that even the average American would find expensive. I feel like urban China is becoming increasingly capitalist and materialist. Thanks to the booming real estate market, more and more people are becoming millionaires overnight, and are defining China’s increasingly prominent upper-middle class. At the same time, the gap between the rich and poor continue to grow, and the disparities are alarming. Just a few blocks away from the bustling nightlife of Xin Tian Di, Ben and I witnessed a man taking a shower in the middle of the street.

EXPO — thoughts and reactions

Jeff, ,

After spending nearly 12 hours at the Expo yesterday, I’m pretty exhausted, although this did not prevent my semi-jetlagged self from getting up at 9AM today. Woohoo, I guess I’ve rejoined the world of normal people.

For today’s post, I thought I’d do something new, so instead of writing a straight-up editorial, I’ve provided a list of things you should keep in mind before you visit the Shanghai Expo this year.

Jeff’s Checklist for a Better Shanghai Expo Experience

–Disclaimer: Won’t reduce the length of any lines, but will make your wait a whole lot more interesting.–

  1. STOP. Before you read any farther, I just want to reiterate the disclaimer. Lines at the Expo will be long, regardless of when you visit and what pavilions you decide to go to. I mean, there are 1.3 billion people in China, how can you expect things to not be crowded? (p.s. the legal nerd inside me is screaming because that’s not actually a valid discalimer.)
  2. If you want to get access to the China Pavilion, then good luck. There’s a limit of 50,000 tickets per day, and they’re usually gone within the first 10 minutes of the park’s opening (9AM). So you basically have three options: (1) you can either choose to go Black Friday style and start waiting at the gates insanely early, (2) wait near the Chinese Pavilion throughout the day hoping to get lucky (that someone who actually bothered to go through part (1) SOMEHOW decided to give up his or her ticket…I dunno, that’s like asking a fat boy to give up his ice cream.), or, if you’re relatively sane like me, (3) you can come back to Shanghai some time in the future, since the Chinese Pavilion is not going to be taken down after the Expo. (Nonetheless, I expect that they’re going to charge a hefty entrance fee.)
  3. BRING A WATER BOTTLE. Now this may seem like a silly idea once you realize there are drinking fountains everywhere, but let’s not forget the cardinal rule of Expo 2010: lines are long. You don’t want to look like a dumbass while you’re in the middle of a 4 hour queue. Nobody likes a whiner. Especially not a thirsty whiner. So do us a favor and pack yourself a water bottle. (Note: when I say a water bottle I mean an EMPTY water bottle, NOT a bottle of water. There is a big difference–one makes your backpack marginally heavier and the other will get confiscated at the gates–and, I guess, will have the subsequent effect of making your backpack lighter…but you’ll realize what a big mistake that was once you’re in the middle of that 4 hour queue.)
  4. While you’re at it, it won’t hurt to bring a few shitload of snacks for your waiting-in-line party. (For some reason, food is allowed but water is not.) I recommend fruits and high-energy stuff, whatever that may be.
  5. Why am I telling you to stock up on your own supply of food and water? Well, the only logical conclusion is that FOOD IS EXPENSIVE. I mean really expensive, like 40 RMB for a bowl of wontons expensive, or like 50 RMB for a mango smoothie expensive. Let’s face it, Chinese people are born with an innate sense of supply and demand (they don’t need to take some college course to understand that basic principle–hell, most of them probably don’t even go to college…but I digress). Basically, what I’m trying to say is that they will not hesitate to rip you (the unfortunate foreigner who did not heed Jeff’s advice) and your wallet to shreds. If you think about it, it’s quite a brilliant business model, because unless you want to leave the park, grab food, and then come back (and wait in line again), you’re essentially trapped in the Expo park for the whole day, and so you have no choice but to pay a steep premium for mediocre food. LESSON: remember to pack lunch you noob! End of story.
  6. Bring one of those folding chairs, or better yet, one of those canes that fold into a chair (available only in China, the last time I checked). You may look like a retard, and you might get ridiculed by the other Americans, but you’ll have the last laugh once they realize that it’s been 30 minutes and the line has barely budged. Plus, you’ll get to bond with old Chinese people who also brought their own chairs. Yeah, they know what’s up.
  7. Bring an umbrella. Americans tend to underestimate the usefulness of an umbrella. But all Asians know that umbrellas serve two functions: (1) block the rain and (2) block the sun (*gasp*). And if you’re going to be walking around outside and waiting in line all day, then you’re going to need both. (Poor man’s alternative: a hat. Although I’m pretty sure an umbrella might be cheaper in China.).
  8. In case you haven’t figured it out, bring a comfortable pair of sneakers! I realized the hard way that tennis shoes, because of their added weight, are actually not ideal for walking long distances (or to be traveling in at all). And dress according to the weather. Do what you need to do to make your day less painful.
  9. Hmmm, so you’ve pretty much gathered that you’re going to face ridiculous waits no matter where you go. But here are a few tricks that might make it less painful, or help you avoid them altogether.
  10. Get someone in your party to play injured (mean version: injure someone in your party). Bottom line: find a way to get someone in a wheelchair (hopefully only temporarily), and the rest of your visit to the Expo will be smooth sailing. While this method is morally questionable, it certainly is effective. Once again, ask those old Chinese people in wheelchairs. Yeah, they know what’s up.
  11. If your not completely morally ambiguous/corrupted, then you may vouch for a more dignified method: ticket reservations. There are several places in the park where you can reserve tickets for certain pavilions ahead of time. You’ll be assigned a certain visitation time (not of your choosing), and you’ll be able to avoid the lines as long as you visit precisely at that time. The downside, of course, is that this might effectively ruin your entire schedule for the day, so just keep that in mind and plan accordingly.
  12. If you want any chance of getting into the Saudi Arabia and Japan Pavilions, you better be prepared to stand in line for (literally) 2 hours at least. These are the hottest pavilions right now, and the lines will be horrendously long no matter when you decide to visit. If you plan on visiting the Expo over a span of more than one day, then I would recommend you dedicate one day entirely to seeing these two pavilions, and any other pavilion that requires a ridiculous wait (no joke). Hit up Japan right when the park opens, grab lunch, then visit Saudi Arabia, and you’re day is pretty much over.
  13. If I had to sum up the Expo with an analogy it would be this: The 2010 Shanghai Expo is like losing your virginity (from a girl’s perspective). Obviously, I can’t say that I have any first hand experience, but it goes something like this: all the countries are basically competing for whoever has the biggest IMAX screen (*ahem*, Saudi Arabia) and the loudest sound system (*cough*, Spain). But at the end of the day, what appears to be spectacular on the outside, and after hours of anticipation, it’s suddenly over before you know it. (Girls, I hope this does not accruately describe your personal experience, but unfortunately, popular culture says otherwise.)
  14. LESSON LEARNED (if there is one): most of the country pavilions are overrated, and are ultimately not worth the wait. I think it would be smart to check out as many pavilions as you can, and not just aim for the big dogs. Many of the smaller countries have much more reasonable waits, and are just as exciting (Denmark comes to mind). I think it may also be worth your time to check out the Corporate and Urban Planning Pavilions in the Puxi district. While these sound boring as hell, many of them are much more interactive (the Liverpool one has a virtual soccer penalty shootout), and offer a lot of free goodies to early visitors (though they’ll probably be gone by the time you visit). Plus, the lines are actually reasonable.

(Maybe my browser is just retarded, but the first digit of all the two digit numbers are cut off. So no I’m not a retard and those numbers are supposed to go to 14.)

Well there they are, the Fourteen Points! (I wonder how many of you got that reference). Hope you enjoyed reading them. I’ll add more if anything else comes to mind, or/if I decide to visit the Expo again before I leave Shanghai.