Shanghai, China

Jul 4, 2015

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Tips: 

• Always print out or take a screen shot of each address in Chinese where you want to go (including your hotel). Many people do not speak or read English so it’s always easiest to show them the address.

• Subway is very inexpensive and easy. You can use a ticket booth to choose your stop on a map and it will calculate the price for you. 

• Taxis are also inexpensive but sometimes hard to get since most locals use an App to hail one.

• Facebook, Gmail and other things you may be used to using daily do not necessarily work in China. Some hotels have a VPN which allows access (Waldorf Astoria) but most do not. Prepare to not be able to check email or upload photos for some time.

• It’s quite common for locals to take naps in the afternoon. Don’t be surprised if your waiter at lunch asks you to pay early and you see staff napping on chairs around the restaurant.

• I got a pair of prescription glasses with transition lenses for  350RMB ($60) at the fake market. See more details below under budget.

 

Common phrases:

• Shrrr: yes

• Boo shrr: no (there is more than one way to say no but this is good enough)

• Shyea shyea: thank you

• Bye bye: bye

• Ni hao: hello

• wǒ bù zhīdào: i dont know

• Tie gway luh: too expensive

 

Unique:

South Bund Fabric Market- First thing I did when I arrived on Sunday was head to this market. I specifically made sure to tell the dressmaker that I was leaving friday. Normally you can ask for a fitting in between but since I was on a work trip I only had time to pick up the final piece friday. I did some research before and found this site very helpful. I printed out photos of the tunic she had previously made and also a new dress she had never done before. Stall: 238 on the second floor Cost: 500 RMB for both (Don’t forget to bargain). Not a bad price considering I got two well made pieces that fit me perfectly. This is not common for me. If I had been more prepared I would have brought my favorite dress that I grew out of and asked for a new one in a different fabric. I also would have bought some expensive jeans, kept the tag on, had them make a copy and then return the originals when I got back home. Just a tip in case you can manage this.

*side note: there is a group of street food carts in front of the market and for 20 RMB you can get a DELICIOUS scallion pancake. I highly recommend it. You can get it spicy and with or without meat.

People 7 Restaurant and Bar: The food is very good but the experience is the best part. You MUST make reservations +86 (21) 5404-0707 because you need a password to get in. The entryway is not obvious and figuring out how to get in is part of the fun. You also need to use their bathrooms. I won’t give away the secret but it will be an experience for sure. Oh and since I was wih a group we managed to order a huge bucket of test tube shots. Interesting surprise.

 

Food & Drink:

If a restaurant offers a purple juice then try it. Its a local fruit juice and is very good.

Rooftop View: The Peninsula Hotel has a rooftop bar which is worth visiting on a clear night. The top photo is from the bar but on a foggy night so the view can be much better.

Hot Pot: Its a fondu type dinner where there is a hole in the middle of the table with liquid to cook your food. One side is spicy and one side is not. You order all the veggies and meats you would like to cook and they bring these raw to your table. There are also tons of toppings and dipping sauces and you can mix and match them to create your own. We had local colleagues make reservations but we heard you can wait for some time to get a seat at these places. It is for this reason that some offer FREE manicures while you wait. Yes, free. It’s a small perk.

Veggie Friendliness: Hot pot and many typical Chinese restaurants that offer small dishes have plenty of meatless options. There are also street food vendors that offer scallion pancakes which you can order without meat. Just be warned, if you get hot pot with someone who eats meat then ALL foods get dumped into the same boiling soup. So if you are very strict then I recommend not sharing a hot pot with a meat eater.

 

Budget:

There is a huge mall with hundreds of stalls selling fake designer items and many other things at a discount. 2017 UPDATE: The last time I visited the previous mall had been shut down but there was a large underground mall at Century Square/Science & Technology subway stop. Also, these people are born to bargain. I am not kidding you when I say you should take their prices and divide by 5. You should never pay more than 25% of their offer. They ALWAYS start very high and it may make you uncomfortable at first but you have to be strict. AND be willing to walk away. Sometimes they chase after you and if they don’t you can find the same thing at another stall and start all over again.

I got a pair of glasses with transition lenses made in an hour and a half for 350RMB. Its best if you bring your own pair of prescription glasses for them to measure but they can also give you a quick vision test. I know this sounds crazy but they are a very good quality and I have no complaints. My colleague also bought glasses from a different vendor whom couldn't deliver them before we were leaving and our colleague who lives in Shanghai agreed to pick them up in a week as she was traveling to Sweden in 3 weeks to deliver them.  Sounds sketchy as hell right? Well it worked. This is how bizarre this place is. but its legit.

I also bought a lens to attach to my cell phone for a fish-eye, wide screen and macro photo for 50RMB ($8) and these are usually around 183RMB (30) from online or a retailer.

 And then there are designer things. There are bad fakes and good fakes. the good ones are usually hidden behind a fake wall so you need to mention the quality if you want one of these. My colleagues have bought Mulberry leather laptop bags but they had to ask for real leather. The fake leather ones are the ones you see in the front of the shops. If you like Cath Kitson you can also find a shop with her fakes too. I also bought a small Bao Bao clutch/wristlet because its perfect for travel and paid 40RMB($6) in both China and Hong Kong but many places don't like to go this low se make sure you are strict!