Beijing Trip Day 4

164 days in Shanghai (10/02/08)

Woke up to pack our things and by the time we were ready, it was 10.30am already. Left our luggage at the lobby and went to 天坛, the temple where the emperor prays。

There was a performance today and as usual, it was some boring Chinese Act. Had a 2^nd look at the place and I became the tour guide for the day.

Reading the guide book and recalling what the tour guide told me the last time I was here, I gave the rest a very fast tour.

After that, it was to Silk Street, a place that is similar to Qipu Rd in Shanghai. Did some shopping there, bought some wallets and bags and the guys were to bored to continue shopping.

Went to Wang Fu Jing again as Jie Ying wants to get Fu Ling Bing for her family and her Shanghai’s colleagues. Slacked at this drink store while waiting for Jia Wei’s friend to come.

Wanted to go back to the hotel, get our luggage and head off to eat steamboat but as time restricted, we went to one of the restaurant opposite the apartment and settled dinner there.

All the food came quite slowly and when it was 6.10pm, we thought that one of our dishes is not here yet and decided to cancel the order. Then we realized that we didn’t even order that dish cox we ordered another one instead. ARGH!!! Stupid!!

Headed off to the airport, checked in and all of us got super separated seats.

Reached back Shanghai and back home.

Oh, today is the 4^th day of Chinese New Year and there are still a lot of people playing with fire works and fire crackers.

Esp when it was near 12am, when the chinese have the saying that during the 5^th day of Chinese New Year, it is the time to lure the god of fortune out, there were a lot of fire works and fire crackers around and the whole area is damn noisy. Fire works are very nice but fire crackers are just plain irritating.

And I guess I have seen too much fire works that I won’t feel so ‘WOW’ anymore when I see it in Singapore the next time.

Beijing Trip Day 3

163 days in Shanghai (12/02/08)

Woke up at 7.30am to get ready to meet our driver at 8.45am and all of us started slacking until about 8.20am, when Jie Ying on HP and realized that the driver actually messaged her informing us the change of time (meet @ 8.30am, the timing Yu Hong requested the previous day but the driver said that he couldn’t make it at first)

All of us started rushing, changing our clothes (winter time so we have got a lot of layers to wear), preparing to go out.

Set off to the Great Wall of China and we went to 幕天玉, one of the more famous tourist sites of the Great Walll.

Had a 1½ hour car ride there and we bought students tickets =)

Took the cable car up and started with the Great Wall Climb. The scenery is so much nicer then the one I went to last year and the weather was just so right. Clear sunny blue sky. Just the weather for outdoor activities,.

Took lots of dangerous photos where we started to climb on the walls to take nicer shots, standing at dangerous spots just to get a nicer view and etc.

By the time we finished out Great Wall hike and crazy photographings, it was near to 2.30pm already. Had a quick lunch at the foot of the Great Wall (just a bowl full of noodles when it is supposed to be minced meat noodles) and headed off to Summer Palace, 颐和园.

Took us another hour to reach there, bought our tickets and this time, there were a lot of tour guides asking us if we want them to explain the history and etc to us.

When we were at the entrance, the fee of the tour guide was RMB 30per person and we rejected all of them. Then when we went in, the tour guide rate drops to RMB50 for the group and we bargained till RMB20 for the group.

So, this lady guide started bringing us around Summer Palace, telling us some of the history about the place and I am so not interested in it.

Walked to this Kun Ning Lake, which takes up almost half of Summer Palace and the entire lake was frozen. A lot of people were walking on the ice and when we want to go to the lake and play, the lady guide didn’t want to allow us as she wants to finish off her guide as soon as possible.

And as all of us weren’t very interested in what she was saying, the tour ended shortly and we heading off to the frozen lake.

We were supposed to walk straight to the entrance that we came from but Yu Hong want to take a look at the bridge right opposite the entrance. So, all of us headed there and by that time, it was near 6pm and the sky was dark and no one else was on the lake except the four of us.

And since it was freezing cold, both jie Ying and I can’t wait to get out of that icy lake. Searched for the stairs back up to the pathway but couldn’t find any and by that time, there were totally no one in the lake and people are starting to shout for us to get out.

Saw this small little platform and the only way that link up to the platform was a pile of ices; not sure if they were stable a not but confirm they are slippery.

Yu Hong tried climbing up first but got stuck halfway. Lucky there were this few people that walked past and offered to help us. They pulled Yu Hong up to the platform and went off as he said tat we can settle on our own.

So, I was the next to climb and that piece of ice was sure slippery. I almost slipped and fall into the crazily cold lake.

Before I can even get myself ready and stabilized myself, Yu Hong and Jia Wei kept on pushing me and all the energy I have was to start laughing and grab on to Yu Hong’s leg like a tree trunk.

Not long later, all of us managed to climb up to the platform. Called the driver and asked him to drive us to紫玉饭店 for dinner. Angeline and Kelvin strongly recommended us to this place to try out their Beijing Duck.

Jia Wei’s friend joined us and when it was only supposed to be one of them, it turned out to be 4 of them joining us.

So the table turns out that we became the minority like from they join us for dinner, it has became we join them for dinner -_-.

After diner, it was back to the hotel to slack and we went out again to 天安门for some night shots.

Spend some time along the streets taking photos and we ended up in Wang Fu Jing’s MacDonald’s again.

Then there was this 2 young boys that started talking to us asking where are we from and etc. Guess they are from some orphanage and the care taker brought them out for dinner. Yea, it was late at night and they brought 2 10 years old boys out for super.

These boys are quite cute and it seems that they have a sad family background. Chatted with them for a while before heading back home to rest.

Beijing Trip Day 2

162 days in Shanghai (8/02/08)

Woke up at 6.30am to get ready to leave the house at 9am but in the end, we slacked till 9.30am before heading off to the Forbidden City,故宫.

Reached there and thought that since it was the 2^nd day of Chinese New Year, there shouldn’t be many people there but who knows, there were more people then usual I guess; at least more people compared to the last time I was there.

Spend the whole morning exploring around and took lots of photo. Everyone there told us that when you are in the Forbidden City, 70% of the time should be listening to the history and 30% seeing the palace.

But we were there 100% viewing the palace and taking photos =)

After Forbidden City, we walked all the way to 王府井 for lunch at Macdonald’s. Wanted to go to the Beijing Zoo to see Panda after lunch but since it was 3pm by then and the Zoo closes at 5pm, we decided to go to the Olympic Stadium to look at the ‘鸟朝’ and Swimming Pool，水地方.

And unknowingly, we took a 黑车there which cost us RMB90 (when I think it should cost us less then RMB30 -_-)

The Olympic Stadium was near one of the expressway and since it is still not open to the public, there were a lot of people along the expressway taking photos of the stadium.

The whole stadium was fenced up and no one is supposed to enter. And from what Yu Hong knows, the swimming pool is actually opened to the public already.

So being not satisfied of being cheated by the driver and not able to enter the stadium, Yu Hong finds all ways and means to enter it

He tried to unwire the fence but they were too tight then Jia Wei found this fence with just one truck tyre blocking it (remove the tyre and there will be a hole to get into the stadium).

They pushed the tyre away then all of us went in. A lot of passengers saw us and followed us into the stadium.

Walked down towards the swimming pool and realized that there is actually another fence that restricts people from entering. And this time, the fences are connected (like those fence that surround schools) and Yu Hong wanted to use a ladder to climb into the swimming pool.

Walked around and after figuring, we decided to lift up the bottom part of the fence upwards so that there will be a small space for us to crawl in. After hesitating and looking out for security guards, all of us entered the swimming pool boundary.. yea, after much climbing and crawling….

Wanted to enter the swimming pool and was stopped by this part time security guard. The whole conversation was like this

‘你们不可以进去里面’

‘为什么？我们看了新闻，他们说这里以经开放了。’

‘是吗？没有啊。他们骗你们的啦。’(with at smirk on the face)

‘骗我们？哪里可能啊？是新闻啊。 那里可能会骗人？’

‘可是你们真的不可以进去。新闻真的骗你们啦。’

‘我不管啦。外面好冷 我先进去了。’

‘真的不可以啦。你们是怎样进来的？’

‘走进来的啦。用脚走的 要不然爬进来的吗？’

‘是吗？可是你们不可以进啊。今天只有搞卫生的员工才可以进来。’

‘不管了。进去咯。外面好冷！’

Then we went into the swimming pool and we only managed to see one of the Olympic pools there. The part time security guard went in with us trying to stop us.

‘让我们拍一张照片就好了啦。’

‘不可以啦。快点走 你看那里还有很多报案。走啦走啦。’

‘好好好。我们就拍一张好了。你跟我们一起拍吧。’

‘不好不好。上面有摄影头。。。快拍就走吧。’

‘好的。一二三。Okie! Let’s go’

So in the end, the part time security guard had no choice but to take the photo with us too =) and we managed to see the pool too, although I think that is not the main swimming pool used.

Went out and we started to take a lot of photos. Even when the other security guards saw us, they didn’t bother about us. Maybe it’s because we are inside already and they thought that we are some staffs or media (coz of Yu Hong’s SLR camera).

Yu Hong said that we might be the fist Singaporean that took photos with the Olympic stadium =) cool huh!?!

Took plenty of photos then headed to 王府井 to try out this dumpling store that Denis recommended.

It was beside this church and the night scenery of that church is just damn. Look around the area and found a few dumpling stores there so we just went to one of it and yea.. the dumplings are good and cheap.

Sister called me and the entire family is at home eating steamboat, having their Chinese New Year gathering…

After dinner was back to the apartment and rest.

Beijing Trip Day 1

161 days in Shanghai (7/02/08)

I woke up at 5.30am to get ready for out Beijing trip. Leave the house by 7.45am and took a cab down to Pudong Airport.

Reached there an hour earlier, e-checked in and had KFC breakfast.

Went through the boarding gate and we have got to take a bus down to the airplane. It was quite cool cox it was my first time taking a bus before boarding a plane. Heard from Yu Hong normally budget airlines are all like that. Got to take a bus down to the aeroplane.

The moment I went on the plane and reached my seat, I went off to lala land; all of us were so damn tired cox we slept quite late the previous night.

And although it is only a 2 hour plane ride, Air China still served us breakfast. Their service is also quite good, much better then China Eastern =)

Reached Beijing, took a bus down to the terminal and get our luggage. Once we went out of the terminal, there was this driver that asked if we wanted a ride and we started bargaining the price from RMB160 to RMB100.

Was quite surprised that along the way to the apartment, there wasn’t any sight of snow. The driver told us that Beijing only snowed a few times this year and it was all those small ones. All the snow has already melted. =(

(Thought that the main purpose of coming to Beijing is to see snow.. and I get to see it in Shanghai rather then in Beijing…)

Reached the service apartment and realized that the place is actually quite near. We reached there in 30mins and wanted to bargain more with the driver. But Jia Wei just gave him RMB100 when we alighted.

Went to the check in at the counter and something happen that almost freaked me out. The counter got to photocopy our passports as reference and they asked me and Yu Hong why we didn’t have our passport stamp at the immigrant counter.

So, without the stamp that shows that we leave Shanghai and come to Beijing, it actually means that we are illegal immigrants to Beijing.

Then while I was thinking if the immigrant person actually stamped on my passport, Yu Hong said that within domestic flights, stamps are actually not required as we travelled to HangZhou, Suzhou and ZhouZhuang without the use of our passport. So we have got our 180 days visa on China is actually sufficient.

Only then I got relieved and the front desk person also agreed with it. Phew!

Reached the apartment and it has got a living room, kitchen, 2 bedrooms (one with a queen size bed, the other have got a single bed) and one bathroom. Snatched our rooms and slacked for the rest of the afternoon watching tv and sleeping.

Went out at about 5pm for dinner at this tofu restaurant (found in the map) and headed to 王府井 after that for night window shopping and night views. Tried out some of the road side food and ate mac ice cream in the –degree temperature out there.

We walked for awhile till about 9.15pm before taking a cab back to the apartment.

Chinese New Year Eve!

160 days in Shanghai (6/02/08)

Plan for the day was to leave the house at 9.30am to Qipu road for more shopping for Jie Ying and Jia Wei.

In the end, all of us work up late and we left the house at 10.45am instead.

Took the cab down and shopping starts. And I hate shopping for shoes first coz it is damn hard to find anything that I will like and all the prices they code are just too unreasonable to bargain.

In the end, I didn’t get to buy my boots (wanted to buy the same black boots that look like those army one as the one I had have spoiled (turn into crocodile) but got myself a bag handbag, 2 small sling bag and 4 wallets. (Most of them are for friends. Hehe)

Jie Ying and Jia Wei got quite some stuffs too.

We cab down to 八佰伴after shopping for lunch at this Japanese restaurant. They went back home after lunch and I took a small scroll around the area before heading back home.

Went to 家德了to buy some ingredients for the Laksa we are going to have later tonight. Chinese New Year Eve eating Laksa.. hmm not interesting huh. Haha

Haiz.. this is the first time in my 20 years not having my reunion dinner with my family. This feeling is so weird.. like I totally don’t feel the new year mood!! I DON’T LIKE IT!!!

Anw, I am going to Beijing tmr and time is going to past very fast. Not long later, I will be back in SIN with the super killing weather. (Joanne just called and remind me to enjoy every single bit of coldness in China coz SIN is crazily hot and stuffy!)

Reached home, slacked a while and started using the internet. And it has been very long since I went online and chat with people. Haha

I used the internet, chatted with sis, dad and some other friends before getting ready for dinner. Sis and dad actually asked me if I have got a webcam so that they can conference with me and let me see what they are eating -_-.

After dinner, although we can hear the noise of the crackers at home, we can’t see it so we decided to go down to the neighborhood and light up the remaining crackers that Kelvin leave for us.

When we reached downstairs, all the fire crackers that everyone else are lighting up is damn nice and big that we didn’t even want to light up ours.

But well, anyway the crackers and fireworks are all damn nice. Nicer then those that Kelvin bought. It’s like during national day what we saw at the stadium. And over here, the fire crackers and fire works are just right in front of you.

In Singapore, everyone got to go to a certain place and wait for a certain time until they can get to see those fireworks. Over here, everywhere I go or turn to, I get to see it. And it is just damn beautiful.

And it wasn’t expensive buying those fire crackers. RMB100 plus to get a small one and up to RMB 1000 plus to get those really huge and nice one.

Went back home after that, did some last min packing then went off to bed. Got to wake up at 5am to get ready to go to the airport for our Beijing trip =)

Think the next time I will blog will be when I am back in SIN. Or hopefully when I come back from Beijing. =)

Finally a day to rest and stay @ home!

159 days in Shanghai (5/5/08)

Woke up 9.30am and started backing up the room. Helped Joanne with her luggage and went down to the photocopying shop to get our report printed out.

The whole morning was then Kim packing up all the last min stuffs and clearing all the rubbish.
Went back to the photocopying shop to collect the report and YES! Finally the report is done =) Hopefully I can score well in this report..

Jia Wei and Yu Hong came over to Jie Ying house to stay so that it will be more convenient when we go to Beijing.

Helped Kim move all her luggage down and then was to bid goodbye.

It’s so sad man! All four of us came together and now, all of them have gone home leaving me going to Beijing with Jie Ying, Yu Hong and Jia Wei. Went back to the room and suddenly, I feel that the whole room looks so empty.

Both the cupboards are empty, the shoes rack is empty, the clothes rack is only left with my stuffs, the toiletries are left with one bottle of facial wash and there is only one toothbrush in the cup.

But still, although they have all went back, they left a lot of things behind for me; chocolate biscuits, Milo nuggets, Oreo, BBQ Pork, drinks, many pairs of slipper, crackers and etc.

And now, after so many days of rushing projects, doing last minute shopping and few hours of sleep only, I can finally have get to rest at home one whole day.

Here I am, updating my blog that has been missing for one month =)It has been so long that I stayed at home one whole day.

Time is passing so quickly here! 5 months just flew past like that and a week later, I will be back in Singapore too.

I am so damn going to miss this place!!!

So, slacked at home the whole day using internet and while I was doing that, Jie Ying was rushing her report and both Yu Hong and Jia Wei went to Shanghai Science Technology Park and then to some wet market to buy some stuffs to cook for tonight’s dinner.

Dinner was spaghetti and some fried fish in tomato sauce. So, the guys done up the dinner and we girls are supposed to wash everything and DAMN IT!! The whole kitchen is just so damn messy.

After dinner was back to slacking- watching DVDs and then head off to bed.

Last Shopping Trip for Kim & Joanne!

158 days in Shanghai (4/02/08)

It’s the last day in Shanghai for Kim and Joanne and we really have got to very stingy with time. So, we woke up super early today to get ready and leave the house at 8am to Qipu road for the last min shopping.

Reached there and all I shopped for was clothes for my brothers only. Okie, I bought myself a pair of heels =)

By the time we were done with shopping, it was 2.30pm already. Cabbed back home and we ordered delivery coz all of us were crazily hungry.

Finished up all our report and started packing up everything. All of us still have got so many things when all of us have actually sent back at least one big bag of things to Singapore already.

Called up Kelvin to ask if he can help us bring back some stuffs since we know that he is a super light traveler. Got him 3 big plastic bags full of our stuffs when we go to his house to 放鞭炮. =)

It was damn fun man!! What we did was going to one location, making sure that there is no police or security around then light up the fire crackers. We went to a few location and some of the fire crackers are damn nice. We played with a few different types like 蛋糕，两千向, 双响炮 and etc.

There was one time when we placed 4双响炮 a row and light it up. So when Joanne and I got our crackers’ line lighted up and Kim and Yu Hong was still trying, the cracker started exploding while Kim was just beside it. I guess she got shock out of her life.

After all the exploding, it was back home and we ordered a lot of 烧烤and 麻辣烫. So much that we couldn’t finish all of it. Anyway, it will be the last time eating 麻辣烫as the stall uncle is going back home for chinese new year.

After eating, I was super tired and went straight to bed.

More Shopping today!

157 days in Shanghai (3/02/08)

Woke up at 10am to do my report then meet up with Yee Hui, Kelvin, Maxim and Angeline to have lunch at Tang Gong.

Ordered Dim Sum and they started telling me all the nice places to go in Beijing and I doubt I have got enough time and money to go there.

After lunch, Kim and I went to pick up Jia Wei to go Cheng Huang Miao while Joanne went home to finish up her report.

Bought facial stuffs for sister and Kim bought RMB 210 worth of preserved Cherry and both of them did their chinese name stamp.

And while we were there, both Kim and I were considering borrowing money from Kelvin since he keep on asking us to borrow and we both are quite broke. I decided to borrow RMB500 from him in case I really got to survive on snow everyday in Beijing. hehe

Cabbed down People’s Park and have dinner at Papa Johns. Went to Di Mei after that as Kim wanted to do her nails and I wanted to buy sun glasses. And today was the first time I went there after so many months.

Bought my sunglasses and while waiting for Kim to finish up her nails, we went to Haagon Daiz =)

She got her nails done and while I went home, she went back to the salon shop to re-dye her hair as she wasn’t satisfied with it. So for the last few days in Shanghai, she spent all her nights doing her hair… That shows how important her hair is to her. Haha

They started packing their things and the house is messy like crazy now.

Goodbye to Angela!

156 days in Shanghai (2/02/08)

Today was the day Angela is going home.

Woke up at 9.30am to get ready and at 10am, we send her down to meet up with Edison, one of her colleagues to send her to the airport.

Time passes so freaking fast for the past few days and now, she is going back to Singapore already. 5 months just past like that!!!

Went back home to get ready to meet up with Dennis and Raymond at GHL for lunch. Lunch was too bad and after that, I went to make spectacles. It was so super duper cheap there as it was supposed to be like some spec warehouse there.

Bought one spec and the lens is super thin (the last time I got thin lens was like when I was in pri school when my degree is just 200??). The technology there seems to be better then the one is Singapore.

Contact Len are also super duper cheap too. Sis, u definitely got to go there the next time we are here in Shanghai.

Spend almost the whole afternoon there as all of us bought something, esp Joanne. Even Kim, the perfect eyesight girl bought a Levis Specs.

After that, took a cab and drop Kim and Joanne home first before going to Ba Bai Ban to collect my jeans.

Bought KFC home for dinner, continue on my report and went to the salon shop at about 10pm to accompany Kim as she wants to straighten her hair. So in the end, I had my hair trimmed too after much consideration since yesterday.

So, after Kim straightened her hair, her hair dye seems to have all faded off and the boss was nice enough to give her a free red highlight.

The staffs there were also all very nice. So nice that we got quite pai sae. They are supposed to end work at 11pm but because of us, they ended work at around 4am. Crazy huh.

So, most of my time now was planning for the schedule on where to go for the last few days in Shanghai and doing my stupid OIAP report..

It has been so long since I wrote something and now, I am supposed to write a 3k words report. Yea, 3k isn’t a lot but then, it’s the brain that is not working now.

LAST DAY OF ATTACHMETN!

155 days in Shanghai (1/02/08)

Today was the official day we end our attachment. Like finally!!

Headed down to Lu Jia Bang to collect our suits before going to the hotel to do some admin stuffs and bid the rest goodbye.

Reached the hotel at about 4pm and I realized that I lost a lot of things; hair clip and the employee’s handbook. Lucky I got the hair clip from BQT office and Yu Hong has got an extra handbook to rescue me from paying some money.

Went to HR and things starts to get a bit irritating. They gave us this whole list of things that we got to return and do. Like returning of the locker keys, name tags, going to the various department to get some stuffs checked and sign.

Everyone got quite pissed off as some of us have got to go to finance to collect our extra pay and the general casher close at 5.30pm when we have got a lot of running here and there to get things signed and everything.

By the time we reached back HR office to let them sign the final slip, it was already 5.30pm. Lucky they told the general cashier to wait for us.

Anyway, got our money and we got our BONUS too=)

Met up with Jia Wei at Zhen Da for dinner and shopped for a while before heading back home.
Went to the hair salon opposite our house to have our hair done as Angela is going back home tomorrow.

Myself- had my hair highlighted red
Angela- got a hair cut and red highlight
Kim- got a haircut, jet black dye and red highlight
Joanne got her hair perm and red highlight.

So in the end, all of us have got almost the same colour. Joanne was the last one to get her hair done and all of us were eating Mala Tang while waiting for her. The boss of the shop was very nice =) We left the shop at around 3am.

And the snow today was super huge (bigger then the previous one) that we started to play with the snow on the way home.

Early Chinese New Year Celebration

154 days in Shanghai (31/01/08)

I realized that I haven been blogging since long long ago so I decided to start typing again before the whole attachment ends.

For the last few days, I have been involved in this Sabric Event, supposing selling hotel’s restaurant outlets to the delegates but in the end, all I did was seating at my desk chatting with the staffs for 3 hours before going back to the reservation office or home (worked half day)

So, that was how I spend my last few days in the hotel. Oh no, I did more reservations too. Today was a damn busy day and the total amount of reservation I have made today was more then the amount I made for the past few weeks in the department. Sounds crazy huh.

Work ended at 3pm today, went over to City Shop to help Kelvin buy coconut milk; he invited us to his house for curry chicken and steamboat-mini early chinese new year celebration.

Went back home again, slacked for a while then meet up with Jia Wei for dinner as he is here to Shanghai for a visit before heading off to Kelvin’s house.

Reached Kelvin’s house at about 7pm and stayed there till 12am before heading off to G+ with Tracy, Salex and Joanne for some night life.

Snowing again =)

149 days in Shanghai (26/01/08)

Woke up in the morning and when I opened the window to see if it is snowing, the whole floor on the playground opposite my house was filled with it.

The snow today was one of the heaviest ever in Shanghai.

Got ourselves ready and went off to work. It was just so damn cool to walk in the snow that is about 2cm deep. The whole street is full of snow and it was still snowing. Took some photos on the way and played with the snow.

Snow is really white and beautiful but when it gets polluted, it is so damn dirty and disgusting.
Reached the hotel and work is so boring as usual. Worked, or rather slacked for a few hours until our 2 hours break then we went out for lunch with Maxim eating Japanese food.

Helped out Alice with some laminating stuffs and went to join Joanne at her booth in the lobby, trying to sell restaurants to the customers.

Work ended at 9.30pm, changed our uniform and walked back home.

Last week of work and it’s the end of attachment. Time is just passing too quickly over here.. Damn it!!

UBS Event

145-146 days in Shanghai (22/01/08-23/01/08)

This 2 days I have been involved in the UBS event under the F&B reservation department and what I was supposed to do was just be stationed at China Hall at the Concierge area and stand by if any one wants to make reservation.

So During coffee break, what I need to walk around the foyer and promote the restaurants to the delegates.

So all I did for these 2 days was standing there doing nothing coz everyone at the foyer will be taking to their own business partner and no one is going to give a damn on me.

And most of the times I will go to the UBS lounge to find Joanne as she was stationed there with the same job scope as I have, which means nothing to do as well. =)

This was how these 2 days was spent. And oh, having been eating 烧烤for the past few days and I am getting immune to the spiciness already.

Tailor made clothes from Lu Jia Bang

144 days in Shanghai (21/01/08)

Today was supposed to be my off day but I guess it turned out to be my sick leave. Have been caught a flu for quite some time and hopefully it will recover before I go over to Beijing.

And today was the first time when Kim woke up earlier then me during our off day. Got dressed up and meet up with Joanne for lunch at the Japanese restaurant for the RMB30 set lunch.

Headed to Lu Jia Bang after that to collect Kim’s friend’s suits and make our own suits. Looked for the place her friend did her suit then searched for the place where Yee Hui made his and so coincidently, we saw Jie Ying and Chang Fang there. Who the hell say that Shanghai is BIG!!! This world is just so small man!!

Looked at the material and stuffs but we were so clueless of how to chose and what design we want. Started flipping through the magazines and ask for advice from the lady boss.

Got my design and had my measurements. Guess it’s going to be not bad. Black colour suit with pocket inside and red colour base inside. One suit with pants coz RMB380, S$76. Is it consider cheap???

Went to another stall to make shirts and I tailor make one short and a silky dark red shirt. Hopefully it will look nice =)

Done with our suits and Kim got to head back to the hotel for some briefing. When to KFC with Jie Ying and Chang Fang as they wanted to have dinner there before heading back home.

And after spending money in Lu Jia Bang today, I am officially broke for the month. Hopefully I will have enough money for my Beijing trip next month. Damn!!

Shopping for friends =)

140 day in Shanghai (17/01/08)

Woke up early in the morning coz Kim and I plan to go Qipu for some shopping. And this time, it’s quite similar to the previous time: shopping for friends.

Got my friends some bags and myself a pair of heels. Had a very fast shopping pace that day and it snowed very lightly that day.

Spend only about 2 hours there and we are done with our shopping trip. Bought roasted potato and headed back home as Kim got to get ready to go back to the hotel for some training.

Out with the managers to Fushion and Club 88

139 days in Shanghai (16/01/08)

All the four of us were having our off day together again and all of us just slacked at home the whole day till evening time when we started to get ready to go out for dinner with the managers at the Penang Restaurant, Fusion.

Reached there at 8pm and we were like 1 hour early. Decided to order some food first as all of us were hungry and it wouldn’t be very nice to wait for them without ordering anything.

Yu Hong came shortly followed by the managers. Everyone ordered and shared the foods. Dinner was very full and this time round, was the time we treat the managers =)

After dinner was to this place call Club 88. The whole concept of it was like those Olden Shanghai club ‘液上海’ that kind.

They have got performance there like those aerobics, singing, and comedian. The singing there are all the old songs in the 70s-80s but some of are quite nice.. like those very high songs.

Stayed there for quite some time till 12am before heading back home. Not too bad an experience there but well, maybe it’s not the kind of place I will go but I bet my parents will love that place =)

Staff Party and My first sight of snow!!!

136 day in Shanghai (13/01/08)
Everyday seems quite boring ever since I start working in F&B reservation. Work starts at 11.30am and ends at 9.30pm with a 2 hour break in-between.

Not learning anything much from this department coz everyday, what I am doing is just making some reservation for people and greeting guest when they arrive.

So, the hotel had this staff party yearly and this year, it’s today and tomorrow. Mine was today and so, after working for a few hours till 2pm, we went down to change our clothes before going for lunch as we know that we won’t be coming back until 5.30pm when the party starts.

Had this Japanese set lunch then Kim came to find us after she cut her hair at Toni & Guy and she had quite a short hair cut this time.

After lunch it was Joanne’s turn for her hair cut. Wanted her to cut her hair short but in the end, she still got her hair long.

Waited for an hour plus till her hair was done and we tried to get a glance of 罗志祥 when we were walking down back to the hotel as he was here for some autograph session. There were tons of people and I think it was so crazy. He has got so many more fans compared to Jolin蔡依林 who was here yesterday.

Went back for the staff party and the food was super normal.. We weren’t very hungry so we just sat there and watched all the performance. Half way through, Yu Hong called me and tell me that it was snowing outside so all of us rushed out but at that time, there weren’t anymore snow. It was just little snow flakes falling from the sky.

Then it was the lucky draw and I got a RMB600 worth of hair salon voucher. Might be going to have another haircut soon =)

Initial plan for the night was to go out after the dinner so we went to queue for the cab and as we were waiting, I realized that the raindrops shined from the lamp post seems to be very big. Then after a while, I realized that it was snowing.

So Joanne, Angela and I ran out to the pathway and we started to get super excited. This is the first time in my life saw it SNOWING!!!

We started calling Yu Hong, Kim and some other Singaporeans to come out to see the snow. It was so nice and all of us were like crazily screaming and shouting.

All the other locals were just staring at us thinking that we are like some lunatics.

Oh well, I think snowing is really beautiful and I feel really happy when I see those snow. Hahaha HAPPINESS =)

Too bad Mr right wasn’t with me yesterday. Haha

It was so super cold outside that by the time we reached home, we were all super hungry. Went to buy Ma La Tang back home and I guess that is one kind of you got to eat out in the cold coz when we eat it at home, it was way too spicy for both Joanne and I.

Dinner with F&B reservation boss

132 days in Shanghai (9/01/08)
Work up late today, slacked at home till 3.30pm before heading off to Qipu road with Joanne. Wanted to take a cab there but when we board the cab, the driver told us that it take us about 30 mins there and got to pay about RMB30.

We looked at each other and started quarrelling with the driver saying that it normally takes us only 15 mins to reach there and it cost only RMB20+.

Alighted from the cab after he drove us 400m and we paid him RMB5 -_-

Took the train instead, reached there and we started shopping. So, today’s shopping trip wasn’t for me but for my friends =)

Got some bags and we randomly know 2 guys there. One from the US and the other from Sweden.

After shopping, we went home to put our stuffs first before heading off to 正大广场 for dinner with Angeline, F&B marketing manager, our F&B reservation boss.

She treated us Saireiya and we ordered a lot of food; salad, pizza, pasta, soup, grilled chicken and fish.

After dinner, meet up with Kim and we went to Attica, one of the better clubs in Shanghai to meet our 2 new random friends. Searched for super long and we even got lost finding that place. Attica seems nice and the music was good but there weren’t many people around so we decided to change a place after using their toilet.

One of the guys recommended us this Mexican pub, Zapata’s. There were a lot of foreigners there and the whole place looks very Mexican but it wasn’t really our style so in the end we ended up in Babyface again.

Went for super before heading back home.

Family is here in Shanghai =)

It has been super long since I last blog and I think I should just get my hands back on the keyboards again and continue typing before I get ready tired and abundant the whole blog.

So, this past 2 weeks has been quite busy for all of us, which include Kim, Joanne, Angela, Jie Ying and myself coz in this 2 weeks, either our family of friends are here to visit.

My parents and sis are back in Shanghai on the 21st December till 28th Dec and I took 4 days off to accompany them.

Met them my 113 day in Shanghai, 21st December to watch this acrobatic show and I have got to find my way there myself. I almost got myself lost and my sis came out to find me. =)

Wasn’t too bad a show but since I have seen my sis for almost 4 moths, we started chatting instead of watching the show. My mum told us to shut up for like more than 4 times.

So went back to the hotel, started chatting and went to bed.

Woke up the next day and it was the start of our own Shanghai tour.

So, instead of me bringing my parents and sis around Shanghai coz I have been here for 4 months and should know the place better, my dad was the one that brought us around (most of the attractions I mean, obviously I am the tour guide for all shopping areas =)).

Went to a few attractions like Zhou Zhuang, Shanghai Botanical Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, Cheng Huang Miao, shopping areas like Nanjing road, Xu Jia Hui, Huai Hai rd, Qipu rd, and ate cuisines like Beijing Duck, Xiao long Bao, Sheng Jian Bao, Smelly Tofu and Shao Kao. Bought my sis to some night life places like B.A.T.S, Babyface and Muse.

114 day in Shanghai (22/12/07)

Woke up in the morning, had our breakfast in the hotel and headed to Luxun Park as my dad just doesn’t get bored over parks. Spend some time at the luxun museum reading his history and stuffs and we headed back to the hotel.

Packed up all our stuffs, bid goodbye to their tour mates and moved their luggage to Motel 168. By the time we reached the hotel, it was 2pm already and Motel 168 is having a blackout.

Brought them to eat Lan Zhou La Mian but I think my parents just cant get use to eating those kind of food. After lunch we walked to Oriental Pearl Tower as dad want to get tickets to see this Chinese olden days fashion show.

Went to Zhen Da to shop and ate dinner before heading back to the theatre to watch the show. The whole place looks quite nice and very new. After the show was to Huangpu Jiang to see the view of the bund.

115 day in Shanghai (23/12/07)

Woke up early as my dad wanted to go to Zhou Zhuang. Headed to Shanghai Stadium to catch the coach there and by the time we reached there, it was 9.50am already. I thought that the last coach has gone but lucky there was another coach at 10am and this time, we have got a tour guide with us.

Went there the 2nd time so nothing much to blog about it. Reached back Shanghai at abt 6pm and we went to Xu Jia Hui as dad wanted to eat at this restaurant ‘Ya Wang (Duck King)’

Went there the previous time I was here in Shanghai 2 years ago and it was quite nice so he deiced to have it again.

Shopped around there after dinner before heading back to the hotel. Brought sis to get a haircut and went back home to get some clothes. Stayed there for some time and sis bought some Shao Kao to eat on the way home.

116 day in Shanghai (24/12/07)

Headed off to Shanghai Botanical Garden in the morning, one of the kinds of places my dad loves.

That place is not comparable to Singapore Botanical Garden I must say. That place is so damn far away from the train station (30 mins walk) and the people over there actually said that it is very near and walkable. (Yes, I know it’s China and so the mindset of distance is definitely different.. but still.. -_-)

Reached there and we have got to pay RMB40 for the entrance fee. And I think because they have got a too big space there, they can’t be bothered to do maintenance to the whole place. The whole place is quite big and we have got to cover 4 different parts/places before my dad is willing to come out from there.

Not a very garden person so I didn’t really enjoy myself there but I have got to say that some of the sceneries are quite nice. Photos shows =)

After that I got to head back to the hotel to work for Christmas night, ‘Merry Christmas with Gigi Leung’ while they went to eat Jia Jia Tang Bao (very famous Xiao Long Bao shop in Shanghai). Waited for very long for this event as I so wanted to see Gigi leung in person haha. Saw her on stage and she sang 7 songs.

After the dinner, it was to B.A.T.S for Christmas party. Met up sister at the lobby and we went there tgt. The party wasn’t that fun as there wasn’t a lot of guest there and the whole ambience is quite dead.

Wanted to leave early and go to some other clubs but didn’t know how to tell Nick (the manager) that we wanted to go off. So in the end, they started counting down when we were half way going out to the exit. And we just like so stupidly standing in the center counting down.

Went to Babyface with Joanne and we have got to pay an entrance fee of RMB80. Lucky the music that day wasn’t that bad after all.

117 day in Shanghai (25/12/07)

Woke up at 10am to get ready and I went back home first to wash my clothes. Sis started cooking Maggie for lunch. Went out at 1pm, opened the letter box and realized that there is this parcel we have got to collect.

Look for the place and collected the item; it was a birthday present to Angela from some friends. After that, we took the train to Qipu rd and started out shopping trip. Sis bought 3 pairs of shoes and need her nails while I got Gina’s accessories.

After shopping, we met up with our parents for dinner at Nanjing rd in this restaurant. After dinner was shopping around Nanjing for a while before I bring them to 八佰伴area for some road-side shopping. Brought my parents to eat Shao kao for supper after shopping.

118 day in Shanghai (26/12/07)

Went to the Jade Buddha Temple in the morning and I thought that I will spend a few hours there but we ended up exploring that place in just an hour.

It wasn’t a very big temple but there was this particular room that placed the jade Buddha. It looks really beautiful but no photos can be taken there. One of the monk was cleaning the jade Buddha at that time and he was the only that can touch the Buddha. Inside that area, there were 2 more male workers cleaning and wiping the glass container that keeps the Buddha and both of them cannot touch the Buddha at all let alone females.

After that, we headed to the hotel for lunch at Yi Café for their buffet lunch. Yi Café is one of the famous buffet restaurant in Shanghai where it has it’s own buffet concept. There are a few different counters in the buffet restaurant; Western, Indian, Chinese, Mexican, Thai, Japanese, Dessert and pastry counter.

In each counter, they will have their own chef in the counter to explain their cuisines to the customer that’s why there isn’t any food tag on the counter.

It was quite weird eating at Yi Café as I saw a lot of managers that day and they will come forward and greet my parents. But well, I still enjoyed the lunch. And since it was my dad’s birthday, they gave us a birthday cake.

After lunch, I accompany Joanne for lunch while my parents and sis went to shop around Zhen Da. By the time we met up again, it was near 4pm already. We went to Xin Tian Di, Huai Hai rd and Cheng Huang Miao after that to look at the night sceneries.

We had dinner at this Chinese restaurant which is one of the best restaurants in China. If I am not wrong, a few president and big shots have gone there for a meal before.

Went back to eat Shao Kao again for supper before sis and I met up with Joanne to go to Maxim’s birthday party at Muse. Music was great that night =)

119 day in Shanghai (27/12/07)

We went to Cheng Huang Miao again in the morning to Yu Yuan, one of the famous gardens in Shanghai. Stayed there the whole morning and went for lunch in the same restaurant we had for dinner the previous day.

Shopped around there for a while and I found another warehouse place that sells all those accessories. Think I will be going there quite often to get more stuffs when I am going home. =)

After that, we went to Wu Jiang rd to eat all those road side food like Sheng Jian Bao, Smelly Tofu, Shao Kao, etc.

An incident happen on the way to Wu Jiang rd. From our hotel to Cheng Huang Miao, it cost only RMB14. When we took a cab from Cheng Huang Miao to Wu Jiang rd, which has almost the same distance as from the hotel to Cheng Huang Miao plus a bit of jam, it cost us RMB50. So obviously, that was a ‘black’ cab. Had quite a big quarrel with the cab driver and in the end, I just gave him RMB15.

Went to Raffles City as my dad want to eat some dessert then headed back to the hotel. Went to foot message with sis while dad went to eat Shao Kao.

120 day in Shanghai (28/12/07)

Today is the last day of the tour with my family. Woke up in the morning to pack our bags. After packing, I have got 3 bags of things to bring home. After that, we went to Huangpu Jiang to look at the scenery before going to Zhen Da for Dim Sum.

Went back to the hotel to check out and headed to Longyang Rd to take the maglev train. Reached there at 1.45pm and they have to check in their luggage already.

Walked around the airport for a while before I have got to bid them goodbye and they have got to board the plane and go back to Singapore.

Took the maglev train back to Longyang rd and went back home.

Photos to be uploaded in friendster and facebook =)