China - on teh internetz

China has a really fascinating online world. It doesn't just stop at the "great chinese firewall" which blocks a lot of sites (annoyingly) which ends up slowing everything down a whole lot, especially for foreign sites. That's the negative. The positive is that with such a huge amount of people online and so often (they've got a bit of an internet addiction problem here, particularly amongst young people) it spawns a lot of websites. And because there are a lot of expats here, and it can get really lonely and isolating, I think it drives a lot of foreigners to start blogs (like me!) about their lives here.

I guess perhaps it's more apparent here in Shanghai with its huge concentration of expats from all over the world. I love that Shanghai is such an international city in a way (although sometimes I'd definitely say it's what I've come to call 看起来 foreign - i.e. "foreign" or rather kind of Western and yet still with a whole Chinese flavour to it), which is something I also really liked about Sydney (I once wrote a long blog post about it - not this blog though).

Just thought I'd share my enthusiasm!

A very German Christmas (market)

It has suddenly become FREEZING the past couple of days. And out of nowhere. I guess it has been on and off cold the past month of November, but yesterday the temperature just dropped by a gazillion degrees!



And of course I not only had to get up for class that morning (so hard getting up into the frosty frosty air) but had also made plans to go with a bunch of people to a German Christmas market at night! It was fun, but FREEZING! At one point I was standing there and my feet felt like they were about to drop off.

The market itself wasn't so special. It was just like any other market, but like with everything foreign in china, a bit overpriced in my opinion. Then again, special event markets are always a bit overpriced so I guess I just haven't been to one for awhile so had forgotten. Looked around, there were a few stalls selling things I don't need (Christmas decorations, random Chinese items), and some food stalls where we grabbed some dinner. I tried a vegetable soup with spratzle, which is apparently some kind of noodle. It's from the region that one of the Germans is from, but he assured me that it's not meant to be the way I had it. It's apparently usually just dry noodles covered in cheese and maybe some sausage. Oh those Germans, they love that sausage!

We eventually made our way inside (it was held at the Paulaner brewery/restaurant) for some warmth and beer (of course)! A friend treated the rest of us to some pretzels with some various typically German spreads (I think). Too meaty for me (one was lard with pork bits, and one was just like a pate type thing?) but I did enjoy having some butter. Yum! Haven't had any for ages because I am too lazy to go buy some, and my grandparents don't use it. I also had a big wheat beer, which is really quite nice tasting. Also from the south.














Apparently the freezing temperatures made it "truly authentic" so I guess I should feel lucky? As the temperature drops I think longingly of beaches and Australian summer and it makes me miss home just a little more. Home in two months! I'll miss it, but summer! Warmth! No more woollies, pretty pretty dresses!

Christmas cake

An amusing little tidbit that I'd forgotten until yesterday was that the Japanese call a woman who is "on the shelf" (ie an old maid) a "Christmas cake". I found a good explanation online: "It may well be sweet and delicious, but no one really wants any after the 25th. So, if you're an unmarried Japanese woman, after the age of twenty five, you're in extreme danger of becoming a Christmas Cake." (from here)



Funny how the Japanese can make a relatively negative (even if you, like me, don't believe it's a negative thing to be an unmarried woman in your late 20s and upwards, it's MEANT in a negative sense I guess) term sound kawaii! We get old maid, they get Christmas cake!



In other news, cold winds have hit Shanghai and it is FREEZING! Bone chillingly so!

places to eat in Shanghai

I need a place to keep track of these places I want to eat at, so why not use this blog? Not very interesting for anyone else to read (sorry).

Hello sushi?
http://www.smartshanghai.com/blog/1107/Yogafish.html

Mmm... French cafe!
http://www.smartshanghai.com/venue/3133/Cafe_Montmartre_(Wulumuqi_Lu)_shanghai

Mexican! Won't be as good as the real thing, but... Australia is no better!
http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/shanghai/listings/dining/mexican/has/MAYA/

A cute little cafe:
http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/shanghai/listings/dining/cafes/has/bohemia-cafe-and-bar/?most_viewed=1

Chocolate cake:

http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/shanghai/listings/dining/dessert/has/awfully-chocolate/?most_viewed=1