Last post in Shanghai

Final day in Shanghai and I'm up late online as usual. Might as well do the same thing that I've been doing the whole time I've been here. Did the usual last minute things: got a haircut (so cheap - only 35yuan!), had a farewell yum cha lunch with family, my cousin helped out by buying me some computer-y things that my mum wanted, and finally did some packing. All my stuff fitting into a large backpack and a small suitcase, with my laptop, handbag and small backpack for carrying on. It feels strange to leave here, I'm just so used to life here and I can't imagine going back to Australia and not coming back here.

No more long walk down the wind tunnel of the alley that leads to my building, and then the trek round the other side and finally the lift to my floor (I should use the stairs but I'm lazy and the stairs are dark and creepy) and then making a bang to turn on the noise-activated lights before turning the key and creeping silently as possible into the apartment, trying not to wake anyone.

No more fun outings with my classmates and friends from many countries (but mostly Germany and Japan), which mostly seem to involve food and alcohol. Occasionally karaoke.

No more lazy afternoons with me sitting in my room watching DVDs/surfing the net with the occasional loud, bish-bashing sounds of mah jong tile washing, loud exclamations of "pang" or "sai dong" or whatever tile my grandfather is throwing down and brief conversations about the daily lives of my grandparent's fellow mah jong players playing in the background.

I'm sad to leave, but I have to go home. Strange to say that when this kind of somewhere in the past 4 months became home.

DVD fun

I feel like posting and because there's nothing exciting about Chinese New Year that I can say outside of food! and fireworks! I figured DVDs (which occupy a huge part of my time here) is next best. Especially given I've just spent the past couple of days doing nothing but watching DVDs. Veronica Mars to be exact. And I both love it and hate it (love it because it's awesome, hate it because it's over and there are NO MORE SEASONS!). So here's a little rundown of my thoughts on TV/DVDs since I've been here, it might help you decide on your next DVD purchase (although it should be noted my TV taste is NOT everyone's, also note that this is not in any particular order, just stream of consciousness):

1. Veronica Mars
Wonderful. Veronica herself is really well done, Kristen Bell did a very good job with the character and I think she's probably a stronger female "kick ass" lead than Buffy. Plus she can actually sing, whereas Sarah Michelle Gellar? Cannot.
And I must say that Logan Echolls is exactly how I like my men to be: tormented but with just enough occasional bouts of humanity or humour shining through to make him redeemable.
Verdict: HELL YES!

2. Charmed
The entire 8 seasons. It's true this show, even at its best (which is seasons 1, 2 and 3 when Shannen Doherty was still on it) was never any good. It was just enjoyable trash with a touch of the supernatural. But Piper was the best, especially after she got over being timid and shy in the first part of season 1. Rewatching this show is really only for those who were going through puberty when it was first showing or if you really really like Julian McMahon watch seasons 3-5. He's hot and evil and sometimes shirtless, what more do you need to know?
Verdict: maybe if you're desperate or nostalgic for the 90s...

3. Weeds
I haven't seen most of this show, just about a third of season one. This got good reviews, but having actually seen Mary Louise Parker (main character) in West Village is the real reason why I started watching (yes I have very pathetic reasons for picking TV shows). Bit of this show are pretty good, but I have to admit I don't like the main character. That's not always a show killer, and I think the idea of the show is great and executed pretty well, it's just hard to take this show in more than teeny tiny doses.
Verdict: only if you like pasty looking middle aged white ladies looking pensive. A lot.


4. Project Runway
I've now seen all 5 seasons (except the finale for season 3 because the stupid DVD cut out, although I know who won and I you tubed the final runways) and really, what was going on with season 5? The seasons got better, but season 5? SO not better than season 4. But would it have been possible to beat snarky Christian Siriano and his dramatic couture? Probably not. And I think I actually learned stuff from this show! The British and Australian versions did not hold a candle to this because: Kelly Osbourne sucks and the Australian designers on the show also mostly sucked.
Verdict: FIERCE! Watch it, love it, and, like me, wish you could sew.


5. Gilmore Girls
I've already watched the entire series before, and fairly recently, so I only started rewatching a few episodes before deciding I'd rather try to make it through Charmed instead. I do love this show, but rewatching season 1 reminded me that mostly I didn't love season 1. Except for Michel and his Frenchiness and Tristan and his hot jerkiness. Rory doesn't have much of a personality yet, and is just not that believable as being all that smart. And Lorelai is fun and amusing until she totally screws Max over for no reason when hello? She should not have been dating him anyway cos he's her daughter's English teacher. Also thinking about it, they made some really poor casting choices for Rory's boyfriends. Dean? Jess? Ugh. I think the only one I liked was Logan. However the only reason why it's believable that so many guys like the Rory character is because Alexis Bleidel is pretty. Rory herself is kind of bleh.
Verdict: love 'em or hate 'em, this show still sucks you in with all its drama and perkiness.


6. Friends
I started rewatching season 1 and I'd forgotten how fun this show was in a brainless kind of way. This was before it got way too convoluted and incestuous with all the inter-friendly hook ups and it was just Ross and Rachel. It's funny because I think I bonded with some girls because of this show, and I could barely remember the show at all, just had a vague impression that when I was 11-13 years old I like it. That pre-teen is still there and still likes it.
Verdict: still has a few chuckles in it.


7. Gossip Girl
This is still ongoing, one of the few current shows I'm watching right now. In fact, perhaps the only one? What can I say about a show that has me gripped each week, even though I don't find any of the male characters particularly attractive? That's okay because Blair and Serena and Lily are pretty enough and Eric and Chuck are awesome and the other characters are not so annoying that I would stop watching.
Verdict: watch it now while it's still hot because the OC really started sucking after they all went to university...


8. Heroes
I almost don't want to write about this because honestly I've barely seen any of this show this season because it is just TOO MUCH OF A MESS. They don't have time to deal with storylines and way too much Peter Petrelli and Hiro isn't awesome anymore and even though there's more Sylar and he's weirdly hot it's just not ok. Even with Kristen Bell (totally underused and possibly she died on the show but I don't actually know because I stopped watching, she is so much better than Hayden Panettiere who is cute but has nothing else going for her besides that) this show is diving down, down, down. How could this show stay on air when Veronica Mars got ditched when IT WAS STILL AWESOME? The mind boggles.
Verdict: watch season 1. It was good. Then stop. Nothing else is good.

And because 8 is a lucky number in China, that's it for me and my lame-o tv show reviews (aka my own biased view combined with some of the thoughts from recaps I read on http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com).

Recording my life in Shanghai for posterity - AM

I've been uploading photos today and a few photos have inspired me to blog about them. Usually I'm pretty wordy and not as much a photo + writing person, but I realised that I like reading posts with pictures so I should try it out myself.
The picture below is a group shot of my 初二班一 (chu er ban yi) class, specifically comprehensive reading/grammar.



In the middle in the beige knit and glasses is my (and everyone else's) favourite teacher, Anna. It would be tough teaching such a boring topic (Chinese grammar) from a pretty mediocre textbook, but you could really tell she enjoyed teaching and she prepared in depth for her classes (which our speaking teacher CLEARLY did not). As a result you get students who actually want to come to class and who engage in the materials. I'm lucky I had her as my teacher because grammar, reading and writing are tougher to learn on your own. Speaking and listening can be learnt more easily and probably more efficiently just by watching TV, listening to music and going out and talking to Chinese people.

[Can you tell that I'm finding it tough writing from a photograph? It's a bit restrictive and making me overly descriptive as opposed to analytical (or critical) which I suppose I am. I think I keep switching points of view/tense too...]

A lot of my classmates are from Asian countries, with the exceptions being myself, Michelle (one of the girls directly behind me is also an Aussie) and the two non-Asians in the picture (German). Koreans and Japanese make up most of the international student population at Jiaotong University, which makes sense because of the proximity of both countries to China (Shanghai in particular being on the coastline) and the business between the countries.

It ends up being fairly important which class you end up in, because unless you have a lot of extracurricular activities or you're extremely outgoing I think that these are the people that you end up being friends with. Luckily for me, I liked most of the people in my class (besides a few that never spoke - possibly because they didn't speak English and very little Chinese) and made a few friends too. I know some people in other classes weren't as lucky to have such a sociable bunch of classmates.



I'm especially lucky because I had classmates who liked to go to lunch with me after class so I had lunch buddies! Most days at least one of these two lovely ladies ate with me (plus others) and ate a lot of food around the Xujiahui and Fanyu road area. My favourite has to be the Japanese place on Xinhua road that does tasty and filling "business lunch boxes" during the day (with yummo chawanmushi - steamed egg) and all you can eat and drink at night. You can't go wrong with a recommendation for Japanese FROM a Japanese right?

And that's my daytime life. Classes and food. Exciting huh?

Tailoring a cheap but wearable suit

Inspired by a friend who asked me about getting a suit tailored here in Shanghai, here are my recommendations for getting a tailor made suit. Note that I'm not an expert, just someone who has tried tailoring in Hoi An, Vietnam (the place to go for cheap tailoring, but also the place where you learn that cheap tailoring is exactly that... cheap!) and here in Shanghai. Plus someone who loves Project Runway. So what I know could fit into a matchbox. But I do have a (perhaps overly) critical eye/pen/keyboard when it comes to describing pretty much anything, which I believe is helpful in not getting too ripped off.

General points
1. Pick a fairly plain pattern. They cannot make anything too far away from the stock jacket/pants/skirt pattern that they use, so it's better to get a plain cut which they are less likely to stuff up.
2. Note that the samples shown are usually better versions that they got made by someone who actually is a real tailor and knows what they are doing, it is likely what you get will be LOWER QUALITY than what is shown. That makes it difficult to choose a tailor based on the materials in store. I don't feel I've ever been particularly successful in finding great tailors, as even the usual rule of "if there's a long line, it's good" doesn't really hold up. Recommendations from friends who know what they're talking about are VERY useful. Total beginners who somehow got something they liked are NOT good recommendees, but better than nobody I suppose. Your fashionista friend studying design who knows about clothes (and whose personal style you admire) is a better option. Try looking online too.
3. In China the people who own the stores are probably not the same people who make the clothes (gets shipped off to their little sweatshop, if you can find a tailor who makes things him/herself that'd be great, but note that it usually takes longer to get that done), so make sure you get them to DRAW (or write, or ideally both) exactly what you've described to them for the suit.
4. If, when you return for the fitting, you are unhappy with the result, the good news is that after several revisions you can usually end up with something wearable (if not exactly what you wanted in the first place). This is where point 1 comes in though, if you make your designer plainer and more similar to their standard pattern, your suit will turn out better. Revisions can only do so much. They can make sleeves fit better, they can make pants fit properly, they can clean up the lapels etc. But if it's just really ugly, there's not much that can be done about that...
5. In true China style, if you aren't happy, complain and get them to fix it. :o) Be specific: ie the sleeves are too long, these buttons need to be readjusted/sit higher etc. If you have that fashionista friend mentioned above, ask them to come with you!
6. If you have no recommendations and can't find anything useful online AND (most importantly) if you don't mind being a guinea pig, find a place that looks good to you. Although it's unlikely, you might find a diamond in the rough. Note that most places will probably be "the rough" and not the diamond though... I haven't had a great deal of luck with this method, but if you do try it, maybe start with something smaller/cheaper like a shirt and see if you like how they make that.

Materials
7. The point to be made about materials is that if you don't really know good quality fabric over bad quality, you will find it more difficult to know whether you're being ripped off for "the best Italian cashmere". However, it's pretty likely that the store owners are lying. I read somewhere that the really high-end fabrics do not exist in Asia so you can't expect them. My suggestion (from someone who is also not that great with fabrics) is to just go with the print/pattern that you like, feel the fabric (you should at least be able to tell the really cheap and nasty synthetic fabrics from something a little bit nicer) and if you're satisfied with it, then go with that. Don't buy fabrics that are already pilling (those crappy little balls that gather on fabrics) or shoddy looking/dirty. Obvious enough right?

Jacket
8. From watching Project Runway I now know that jackets are one of the hardest pieces to make. The point about keeping this plain is particularly important as you can't get couture from an el cheapo tailor.
9. Small changes are ok i.e. different collar or lapels, where the buttons go on the jacket or how many buttons you want should work out. But make sure they write it down/draw it ala point 3 so you end up with what changes you asked for.
10. Get someone else to go with you on your fittings so that they can see what the back of your jacket looks like. Make sure they're honest about it and critical and if possible know something about clothes...
11. Get it lined. Just make sure you ask for lining because otherwise you MIGHT not get,... it's always best to make more requests than less.

Pants
12. Pants are easier to make so they shouldn't struggle too much. However you need to watch out for things like them making the pants way too straight leg/high waisted (you do NOT want nerd pants). When they're measuring you for the pants you will be able to see how long they are making them, and how wide etc. So if you wanted wide legged pants and the width around your leg they're measuring seems pretty tight, you can tell them to make it wider. They'll try to argue but just fight back. You can always get the pants let in, but you can't really let it out that much.
13. I also recommend asking for lining because it means the pants won't be itchy if you got a woolen material. Note that you might not get it (I didn't even though I asked for it...)

Skirts
14. Basic skirts, best to go A-line. The fashion for skirt styles in China is a bit different to Western countries, so basic is good in this sense because otherwise you end up with some weirdly froufrou China style.
15. A good thing to note with a skirt is the zips/closing. I hate those stupid little metal fasteners they use so I asked for a button to close it. I recommend that because the little metal things tend to fall off easily. Buttons are marginally better so ask for that. It's easy to change if they forget too! That's a good note for the pants too, buttons > little metal fasteners.

And that's my advice, useful or not. It's a lot to think about, which is why I'm saying off the rack on sale can be better... less things to think about and the workmanship is already there for you to see. You can tell if the buttons are close to falling off, or if the seams are uneven, you know what you're buying. It also takes a long time to get a tailored suit, which not everybody has.

In the end, you get what you paid for, so if you pay around 500yuan for your suit, you won't end up with something that looks like it cost a lot of money, but you can end up with an acceptable and wearable suit for less than you'd pay off the rack (make sure you bargain them down - it is China after all, it's all negotiable BEFORE the deal is made, but not afterwards), which is what most people are looking for.

One down...

Two to go. First exam, and one of the easiest, speaking.
Except when I had to talk about environmental pollution. I mean I kind of knew it was coming (after turning up at the exam I definitely knew because my friend told me so I had 20 minutes to think about it) but what am I supposed to say with the limited vocabulary that I have? I'm not yet at the level of fluency where I can just say whatever about anything and get the gist across. And Chinese is not really a language where it's so easy to convey ideas without the requisite vocab. My friend said to me that Chinese people don't seem to have that many adjectives, when they describe something it's always good or really good or bad or terrible. It's true, although maybe at a higher level when you learn to speak more expressively that changes, but in everyday life I find most people don't use a lot of adjectives. Or maybe they do and I can't understand them! Heh.

Something has bitten me on the wrist. I'll take it to mean I'm allergic to Chinese exams.

One month more

Any Les Mis fans may or may not get the reference in my title. I've now got that song stuck in my head, I'm thinking of writing some lyrics to go with my current situation, but that takes more motivation than I've got right now. This post is probably a bit out of the usual travel/life in China post that I usually put up here, but my LJ lifeline has been cut again so blog here it is!

I guess now that it's a real countdown/race to the end of my time here, I think I'm appreciating my time here a little more. Or maybe it's because I just came back from travelling around other unfamiliar parts of China and Shanghai seems familiar and home-like now. I've toyed with the idea, on-and-off, of staying here for longer instead of going back home and working, but it keeps coming down to the same thing. It'd just be financially crazy/unviable not to take the job I've got lined up waiting for me and instead living here with no income (I suppose I could find some teaching position in the interim before finding a likely low-paid job here in Shanghai) likely having to keep on living with the G'parents. And all the pro/con lists that I can make in my head don't help. In the end I should ask whether I want to stay or go, but the answer is that I don't really know. I want to stay, I want to go.

Part of me longs for the independence I'll get when I go back. Then I think of having responsibilities, paying bills, working full time. But then I switch back and think it'd be the same here, I'd have to work, but I'd be paid much less in a (most likely) less intellectually satisfying job (and with fewer work perks like flex time and leave days). But then there's family here, and learning Chinese, and all the novelty that comes from living in a new, big city. Versus the friends living in Canberra that I've got and all the usual, cosy haunts that I've got around the 'Berra.

Sometimes in life you get these forks in the road and I know I'm the type of person who, no matter how happy/satisfied I am along my other path, will always wonder what would have happened if only I'd gone the other way. But that's what keeps life interesting, is it not? The endless possibilities, the what might have beens, the what will bes?

I know I'm going back, but it's interesting to speculate on what it could be if I didn't.

***
In other news-worthy items (or not, depending on your perspective) I just got back from travelling in southern China - Guilin, Yangshuo and Guangzhou. While I don't think I got out of the actual travel what most gushing tourists get (various over-awed and excited exclamations of "oh wow isn't the view BREATHTAKING?" and "aren't Chinese minority cultures SOOO fascinating?" Or as one American guy sitting at a table in a small, but touristy restaurant in a village near the Dragon's backbone terraces "this chicken is the best chicken I've ever tasted... it's ruined all chicken for me for LIFE!") it was good to see other parts of China, besides Shanghai and Beijing. I was dragged to a few smaller Chinese towns near Shanghai when I was younger, but I didn't really appreciate them at the time.

In some ways Chinese cities are all the same. Lots of tall buildings, all in that kind of ugly Chinese modern architectural style (i.e. with haste overtaking taste as the final say in how it all looks); a bit of foggy smoggy-ness in the skies; the centre of the city having big, wide roads with stores and restaurants and hair dressing salons galore; and the scads of Chinese people busily roaming the streets. But if you look a little closer I think you can see some of the differences too. And that's what makes it interesting.

I think it helped me realise that I'm a bit of a city gal. Nature is nice when it's sunny and beautiful and the birds are chirping (not too loudly, that's just annoying) and you can wear t-shirts and shorts outside, but when it's cold and rainy and you're miserable and gloomy, it's not all it's cracked up to be. I'd rather be inside next to a fire or a heater with a hot drink and a good book than outside roaming the moors to see some foggy greenery and getting all rosy cheeked and red-nosed.

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!

Chinese banana girl

I found this really good Chinese learning website, and I was listening to some of the podcasts. There was a particularly interesting one on overseas Chinese which mentioned a term I'd never heard before but think is amazing: "egg". Hah, that made me laugh. I guess that's white on the outside, yellow on the inside? As opposed to banana, which is me, mostly. Although I guess I'd describe myself as a Chinese banana - yellow on the outside, white on the inside, but with a Chinese flavour (and of course made in China). I think that pretty much sums it up.

The whole topic of overseas Chinese is a really interesting one, and I couldn't even begin to discuss it. At least not in a blog. I think it's much more organic and would flow more freely in a conversation. My 口语 kouyu (spoken Chinese) teacher said to my class mate and me that she finds it difficult to think of ways to keep the class interested in the lessons. In my head I thought "well that's obvious", but externally I said "well that's to be expected. The levels of spoken Chinese in this class are too low for decent conversations on most topics, and yet we're all old enough that we don't want to be discussing the baby topics that we could converse on using what we've learnt" (that's not really an exact translation of what I said, but you know, it's what I was trying to say, with a bit of me adding a bit of extra ME into the words that I find more difficult/impossible when I'm speaking Chinese).

I think I may have complained on this blog before about my classes here in Shanghai, but for me I believe the biggest problem is that I'm in this extremely odd space where my spoken, listening and reading/writing skills are ALL different. Listening is the best for me, and spoken is a little way behind (I'm paying for all the time I spent responding to my parents in English when they spoke to me in Chinese), and reading/writing further behind that. I didn't get my act together and fix that when I could so now it's pretty much what I've gotten myself lumped with.

I know from speaking to other students that they also find the classes similarly unstimulating. It is very repetitive learning a language, so I understand that it's not going to be a barrel of laughs. But, like learning anything, a lot hinges on your teachers. If they can get you excited about what you're learning, however dull the grammar structure is that you're learning, then I think you've got a good 'un on your hands. My reading teacher is like that. She teaches us some of the most boring stuff, and yet somehow makes it interesting. Just a natural talent for teaching I guess. Combined with an interest in helping students learn.

I think if she taught all my classes, and if I was in the right level for everything, I could really learn a lot here. As it is, I've surprised myself with how far I've come. I guess I didn't think that I was learning a lot, but in a way, I've gained a lot of knowledge that is now in my brain swimming around somewhere. Chinese isn't like a lot of other languages, because it has so many different words, so you just have to memorise things. There's no way out of it.

I think I'll start listening to more of the podcasts (there are a lot) and supplement my class learning.

http://www.chinesepod.com

How does time pass by so quickly?

It just zooms past. Zoom zoom zoom. I feel like my time in Shanghai will be gone before I've even realised that I'm actually here, if that makes any sense at all. I do feel like I'm getting more of a handle on the city. It's getting colder, but I think I need to go and explore the city some more. I did a little bit today as I was meeting a friend and his girlfriend in a heretofore unexplored area of town. It looked not too far away on the map so I figured I'd just walk. I ended up being 30 minutes late (it took me about 45 minutes to walk there, but partly because I kept having to check my not so trusty Lonely Planet map) but it was ok because they were even later (also underestimated how hard to far away it was!). I am excited because I found a whole street full of restaurants, so I need to go back again sometime. The area is also known as Shanghai's "Koreatown" and although I didn't see any Korean places, there are meant to be a lot somewhere around there. Mmm... Korean! Something I rarely eat in Australia because it sucks in Canberra and I never seem to get around to it in Sydney!

It takes me awhile to get used to a city. I'm also not the type of person that likes to run out and explore willy-nilly before I'm acquainted with things a bit better. And I've never liked going for walks without purpose (I used to take walks to the local shops so that I'd have somewhere to end up at!) so I'll have to figure out some walking purposes...

Weekends go by so quickly, and weekdays crawl but the week speeds up and suddenly it's the weekend again. I think working full time will feel like this too. Except of course I'll have less free time to watch DVDs. Gotta make the most of my free time now. Pity I have to study. :o(

Post-exam celebrations

Post-exams a few of my classmates and I went out and celebrated Japanese style by going to an "all you can eat and drink" Japanese restaurant. All for the low, low price of 150yuan! That's like $35AUD? Expensive by Chinese standards, but great value for money because we ordered and drank up a storm.

Vegetarians, look away now! I even thanked the little raw fishies that gave up their lives to be able to have the privilege of swimming around in my stomach. Yum! oh raw salmon, how i love thee. I tried some beef carpaccio (raw beef - or at least beef that had only been seared for all of 1 second in the pan) which was ok, but not the greatest thing I've ever eaten.

Also - can I just say that Japanese people are crazy drinkers? Koreans too! Or at least the ones in my class are. Lots of urging people to scull down alcohol in large quantities and then subsequent cheering and clapping and stomping on the floor. Lachlan, if you're reading this, you would be proud of me, the old Trin who used to be able to drink large quantities of alcohol and still stand up, has somewhat resurfaced. After a LOT of sake shots, asahi beer, some shochu (and later on two vodka/oranges) I was not only still standing but not even vaguely drunk. I got a bit of the Asian red flush earlier on, but it went away once someone let some cool air into the restaurant. Although I don't know how they doctor the alcohol here so maybe I just wasn't get that much alcohol in the system.

However, like I said the Japanese and Koreans all got a bit crazy. One guy (who reminds me of a manga character) was smiling extra hard. Hilarious as he has a deep, dimpley smile and so a constant smile made him look a little bit psychotic, in a happy way of course. Not in an "I think I want to shove a knife deep into your guts and twist it hard" but in an "I've inhaled large quantities of laughing gas" or an "I've had an extreme face lift and know my face is stuck like this forever" kind of way. And another guy, after hitting on a girl for about 20 minutes (I had a bet with this other guy going that they'd hook up within 20 minutes- which I lost) suddenly leapt up for the bathroom to collapse. It's always so flattering when that happens, for me it feels a bit like "oh so you were only talking to me because in your drunken state you probably saw two or three of me and thought this might be a chance for a threesome/foursome? RIGHT then..."

Afterwards a few of us joined some other non-classmates at a club (although first I tramped for 30 minutes in the rain and got my boots all wet). Shanghai clubs continue to be lame and to not interest me that much. I should just give up on it, it's kind of expensive going out here! I should just accept I'm a bit of a granny (although living with my actual granny I've realised I'm not 100% granny yet as I still like to walk relatively fast and I don't complain nearly as much) and stay home. Like I am tonight. Saturday night and I'm sitting at home writing this post and about to watch Project Catwalk (British Project Runway) season 3. That's actually my idea of a pretty good night! The only thing that could make it better would be someone to make snarky/bitchy comments about the lame outfits with me. And no grandma barging into my room at midnight asking why I'm not asleep yet!

Settling in - life in Shanghai

No posts for a bit as I lost my initial excitement about having proper access to internet to a certain extent. Am still using it a lot, but more for watching TV (oh how I love thee Project Runway) than for anything else. I'm sitting here drinking tea and eating a cookie and loading an episode of Project Runway, season 5. Not as good as season 4, not even close, as the designers on this season seem to lack... talent. That's a bit harsh coming from someone who struggles to sew in a straight line (I can do buttons though!) but it's true. Where did they find these people? No Christians, Ramis, Jillians or Victoryas in THIS round up. They were going for "diversity" of designers - in terms of style and race it seems - but they ended up with a lot of people who don't have great taste and some who don't seem that good at even basic garment construction! Wonky seams, badly sewn etc.

An overview of my daily life in Shanghai:
- Wake up early, having been awoken by the noisy tones of my grandparents making desultory morning conversation, but in very loud voices as they're both a bit deaf. Sweet sounds of birds chirping it is not. Birds chirping is also way overrated, I'd rather have silence. Oh sweet silence. My grandparents are very noisy people. When they talk, it's loud, almost yelling. When they watch TV, the sound is way up. And every afternoon they play mah jong and then there are 5 old people sitting there being deaf and loud and when they "wash" the tiles (kind of like when you shuffle cards) it's a cacaphony of loud exclamations (of "oh my cards were so terrible" or "oh i was just waiting on this one") and the tiles clanking against each other repeatedly.

- Eat breakfast (usually rice porridge and some small items like pickles, tofu and preserved vegetables) and then walk to class. Except for Wednesdays when I have afternoon class, yes! Sleep in! Although my noisy grandparents wake me up early, they go out to buy the daily groceries which gives me about an hour of blissfully silent sleep.

- Class lasts for a bit over 3 hours, in blocks of 1.5 hours each and a 20 minute break in between. I've started to make some friends in my class and through them met a couple of others which is nice. I went out to a couple of bars (not very good ones I must admit) and ended up slightly hungover on Wednesday afternoon. I think the cocktails here must have some extra poison in them, I only had one cocktail and one beer and should NOT have been feeling that bad the next day.
We have three types of classes: kouyu (speaking), tingli (listening) and the intensive reading course (can't remember the name in Chinese!). My reading course by far is the best as the teacher is very good at her job. She keeps you involved, and even if it is not exactly interesting perse (I mean it's just reading new words, reading passages about unexciting topics like fixing bicycles and being sick etc, and learning grammar structures) but I certainly feel like I want to learn with her. Listening teacher is also not too bad, but we move too slowly I feel. That's partly because I should be in a higher class but you're meant to do everything all on the same level and I'm too lazy to argue about it. Sometimes it's just easier following the rules here. Speaking is stupid, as we don't spend much time speaking, just reading the passages after the teacher. She's a really nice lady, but not much of a teacher so far. Looks like she might be improving, but time will tell.

- Lunch: I was eating this with my grandparents but now have eaten with classmates a couple of times. Both times Japanese! Curry and then ramen. I really want sushi though. Haven't yet scoped out the best places to eat. The area that my university is in is not as cheap as it's fairly central, but my grandparents said there are some good places around. Chinese is the cheapest of course, should eat more of that!

- Then the rest of the day I spend studying and watching TV online (yes, at the same time - although you need to study a fair amount, it doesn't need THAT much brain power).

Overall not hugely exciting, and I've never really been a fan of stability/routine, but that's what it's like here. My grandparents are very big on routine (they're old) so my life gets a little structured around them, and also around classes. They've got a bit of a salsa scene here which I am hoping to look into (found some links to it via Facebook - oh the beauty of FB!) and that should give me a bit of excitement in my life!

Shanghai shopping

Xixi mentioned that she thought shopping in China might have increased in price since she last came, and perhaps this is true in the department stores, but you can still get great deals in market type places. I went to the Hongqiao International Pearl City, driving there through insane traffic with my mum's friend and her daughter. Her daughter currently lives in Ottawa, Canada, but is here on vacation for about a month. It's nice having someone to do something with outside of just study and family and it was nice to finally do some shopping (and not in Qingdao...).

Le Sportsac is really big in China right now, which makes sense because it's brand-y enough to appeal to Chinese sensibilities, whilst also being cutesy enough to really really catch on! I invested in two little bags, and luckily my mum's friend was a really good bargainer. I wouldn't have been game to bargain as hard as she did, but then given how weak our Aussie $$$ is right now I should bargain for all I'm worth! I also got two wallets, one "Dior" and one "Gucci", but not the typical weird little infinity symbol Guccis that you usually see. That was definitely a need because my wallet is falling apart. I really wanted this beautiful "Anna Sui" old fashioned flowered one, but she wouldn't lower her price anymore so we walked out. If I see it again maybe I'll buy it. Although who needs so many wallets? You only really use one... it was really really nice though.

My name is Trin and I'm a shopaholic. Hello everyone.

China - settling down

I finally have internet set up at my grandparent's place in Shanghai so I'll be able to update on my doings in China! And blogspot works here which is good. No LJ but I'll live without it.

I'd like to write something interesting about first impressions etc but then I've been to Shanghai a few times now, so it's not really first impressions at all. I had forgotten what China was like though and from reading my Lonely Planet I guess I'd recreated a very different Shanghai in my head. In reality, Shanghai, although modern, is still a Chinese city, making it VERY different from other, Western cities. I guess because New York, LA, San Fran, although they weren't the same, all had that essential Western city look to them that made me almost feel like I was at home in Australia. Even Mexico City, despite the armed guards with guns (eep!) and the street stalls selling tacos and other various tasty Mexican street meats, was kind of European looking.

But Shanghai is... well you definitely know you're in China. Because it's so quickly developing I thought that perhaps a lot of the inequalities between rich rich and poor poor had disappeared, at least in terms of buildings and infrastructure. However you can still find tall skyscraper apartment buildings next to little shanty type hut things. Although I guess there are less than there used to be. And then you've got all the little fresh food markets, with people selling a whole range of vegetables (yum) and then big slabs of meat just hang out on wooden blocks (not so yum).

So far my classes are ok. I'm in this weird situation of having much better spoken and listening skills than written and reading skills but because of the way the system works here I am all on the same level for all. Not very well organised I suppose, although I have been told some people mix and match classes, but generally have to figure it out on their own. It's good to learn some proper grammar having never really properly studied Chinese before. Just dribs and drabs of when my mother and grandmother tried to teach me, as well as the very uninformative lessons I took at a Chinese school back when I was 11.

Haven't properly made friends yet, but have a few people I talk to in class who are quite nice. I already have family and other connections in China so it's not too lonely. Also meeting up with Xixi in Qingdao was good. It did make my slowly developing Chinese a lot worse, as I didn't have to speak Chinese for about 5 full days! Every day you speak you gain so much, and every day you don't you lose so much. Probably the internet is a bad thing too as it means I'll spend more time in front of it and less trying to talk to my grandparents. Oh well, I'll try to limit myself, and anyway they always vegetate in front of the TV every evening.

Now should study for a dictation test tomorrow!