2011年05月30日 Shanghai (Day 04)

Bye Shanghai, Hello Seoul?
The forth day was pretty much preparing to fly back to Japan, but not before buying a few souvenirs and snacks. Keisuke and I flew out from different airports. He flew back to Osaka. I back to Tokyo via Seoul. I had managed to get a layover in Seoul, however not by choice as price had dictated my itinerary. Fortunate for me my layover would leave me in Seoul for one whole evening and the morning after before finally returning to Tokyo.

Taking advantage of this layover, I planned on meeting my friend Cliff at the airport and staying with him until my flight in the morning. Ideally I would have liked a direct flight home, but as it turns out this detour was welcome as it gave me the opportunity to see my good friend who I hadn’t seen in ages.

Walking around the morning of the last day in Shanghai in search of a local supermarket. I always like visiting supermarkets in different countries and seeing what they have to offer.

Looking around at familiar items… with a Chinese appearance.

When I was a kid I used to buy these all the time when my family shopped at the Chinese market near my house in Markham. I don’t know what they’re called.

Me and my many water bottles. I traveled to Shanghai just after the big Tohoku earthquake & tsunami. Tokyo at the time had a shortage of bottled water after the advent of the disaster. I hadn’t seen this much water available and up for grabs and I only had to come to China to get it!

Packing my stuff at the hotel and watching MTV and this girls really high skirt!

Waiting for my flight to Seoul at the pretty much deserted Hongqiao Airport.

Eating dinner in Seoul. I didn’t know until I got there that Cliff was staying pretty close to the airport! I could totally just walk back to the airport in the morning.

Some of the side dishes at dinner. I love Korean food! I really should plan a trip to Seoul again.

Eating samgyeopsal! One of my favorite things to eat in Korea! :9

2011年05月29日 Shanghai (Day 03)

The Third Day
We didn’t have much of a plan that day. I had written down some places people had recommended to see from online and decided to check them out (time permitting).

The first stop was checking out the Shanghai Expo grounds. Of course the expo had been long closed, but the area still remains a place to visit. Walking towards the expo grounds you begin to see the crowds of people, lines and ticket scalpers. I didn’t think it would be that busy especially since the expo is now closed. The place is just chaotic! Just getting into the place looks like a headache and would take all day. Me and Keisuke weren’t exactly sure what we would find inside so we opted to take some quick shots and just get out of there.

The first stop was a bust so we headed out to the Jing’an Temple. However by the time we arrived it was closed. Bad luck, bad timing. Plus the area we happened to be around near the temple  had homeless people roaming about. It was a different contrast from the other places we had visited thus far. I especially enjoyed seeing the displays of public urination. :S

The rest of the day was spent in the Xintiandi where we went to this amazing Brazilian restaurant called the Latina Grill. Xintiandi has become a symbol of the changing aspirations China has for Shanghai. The area is really cute filled with cafes, restaurants and shopping. Nice place to spend your afternoon in.

The final thing on the list of things to do on the day was to finally go up the Oriental Pearl Tower. The weather had improved only marginally, but it was now or never as this was the last full day we had in Shanghai.

Outside the Shanghai World Expo. Behind me you can see the beginning of the line, which doesn’t look so bad from this vantage point, but trust me that line was ridiculous and chaotic. I felt stressed out just being there. Plus I needed to pee really badly and it was someone’s sick joke to have the streets lined with portable toilets, but almost all were locked! It seems public washrooms are hard to come by in Shanghai… at least for me they were.

Somewhere near the Jing’an Temple. It was a shame that it was closed when we arrived. The pictures from Google made it seem like a worth-while place to visit. For some reason there were a lot of homeless hanging around here and a bunch of stray dogs, which leave less to be desired. The Jing’an area however is home to one of Shanghai’s business districts, a vibrant nightlife and home to numerous expatriates.

Exploring the less to be desired areas of Jing’an; I’m treated to a public display of urination…joyful. :/

Being silly at the fountain in Xintiandi. We had a hard time deciding on what to eat cause there were many places to choose from, but deciding on eating at Latina turned out to be the food highlights of the day. Not exactly Chinese, but who can argue with a buffet. Xintiandi is a nice place… it feels like you’re not in China, yet you are.

Eating at Latina, the Brazilian buffet restaurant. They come to your table with swords skewered with succulent meats. I was so stuffed and very content… all I wanted to do after that was sleep. :P A must go!

In one of the renovated shikumen lanes in Xintiandi. Shikumen literally means “stone gate”, it is an architectural style for residential style buildings in Shanghai, China combining Western and Chinese elements. They also make a great place to have a photo shoot. I have a couple of fun pictures against this backdrop.

Yet another shikumen alleyway where I can pose for the camera! :P

I managed to take snap this angelic-like shot of the Oriental Pearl Tower. In actuality, the tower is not so spectacular up close IMO. The interior is dated in some places, but the view is nice (if the weather is cooperating).

When making our way up the tower, a tour group of Mainland Chinese proceeded to rudely pass me for the elevator. It’s a bit aggravating, but it a cultural thing. I learned that people tend to push. And stare. And spit. And talk loudly. China does have an extremely large population. Unfortunately, due to many years of civil strife, a good proportion of people did not have a good education. Many old Chinese habits like spitting and talking loudly continue to be part of their way of life and while rude and unbecoming to a foreigner, is part and parcel of the Chinese people. As a result it’s a culture shock and may affect your like or dislike for China. However, it is good to know that the young population is getting more and more polite and considerate over the years. (Find out more about Culture shock in China.)

Enjoying the glass floor of the tower. The interior of the tower could use some renovating.  There was this one section of the observation deck where the stairs were lined with a wooden banister and some potted plants which stood out-of-place.

The infamous wooden bannister on the observation deck. This place needs a facelift.

The last full day was so-so. But it goes to show you that you should plan ahead of time as to not get disappointed. Always do your research. One thing to note is if you just arrive to work or travel in China, you are very likely to be in for a MAJOR culture shock. China evokes a response even from the meekest of us; either you love China or hate it on first impression! Always remember though to keep an open mind.

2011年05月28日 Shanghai (Later on Day 02)

Rainy Day in Shanghai
After visiting Yuyuan we headed down towards the Bund and towards Pudong. Pudong is home to China’s financial and commercial hub and is emerged as a new economic development zone. Keisuke wanted to see the Shanghai World Financial Center, which is currently the tallest building in China and 3rd tallest in the world. The building was aided, developed and invested in by the Mori Building Group, which being a prominent Japanese company and developer; many Japanese tourist frequent the building while visiting Shanghai it seems.

The weather was wet and foggy so making our way up didn’t seem worth it. We hoped that in later days it would clear up and we could at least make our way up the Oriental Pearl Tower if not the Shanghai World Financial Center. The rest of the day was just spent walking around Pudong and drinking Starbucks.

While browsing through photos I realized that the second day in Shanghai was jam-packed! We did a lot of stuff and consequently we were exhausted by the end of it. I was so tired and wet.

A rainy day in Pudong.

Exiting the station the view of the Shanghai World Financial Center & Jin Mao Tower are less than stellar.

A the base of the Shanghai Financial Center- When we arrived in Pudong we couldn’t see which skyscraper was which because of the clouds and fog. We had to check out a map instead of relying on visual landmarks. What was funny to me was some other tourist approached us  for directions, while we were trying to get our bearings.

This is the closest I would come to seeing the SWFC in terms of clarity that day. :P

Walking around in the rain.

We were walking back to the train station, when we saw something twinkling, which turned out to be the Louis Vuitton store. LOL time to be fabulous!

It’s the Oriental Pearl Tower!!! Oooo Aaaa!

Heading back to the hotel after a long day… but there’s always time for Starbucks… Fuel for Keisuke. I think I’m fueled by chocolate milk and Pringles!

Picture time is over for the day thank you!

2011年05月22日 Shanghai (Early on Day 02)

Yuyuan Garden & Bazaar
The next day was spent around Yuyuan Garden and the Bazaar in the Old City. The place is very busy on the weekends and for the popular venues like the Huxinting Tea house and sampling such things as xiaolongbao (小笼包) at the world-famous Nanxiang Mantou Dian dumpling restaurant expect long lines. Instead of lining up, the think the majority of the time was spent shopping and sampling foods that didn’t require lining up.

We explored the Yuyuan Tourist Mart and went shopping at H&M of all places, where just outside in the courtyard they played Katy Perry’s Fireworks nonstop! I like the song, but I swear that song was on perma-repeat that whole day!

The Old City is what you would expect traditional China to look like. It felt very cultural and traditional, until you past a Dairy Queen or Starbucks… But I ain’t complaining.

A prominent landmark in the Yuyuan Tourist Market.

Taking a picture in the tourist market just to prove I was there.

Traditional-like market area near the Yuyuan Garden.

Traditional-like Shanghai needs a traditional-like Starbucks!

Some kind of old style picture show. It seemed to be very fun and entertaining.

The famous Huxinting Tea House. Long lines await you on the weekend to this shanty building. Apparently many foreign dignitaries come here when they visit Shanghai.

We went to lunch upstairs from where this food vendor was.  Our lunch wasn’t amazing, but there was a wide assortment of foods to choose from. I believe the skewers in the foreground are sparrow!

Video taken from a food market during the Beijing Olympics.  Perhaps you can find these foods in Shanghai as well. Yummy? :S

Glazed strawberries – a delightful treat! I read about this I think on a website listing 50 things to eat in Shanghai or something.

People hanging out at the Yuyuan Garden.

2011年05月18日 Shanghai (Day 01)

Recap Begins
I’ve finally came around to talk about my trip to Shanghai. It took so long basically because of laziness. Doing a travel recap requires me to re-research the place names and upload videos and pictures… It’s a small undertaking. I should vlog instead; perhaps that’s easier… Maybe in the future when I have a better camera or own a camcorder. LOL I wonder if I’m likable on video?

Finally Arriving in Shanghai
When I finally got to Shanghai after my long night at Haneda Airport then my layover in Seoul (FYI it was the cheapest ticket at the time)… I was totally stinky! I couldn’t wait to take a shower at the hotel. Keisuke had already arrived a few hours before on a different flight and was waiting around until I arrived.

We stayed at a pretty good hotel called the Longemont Shanghai Hotel, which is relatively near to Jiangsu Road Station near to Nanjing Road and a bunch of other touristy and sightseeing spots. LOL the breakfast buffet was most enjoyable and the room was a-typical of what you’d expect a hotel room to be like. The first day was spent walking around Nanjing Road and The Bund along the western part of the Huangpu River.

Making the most of  it on our first day in Shanghai walking along Nanjing Road, shopping and looking for something to eat.

Finally deciding on a place to eat… and realizing that not many people speak English in Shanghai and that many things will not be written in in a language I understand…Like no duh Justin! LOL Living abroad you learn to base things/make decisions based on the picture. That’s how I came to order this bok choy!

Walking along Nanjing Road one of the busiest shopping streets in the world. Everything is lit up in neon, which seems to be a constant theme in Shanghai as everything, if not everything is laced with neon and is probably flashing all the color of the rainbow.

At the Bund taking in the view. The first day it was a clear night, but the rest of the trip was wet and foggy. In retrospect we should have went to the Oriental Pearl Tower (top left) then like we had planned, but opted not to cause it was getting late and we were kind of tired and weren’t  sure how to cross the river.

My video from the Bund. It was kind of chilly that night and I was tired from the flight and unavoidable layover, but I didn’t come all this way to spend it in the hotel room. The Bund is great at night.

The Bund is home to a lot of European style buildings, many of which housed numerous banks and trading houses. This was initially a British settlement; later the British and American settlements were combined in the International Settlement. A building boom at the end of 19th century and beginning of 20th century led to the Bund becoming a major financial hub of East Asia. The former French Bund, east of the walled city was formerly more a working harbourside. The current stretch is stunning to see lit up at night.

Here’s a video I discovered on Youtube of the hotel we stayed at. I didn’t take any good pictures of the room, but this guy can give you a tour in my place. The overhead shower was an interesting touch, though I didn’t care much for the modular walls of the bathroom. I needs me some privacy.

2011年05月07日 How to get a Chinese Travel Visa in Tokyo

How to get a Chinese Travel Visa While Living in Japan
My trip to Shanghai seems like ages ago, but I feel obligated to talk about my experience in China. The first thing I needed to do was get a travel visa to enter the country from the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo. My advice as a Canadian living in Japan is to download the application (page 1,2) from the Chinese Embassy Tokyo website. Also, get your photocopies, paperwork and passport size photo ahead of time to avoid extra work and lineups at the embassy.

Things you should bring:
1. A valid passport with enough blank pages & a photocopy
2. Alien Registration Card & a photocopy
3. One standard passport-sized colored head shot
4. Evidence of a hotel reservation or equivalent
5. Evidence of a 2-way ticket (i.e. itinerary)

The Embassy is by Roppongi Hills and not as big as I thought. There is a security checkpoint at the entrance and the metal detector, but  once that’s over with make your way to the third floor and line up at the small window in the corner. From my experience and what I remember you let the lady know what kind of visa you’re applying for at the small window and if you have all your stuff together she’ll check it over and give you a ticket with a number on it. Go and seat down in front of the wall of windows until your number is called where you will handover all of the above mentioned.

The waiting area at the Chinese embassy.

Once you are called and you have given all that is required of you, the staff at the window will give you a receipt so you can pick up your passport later in the week. You can collect the visa 4 days after applying, or you can pay extra for a rush application. For me, my experience getting my travel visa was relatively easy. Not as hard and long as I had heard from other people. Actually, applying took less than an hour when I went.

Picking up
So obviously to pick up your visa and passport you must bring in your receipt.  You show your receipt to the appropriate window I believe on the main level and they will give you a number and the price amount you have to pay. If you’re Japanese the price is 3000 yen, American 15000 yen and everyone who is not American 4000 yen. LOL Sticking it to the Americans China! I see your game :P As a Canadian I paid the 4000 yen price at the ticket vending machine upstairs to receive a payment receipt.

From there you take that receipt, the receipt they gave you when you dropped off your passport and your number to the appropriate window near the waiting area and presto!… Your passport complete with Chinese visa are ready for ya. Picking up took me like less than 15 minutes. I guess I was traveling not during the peak time.

Stay tuned to read about my trip to Shanghai. Travel blogs take time and I have to collect my thoughts.

My Chinese Travel Visa!

2011年05月05日 Haneda Airport Complaint

Did I Mention I Went to Shanghai?
Yes it’s true! I went to Shanghai back in March just after the big earthquake. I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to catch my flight as there were many cancellations. Fortunately I was able to “flee” Japan… if just for a little while. Shanghai really helped me get my mind off the drama that the disaster had created. The days and weeks following the disaster were quite stressful for numerous reasons for me.

And so begins the rant…
My flight to Shanghai was out of Haneda, Tokyo’s city airport. With the introduction of the International Terminal you would think it would be convenient rather than heading out to Narita Airport where most of Tokyo’s flights come in. However if you have a red eye or an early bird flight out of Haneda the convenience is lost. Unless you have a car, getting to the airport takes some planning as trains to Haneda stop running around midnight and don’t start up until after 5am. I had a 6am flight and I live about an hour from the airport… when I booked the ticket way-back-when I didn’t have many options based on price and availability. So I settled to take the early flight out of Haneda and worry later about getting there when the time came…

That time came and I realized that in order to make my flight I would have to sleep at the airport and take last train the day before my flight. I wasn’t looking forward to it, but I had no choice. I wish the airport authority would have thought that having early flights out of Haneda they should provide transportation to the airport for those who don’t have access to a car or can’t afford the ridiculous prices of a Japanese taxi.

The current international terminal opened on October 21, 2010. Haneda Airport’s new international terminal has received numerous complaints from passengers using it during night hours. One of the complaints is the lack of amenities available in the building as most restaurants and shops are closed at night. Another complaint is that there is no affordable public transportation between 11:30 p.m. and 5 a.m operating out of the terminals. The Keikyu Airport Line, Tokyo Monorail and most bus operators stop running services out of Haneda by midnight, and so passengers landing at night are forced to go by car or taxi to their destination.

Too Much Time to Kill
So with all the shops closed and a whole night before my flight I wandered the airport to see people like myself waiting for morning flights. So with a whole bunch of time on my hands, I resorted to stalkerazzing the people at the airport as they slept in wait before I too found a spot in the terminal to wait it out. LOL I need a better hobby!

2011年05月04日 Stitch Bottled Water

Stitch Bottled Water
I’m glad to say that bottled water is not so hard to come by as it was just after the earthquake. At the time when the news was reporting that certain areas had elevated levels of radiation in tap water and that it may be harmful for infants and young children. 2L bottles became scarce to find and when you could find them there were restrictions of one per customer at many retailers.

I was walking in the supermarket yesterday and came to the realization that the shelves were not bare anymore and such restrictions rescinded… Though for some reason cigarettes seem to be in low supply, but that doesn’t effect my life. I like that I don’t have to visit several stores now just to find water.

Anyways I didn’t want to get too heavy on the topic cause I really wanted to show my delight to find bottled water with Stitch on it! I love Stitch! It just really brightens my day to see that little demon koala to grace the label of my beverage.

My bottled water I bought during the morning commute to work.

2011年05月04日 Farewell Gotanda

New School Year
At the end of the school year back in March a bunch of us at the Gotanda school were soon leaving because of being transferred or just pursuing other ventures. So to celebrate… well not celebrate… but to wish all well Akiko our manager bought all who were leaving a cake! An ice cream cake! Who can resist ice cream, right! :9

Ice cream cake is a wonderful thing! Thanks Akiko! :9

I can’t believe it’s been already a month since transferring schools. New school, new kids, new ways of doing things. One thing I’ve learned since being transferred is that you have to modify your customary routine and modify it to work for how the new school operates. Plus getting used to the way things are run and how the staff is used to doing things here takes getting used to. We are still in the process of developing a routine which blends. None-the-less I welcome the change. It takes getting used to learning a whole new set of kids names and winning over the trust of the parents. I think it’ll be a good year! Fingers crossed!

Team Gotanda on one of the last days of the school year.