"Boy she looks western"

[Feathers268]

Yesterday while in Fresno with the extended family, I was reminded of how little people know about the great big world. Although it was a sad occation to be there, I had the opotunity to see many relatives who have know about my Jennifer but I have not seen since traveling to meet her. B) When the topic would come up, I would be faster than a gunfighter in the old west with my album to show off the pics of my sweetheart and of the Shanghai/Suzhou region. After the usual "boy she is beautiful" and "you better not let her get away", would come the comments on how she is dressed. "She looks so western". I would smile and tell them how much of what I saw seemed little different from here. Also the modern skyline of the Pu-dong would make then take notice. "It looks so modern". They just couldn't believe that tall building could exsist in such a place. B) And if that wasn't enough, then there was the Christmas Trees. "What??? In China?" I loved telling them about sitting in KFC in Kunshan listening to Bing's White Christmas. People just cant seem to grasp that China could be so similar in many ways. My favorit story to tell them was of walking down the street in Kunshan and seeing a Chinese profesional in his BMW, talking on the hands free cell phone, looking at his PDA. Man! yuppies exist everywhere.

[ptcrusier333rph]

I'm sorry but everytime I heard western I keep thinking of cowboy hats boots and spurs

 

Robert

[Dan R]

Jim one of the pages in www.virtualtourist.com has a picture of an old bearded Indian man looking like a yogi or some such talking on his cell phone. A funny statement on the modern world.

 

Robert you are starting to get kinky. Spurs indeed.

[Feathers268]

Robert, that's what I meant. It looked like one of them thar rodeos or summ'n. I always thought that east west thing sounded kind of funny too. I mean last I checked, I have to fly west to get to the far east. And Dan, that figures. I'll bet he even gets better coverage than my #%$&* nextel.

[bandj]

With the costs , regulations, lawyers, community groups protesting we get all excited when a new building of significance is built (usually 12-20 years after plans start)in Manhattan. In Shanghai (espewcially Pudong)or Shenzhen or any number of Chinese cities there are dozens of new building going up every few years with the hottest architects brought in. When they can figure out how to keep them all lit it will be amazing.

[Deekdooken]

When I show my pictures, I get the exact same thing! " They have skyscrappers over there?" That proverbial "they"! Gotta love it

Everyone really freaks when they see a KFC or Pizza Hut in the picture. Or they see how many cars are drving around. The crowd stopper is when I told them we shopped at Wal Mart everyday for our food... " Wal Mart?! No Way!"

[Feathers268]

Wall Mart??? no way! The KFC thing was also big news to them. Also was Starbucks. I still have friends that don't believe it. I have to admit that I also did not know what to expect but had found a video that showed Shanghai so I knew a little before I went. I remember waiting for Jennifer one of the first days and looking out my window saw people parking where they were no supposed to and the police giving them tickets. This place wasn't much different than SF. Then I saw her. So elegant and beautiful. Why on Earth would she be interested in me? From that point I no longer was concerned that she only wanted a "ticket" out. B)

[Deekdooken]

I was darn happy to see a starbucks! It was the first thing I hit when I landed in HK ! China is the same in so many ways, and alot of people just dont realize that. I guess you cant until you actually visit a different place. But the ways it is different are what make us fall in love with the country.

That first sight of your girl really does hit you, huh? " Wow!" " She is mine?" I also ask " why me?"! Must be our animal magnatism! We are fortunate to be blessed with them

[Feathers268]

I didn't see the Starbucks, but I saw someone with a cup. I almost turned to ask where?????!!!! But I realised the chances she understood English was remote and I would probably just scare her. I had to settle for going there first thing when I arived back. As I told my friend who picked me up, waiting in a long line for bad sevice and an over priced coffee, I must be home.

[tonyontherock]

KFC and Starbucks:

Tried KFC with a friend in BJ. It was crowded and one have to wait for like 5 to 10 minutes to find a place to sit down. A friend told me that would be a good place to meet young, fashionable girls, brrrrrrrrrr....

Well, I ordered, guss what, a chicken fahita(sic), sea-weed egg-drop soup and a spicy chicken burger. KFC? And it tasted good. The girls were of a much better quality than those you would normally see in a normal KFC.

McDonald's food in China also tasted a bit better than the one in U.S., although the menu did not change much.

Also tried Subways. Not up to par with those in the States or Mexico.

Have yet to see a Taco Bell or Dunkin Donuts.

Baskin Robbins was doing miserably and TCBY not much better, Hagendaz(sic) is over priced but doing ok.

Pizza hut still greasy in that metal pan. Yet to see a true Brooklyn type brick oven pizza shop or a good deli. Western soup in most joints are sub-standard. Never even had a decent clam chowder yet, let alone split peas. Malaysian food I tried was just so-so and one Vietnamese Restaurant was terrible in BJ, although there was another said to be good by a friend who married a vietnamese. Fridays, can you believe it? Fridays is considered fine dining in a sense. I guess Applebees or FRiendlys would be too. I long for L. Boulee or even that over-priced Hudson's Grill. Cake, or pastery is normally made in some factory or at least it tastes like it. But the demand is never really that great. Neither would most Chinese appreciate a real decent burger as they would serve up at Buger Joint at 76 and Broadway on the West side.

Tried a supposedly Thai rest. in Shanghai, where the main dish is still shark fin soup.

There is this one deli/burger/salad place at the World Trade Tower where the food was half decent, but the line at lunch time was just too long.

Starbucks coffee still over priced and nasty tasting everywhere they sell it, including in the shop they set up in the forbidden city! That green thingy!!

 

Bars and night clubs are generic in China. Each disco or night club looks basically the same and filled with the same crowd. True Color ( in Shenzhen) remains my favorite. Too much drug in the other two I tried out in Shenzhen. Bluezone and Yellow Banana (who the fk named it?) in Beijing are ok, but they each charge a cover and try to extort money out of you in terms of charging a minimum 400 yuan per table charge. There is one other joint in BJ filled with teenagers New World in Shanghai has a few bars, but I still like the one on the 4th floor of a building (can remember the name). It is a giant night club. Night clubs in the outer provinces are generally dirty, smoke filled and always have a few of those signer want-to-be types whom my music teacher would love to have. They always pay but never improve.

Another thing in Shenzhen is that it has a very active Rollerblade club and members (and any one who wants to participate) do a 30 killometer Street Sweep (rollerblading along the streets) race every other Sunday ( the group is normally 15 to 20, age ranging from 13 to 65). If you are in the city on a sunday, check it out and it is really fun. In Beijing I was the only one doing it along Changan street in the winter and every one stares as if I was strange.

[tonyontherock]

Hotel tricks: Next time in Beijing, stay away from the hotels. Stay at the World Trade Apartments. It is run like a hotel and charges only a bit over 900 per night for a two bedroom/two bath/dinning/living 130 Sq meter (1120 sf) apartment with washer dryer and two TVs, Two Balc. etc., 5 star hotel standard amnenities. From what I understand, the nearby hotels are all complaining about the price they charge. Your SOs would appreciate it

[oregonknl]

Thanks for all the tips on China, Tony,

 

The last time we PMed, (long time ago) you were set on moving to HK .... did that happen? Where do you work now??

 

But have to agree about KFC --- nothing like the States, an entirely different product... MD's (China) seems about the same to me though...

[Dan R]

Hotel tricks:  Next time in Beijing, stay away from the hotels.  Stay at the World Trade Apartments.  It is run like a hotel and charges only a bit over 900 per night

 

900/night!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ping would kill me. We stayed at the White Hotel also very nice for 450/night. The second time we stayed at the Holiday Inn Great Wall - The best beds in China.

[BobandNicole]

Supposedly a Taco Bell in Shenzhen now, heard it's nothing like the Bell in the states. When I heard that Hooters was giving franchises in China, thought that would be a good idea to invest, Couldn't raise the 3 million US they wanted, but apparenlty someone did in Shanghai and the place is packed.

 

Here in Dongguan finally getting Pizza Hut, but there's about 3-4 good pizza places already including one with a brick oven. Rumours abound about Starbucks coming into town, but I'll believe it when I see the shop is open and the sign is up and not misspelled!!

 

Starbucks finally does open up I'll have to set up a "starbucks budget" wifes addicted, especially to the cheesecake.

 

What I wouldn't give for a good Baja Fresh burrito about now.

[Feathers268]

Starbucks finally does open up I'll have to set up a "starbucks budget"  wifes addicted, especially to the cheesecake. 

How do you order a quad iced venti mocha in Chinese anyway???? B)