I must admit that when I was first in Shanghai, I never really used an ATM. At the age of five, the necessity of a bank account - let alone a card to access it - is minimal. I suppose The Bank of China might have been a safer storage facility than my Tin Tin-shaped piggy bank but considering I mostly filled it with jelly beans anyway, I think the coiffed Frenchman sufficed admirably.
Returning to China, having learnt to casually...[read more]
There is a new mysterious construction that I can see from my friends’ apartment window. “We think it’s a new theatre or stadium.” My friend, who is an architect said: - “It looks like a toilet seat.” That - or a Nike running shoe under sole. There are some funny looking buildings around. My German contingent – most of whom are architects - have a favourite building-in-Shanghai competition and it’s impossible to walk around without being subjected to...[read more]Posted: Thursday, December 03, 2009 under Chinese Culture | 1 comment
The students contact the local media however they're not interested in publicising their story. Learning from the experience of others, the girls decide that more drastic action needed to be taken.
Making sure they're not seen, the small group of 17 year olds go into an empty classroom during break. From an untraceable number, one girl calls the Department of Education in Beijing and explains their situation to the administrator: even though it's the summer holiday, they spend eight hour days,...[read more]
As a young lad, my first journey into the exotic lands of the Orient was an exciting but overwhelming experience. Despite the feelings of joy at getting to see the second of my native countries for the first time, there were numerous occasions when I found myself terrified by harmless little trivialities, though at other times a healthy level of fear was rightly experienced - as when taking the metro.
When I first arrived in Shanghai in the early 90s, the...[read more]
"He's confused as to why you are still here," my friend translates. "Because I can't move my legs," I reply, breaking into peals of over-tired laughter. Finding yourself in a compromising situation where your language ability is inadequate makes it a lot easier to surrender yourself to humor. It was cold, it was Sunday, I was shopping with my girlfriends, then splat - I was face down on the pavement with dirt in my mouth and strangers asking what they...[read more]
The lowly Chinese potato has a bad rap. An Italian chef told me recently that he only uses 50% potato mash in his gnocchi because the potato strain sold here is not as flavorful as those in other places. Some tell me they are too mealy. Others say they have no texture whatsoever. However, as holiday season fast approaches and the weather turns bone cold, thoughts inevitably turn towards the idea of heavy comfort food and the poor...[read more]
Greg, can you tell me how Art+ started?
Greg: We'd talk about ideas of how we could use art outside the traditional studio and commercial idea, and decided that we could do something constructive with the proceeds. Then the idea of Art+ was born and once we started it, we wanted to continue doing it. There are lots of charity events around and we were thinking of some way to make us special and to do something meaningful for others....[read more]
The champagne brunch that gets most of the attention in town is the Westin's. They have a huge spread and free-flowing champagne and other adult drinks. While I'm a fan of this expansive brunch and dinner show, I wouldn't consider it a high-class affair. Perhaps this is because often times the person next to me in line is still in his pajamas.
An elegant free-flowing champagne brunch that doesn't attract as much hype but is instead consistently whispered amongst knowing patrons...[read more]
Heading to the outskirts of Shanghai at this time of year is normally discouraged. The variety of responses you'll probably receive when excitedly telling friends will range from the more polite "Oh, really, won't it be a bit chilly?" to "Why the hell would you want to go to Hangzhou?" While it's normally advised to go during mild weather, sometime between the icy winds of winter and the scorching heat of summer, there are advantages to heading away at the...[read more]
I thought Christmas had come early. I thought I saw snow. I was all snug in my early morning email-checking freelance writer’s haze when I noticed my friend’s Facebook status had changed to read: “I just saw a chicken having it’s head sliced off on the sidewalk.” So I had to ask – what do you mean – Chicken slaughter? Where? In broad daylight by the side of the road? Really?
“Yes, I swear”, he responded. “I saw it with...[read more]Posted: Thursday, November 19, 2009 under Chinese Culture | 3 comments
You love the idea, you know you do; hot red wine warming your hands and tummy while filling the house with heady fragrances of cinnamon, anise and fruit. As the weather drops us and our Shanghai brethren into a soggy cold darkness and people are starting to gripe about how they wish they were somewhere else, why not make the most of a bad situation by making the best of another bad situation. Cheap Chinese wine.
Mulling wine makes even some...[read more]
Your restaurant is called Rosso, Italian for red. Why did you choose that name?
Gian Marco Alessi: The China Flag is red. In Italy we have Ferrari. Red is for blood, life. Red is the Communist Party. Red roses are a symbol of natural beauty. Red sun for life.
The décor here is very striking, who designed it?
Gian Marco Alessi: I did. There is no decoration, only installation art. There's going to be changing Chinese contemporary art along the walls. I also...[read more]
Friends of mine are expatriating soon. Before moving we wanted to have one last big hurrah at one of our favorite fine dining restaurants. I'll call it Restaurant X. Our husbands, big meat-eaters, often crave Restaurant X's great USDA Prime steaks. We frequent Restaurant X periodically and have become friendly with the owner. I'll call him Mr. Li.
Well, you can guess where this story is headed. So, does it break your heart or frustrate the hell out of you when...[read more]
Last night saw part of Tian Zi Fang utterly overrun by partygoers, as the masses turned out for Balthazar's opening party. An adorable little venue in itself, the narrow staircase and cozy floor space were simply not made for large numbers of people. The struggle to get to the bar was as nothing compared to the queue for the buffet, winding along the curved staircase. Laid out with a mix of cold cuts, beef tartar, breads, hot stew, cheeses and...[read more]
Kumquats are in season! But lucky for us, we're on the Kumquat's home turf. According to my extensive Wikipedia research, kumquats originated in China and have long been cultivated here, noted in literature dating back to the 12th century. The fruit originates in Guangzhou, and the name comes from the Cantonese word "kam kwat" meaning "golden orange".
Even more exciting, they are sold in kilo bags for about RMB15, not the boutique prices of other countries. Eaten peel and all,...[read more]
So I hear you're the first Italian businesswoman in Shanghai, is this true?
Today is actually the 16-year anniversary of my being in China. I was the first female Italian entrepreneur in Shanghai. Really - I'm number one on the register. It's strange that before I came, I was working at Tatano's in Italy, which was the second biggest producer for movie production and distribution. Then, at the age of 41, I kissed my mother goodbye and came to China to...[read more]
Not only did you need to buy an entrance ticket, you also had to pay extra if you wanted to taste any of the food inside. A cooking class with one of the top chefs at the event would've cost you an extra whopping RMB1000. The VIP lounge consisted of a sparse few stands of whisky and chocolate tasting.
But, there were a few stalls worth mentioning:
Brasa is a chicken rotisserie on 888 South Shanxi Road (400 820 2172). At first...[read more]
I just can’t stop thinking about the taxi drivers across Shanghai. They actually have a great deal of power over your day when you think about it. A good cab journey can see you skipping off to your office full of the joys of Shanghai Spring. But they can equally annihilate any day into becoming what the whinging masses describe as a “China Day”. You know the kind of days, there are...[read more]Posted: Monday, November 09, 2009 under Chinese Culture | 1 comment
A lot of foreigners are convinced that Chinese food is the culprit of creeping waistlines and spreading derrieres. I admit there are times that my dish seems more fried than noodle, but when compared to a lot of Western cuisine Chinese food (eaten right) probably kicks our cuisines fat butt. I mean, my own America is the home of both McDonalds and the Atkins diet! For years, dieticians over there have been telling us "Eggs, no eggs; juice, no juice;...[read more]
This past weekend Bubba's pulled off another successful chili cook-off. There were costumes, beer, great chili and even Chippendale dancers.
The competition was heated (pun intended), with over 20 teams competing. All competitors arrived by 6am to assemble their top secret ingredients and begin cooking the perfect chili. Some teams used a combination of ground meat while others went untraditional with shredded meat. All had lots of chili spices and many included chasers of tequila, Jim Bean, vodka or whatever your...[read more]
I hate that my Chinese is still crap. I was under the impression that after living somewhere for nigh on a year I’d at least be able to hold a conversation with old people and even a few small ones too. But no, my brain refuses to let my mouth make the sounds I know it should be fully capable of. It just won’t sink in…does anyone know of any good methods so all those tomes and tones...[read more]Posted: Monday, November 02, 2009 under Chinese Culture | 1 comment
It's possibly the narrowest, steepest - and maybe even the most dangerous - staircase in the city. Getting down is even more hazardous - going down backwards is the safest option. At the top of the stairs you come to a room measuring about 3m by 5m, inside which is also a fridge (disappointingly it doesn't contain beer but frozen meat), some wardrobes and a TV. It looks suspiciously like someone's makeshift bedroom, with a sofa lining one of the...[read more]
It's time for the most important question of the season - what will you wear for Halloween? And, just as important, will you be dressing up in traditional scare-wear or wearing a more fetching, skimpy number? Will it be corpse bride or slutty nurse?
If you haven't already got a costume, chances are you'll be throwing together a few old rags and some face paint and just hoping for the best. I know, I've been there. Normally it involves some version...[read more]
As mentioned in my blog last week, Shanghai seems to be cracking down on street food. Despite my loyalty to these traveling cheap eats, the sweep has some defense. The government cites sanitation as the big danger of street food vendors. If people get sick or die, it's hard to trace which vendors are cooking with contaminated food or oil, and even harder for the sanitation department to do regular investigations. The city is also responsible...[read more]
I always wondered where she lives, the "Teddybear woman of Xuhui." Maybe she's friends with the beer-drinking monkey owner. But I only ever saw her after 9pm at night, pushing those sad floppy eared, raggedly looking bears through the streets of the French Concession. I kept trying to take her picture but when I arrived in Shanghai this time last year it was too cold for walking and every journey was made in cabs. So I always ended up with...[read more]
Walking down the street is a couple with a young boy, about 9 years old being carried in his mother's arms. As I walk up behind them I see something on the boy's head that's reflecting off the sun. With typical Chinese curiosity/nosiness, I start to discreetly tail the family and see five needles sticking out of various points on the boy's head. Some are protruding by a few centimetres but one needle, imbedded just above the middle of his...[read more]
I like to think I don't dress like a complete bum - my everyday wear is a shirt or t-shirt and a pair of jeans, largely clean and holeless. On the other hand, I don't wear a jacket, tie and suit trousers around town all the time. So why do so many people try to sell me property?
As soon as I set foot outside my compound, a gaggle of real estate salespeople flock around me and start honking, quacking and...[read more]
I think I have come to dislike that Monkey. He/she/it is always outside one club or another after I stumble out onto the pavement with the flotsam and jetsam, slightly worse for wear after yet another poisonous "all you can drink for a 100 kuai" bash.
It was outside Not Me again recently, chuckling and grogging back unsuspecting expats' dregs. A beer drinking monkey? There's nothing so special about that, this little fella can knock back a glass of red or...[read more]
Eating late, the best bet for my neighborhood is the trusty shaokao place around the corner. Operating out of a storefront past 4am, the place is perfect for a beautiful night of squatting on little stools and tearing meat off sticks. Last Sunday however, just as I and my dining partner had tucked in for a 9pm feast, the grill-master informed us that the police were coming and that we couldn't eat there. They promptly took the seats from under...[read more]
And another one goes down in flames. Last year Bukhara caught fire. No one was hurt - well, except for those of us who "need" frequent helpings of their butter chicken and black dal.
Last night unfortunately the same calamity happened to another Indian favorite, Masala Art. Diners were seen exiting their original Dagu Lu restaurant as the kitchen filled with smoke. Again, luckily no one seems to have been hurt. This time around though, Indian food addicts like myself have...[read more]