April 2007 Archives

My Mum & Dad arrived in China on Saturday night. So far our family reunion has exclusively spent eating and shopping. I feel I am becoming more and more localised with every passing month.

I must go, as we haven't shopped in Hongqiao yet.

Save me...

Which Trainspotting Character Are You?

Ya ken it?

Japan has some A1 (or should I say, F1) weird culture. Air sex has to be at the top of the pack. Unfortunately, I think the pet(ting?) bit is the window for this to catch on in Shanghai considering how much love I've seen displayed by pet owners towards little Fluffy in this fair city.

By the way, I can truly see how Cobra is champ material!

I sort of hinted at this earlier, but I've now started blogging for Tha' Man. That's right, I'm now a semi-quasi-paid blogger, but IMHO the biggest plus is the knowledge that you have your own cartoon headshot. Having your own, slightly unnatural cartoon is a sign in my mind that that you have well and truly made it, unless you get a whole piece written about you like Isabella and Dan did recently. I thought that any flitter at public life in China was going to be as the random white guy in some kind of Chinese television commercial. For now, this will remain as one of my goals for my life in China. What is really amazing about this is that I'm being paid to do something I consider a hobby. Another plus is that it also means I can justify the growing amount of time I spend looking for interesting stuff on the net, as it is for professional purposes.

I'm on a short-term contract that says I produce copy each fortnight (Americans, that's bi-weekly), and so far I've had two articles published.

The Blogger: The Healing Process - April 3rd, 2007.

The Blogger: This Expat Is Unplugged - April 16th, 2007

First of all, this all started when I was asked to contribute arguably to Shanghai's most popular English language website - Shanghaiist. Since late January, I've been submitting entries here and there, and I have been given the official title of a Shanghaiist contributor. Another sign that I have made the big time is that I am also in possession of my own Shanghaiist business cards. Mum and Dad should be proud.

I found this a lot of fun. I haven't really had a lot of positives come out of my seemingly endless rounds of Shanghai job searching, and this was something of a new opportunity for me to try something a little new. Through writing, I have now had the opportunity to attend a few events (like Kylie's H&M shindig at the SSTM) and meet a lot of new people in Shanghai. One good thing about this is that it appears that some of the articles I have written have driven traffic to Shanghaiist, as evidenced by certain Digg numbers on posts I wrote. It does pay to write about off-beat stories on Digg!

Through channels, I was then offered the chance to get paid for my blogging habit by City Weekend, by writing content for their column known as 'The Blogger'. I was a little hesitant at first, as unlike other bloggers that have written for this column in CW, I don't have great Chinese skills. My hesitancy was also reinforced by these comments on the site, which made me feel a touch more uncomfortable at the time as my bosses wanted me to chat about the entire China-based blogosphere. Of course, there is the massive language barrier that I am trying to contend with, but I haven't really incorporate much Chinese content at this time which has made this task a little easier to date.

Another hurdle, albeit minor, is that this column required a step-up for my writing. Essentially a life-style magazine, CW employs a upbeat content with word constraints that Shanghaiist doesn't need to conform to. Overall, my scientific report and technical-influenced writing style isn't naturally catchy, so I have had to work on this.

As CW is an officially sanctioned publication from China, there's the tiny matter of content to consider as well. This article was rejected due to censorship concerns. Given the cut-and-paste summary nature of the article, I'm expecting that any juicier stuff that may pop up in the future probably won't make it past the censor, so I'm wondering if I should really bother or not.

Probably the biggest plus out of this experience is that writing is now covering my rent, which is a good thing for this currently self-employed fella (who's on the look-out for scientific/technical-based work by the way).

The other problem I have faced is that a natural blog entry citing links doesn't necessarily work when it comes to the printed page. The column's word constraints seriously impinge on quoting relevant blocks of text from other blog sites, and make identifying the concise and entertaining 20 word grab out of a sea of blog entries quite tough. China bloggers, please write with me in mind for the future. On top of looking for a needle in a haystack, I've found that this constraint can really dulls my ability to lead the reader through a balanced, well-rounded report. Hence, I've taken on a little more of a sole-focus when approaching topical writing for CW. This is good for my writing skills and will force me to move out of my comfort zone when writing.

Another reason I mention this is that I'm now starting to post less on this blog as I seem to be covering a lot of what interests me elsewhere. So, I'm going to start to have sole entries linking out to these published articles on Shanghaiist and City Weekend. For my own records, I've begun a new blog on this domain that just archives the entirety of the articles that I've written for more 'serious' publications (whether they've been published or not), along with websites I've built, and other substantial things I have and will contribute to over the years. You can find this other blog here, or through my sidebar.

I'm still going to post more regularly on scRambler, but will start linking out to sites like YouTube for the odd funny moment, and also side-blogging using Twitter. I'm working on ways to incorporate this into my Feedburner feeds, but no luck as of yet.

There are also some other things I've been cooking up with my flexible time lately that I want to share, but more of this in my next entry.

For a preview on what I am hinting about, check out this link.

You have to love YouTube for a bit of Friday silliness.

Here's the accompanying piece of my last entry in this series, What to do with a visitor in Shanghai? Part 3 - An Evening in Pudong. This one is about what to do during a day trip to Pu-Jersey - or Pudong!! If you put both my day and night trip versions together, you can definitely have a huge Pudong experience. That could be a good or a bad thing for a Puxi-ren - it may rock your perceptions.

Pudong invokes a particular kind of reaction in those of us who live in Puxi. The Boonies, The Sticks, Shanghai Suburbia, or Land of the Expat Villa and Long Lunches. Suffice it to say, Pudong is generally looked down by Puxi-dwellers as NYC residents would look down on New Jersey or Queens. In this respect, in my circle of friends. Pudong is often referred to as 'Pu Jersey'. Otherwise, we affectionately refer to it as 'The 'Dong'.

A day in Pudong is laid back, and would definitely suit a group of people out for a big day. Like the previous version, this features a lot of shopping options, but also a lot of cool educational settings. And, unlike what a good proportion of Puxi-ren spout, there are attractions outside the Lujiazui area.

Longyang Road

Get on Metro Line #2 and head out to the Longyang Road station. Why here? Well, first of all there's the Maglev system which you could always jump on a quick return trip, but realistically that's a bit boring. The best thing about this area is the Plant and Flower market situation right next to the Maglev station on Balyang Road. There you can wander through the outdoor plant market and check out the big variety of plants and flowers on display. Low key, but a good way to get the day started. Something else to keep an eye on around the Longyang Road area is one of Shanghai's most utilised exhibition centers, the Shanghai New International Expo Center, and also shopping for (relatively) cheap sporting goods chain at probably the most accessible Decathlon store in Shanghai for downtown residents.

Century Park

Jump back to the Metro station at Longyang Road and then hit Century Park station. Shanghairen don't have many options when it comes to public spaces, so that leaves Century Park as Shanghai's most accessible and popular parkland area. However it is young, and despite the fleet of workers toiling away at site, there are no large trees or a feeling of permanency in the whole park area. Realistically speaking, it feels like a park from Sim City. When inside the park, there's really not a lot of exciting things to do. Unless you get creative. One of my fun memories in SH was joining up with my friend D-ree to torment other park patrons with random acts of bicycle driving. Juvenile, but it made the park experience a lot more fun. There's also pedal-boats and electric motor boats for hire to scout around the man-made water course inside the park. This was something I experienced with my work colleagues on a 'team-building exercise'. Low, low key fun. All this for RMB10 entry fee, and the cost of the hire vehicles. This should kill an hour - perfect for a picnic on a nice day too. Don't linger here too long, there's a lot more to do today. Leave by the north entrance to the park that leads to the Shanghai Science & Technology Museum.

Shanghai Science & Technology Museum District

On your short walk to the museum forecourt, you'll see the expansive view of the museum, Dongchang Lu and Lujiazui in the distance. This place is so big you feel absolutely tiny. If you are at the forecourt of the Shanghai Science & Technology Museum on a weekend, you'll see a lot of life. Skateboarders and inline skaters whizz around, a few brides and grooms arrive for photos, and a lot of kites in the breeze. If you want to join in on some of the action, head to underneath the Museum forecourt to hire or buy some skates or kites from the vendors. Underneath the forecourt, you will also discover the Shanghai Science & Technology Museum Metro Station, and the Yatai Fashion & Clothing Market.

Yatai Clothing Market was one of the many markets that sprung up following the closure of the famed Xiangyang Knock-Off Fashion Market. When it first opened, there was a dearth of visitors. However, in the last few months business has picked up as it appears to be (IMHO) the most favoured knock-off shopping destination for visitors and residents in Shanghai. Because of this, you now have to bargain hard at the market, just like at Xiangyang Market of old. The market is convenient, and this also means that the vendors are getting greedier.

If you're like me, you're probably hungry after all the shopping. Don't leave the underground market as there are a number of good options to choose from in this underground shopping complex. Don't resort to KFC. Go and check out the great, authentic Uhighyr (Xinjing) food at the Gulistan Restaurant. Xinjiang Black Beer is also a nice accompaniment to some fresh nang, yangrou chuar, and hand-made noodles buried under some spicy laziji! The Latina Bar & Grill seems to be the other good option if you prefer your barbecue Brazilian style.

Once you've filled your belly, I would imagine you would want to walk it off. Take this opportunity to take in some interactive entertainment and education at the Science and Technology Museum. Take a spin around the Musuem court, and walk around to the main entrance of the musuem. Entrance is RMB60 for adults. This is my first choice for museums in Shanghai - it actually encourages interaction and participation with the information which facilitates more comprehensive learning and enjoyment. I reckon that some exhibits are as good as what I saw in the SF Sci&Tech museum. The iMax theatres are cheap thrills, tickets usually around the RMB20-30 mark, with the only downside being lack of English subtitles or dialogue for the bulk (if not all of the films). There's a number of cool displays. My favourites include a mind-power device where you literally fight against your friend's brain power to push a ball with your mind, taking on a robot in an archery competition, and the wacky 3D audio haunted house display. For science geeks like me, you could spend the better part of the day exploring this place, but 2 to 3 hours would be the most normal people could handle.

Lujiazui and Pudong Nan Lu

Now you've probably had your fill of this area. You can now go and hit the retail or tourist features of Lujiazui or Pudong Nan Lu as I described in my earlier piece on an evening in Pudong. Otherwise, there's the Pearl Oriental Tower area to check out. Don't forget the Shanghai Municipal History Museum at the base of the tower, or the nearby Shanghai Aquarium.

If you've had enough of Pudong, I would recommend leaving this constructed wonderland via Shanghai's most kitchsy and dodgy tourist attraction, The Bund Tourist Tunnel. You won't believe how much engineering knowledge has been applied to make something so dodgy. Enjoy its marvellousness.

Keep an eye out for Part 5 - Hittin' Hongkou.

You can do this here... I hope you're not Jar Jar Binks!

Recently I've been moonlighting on some other blogs, and well, a little bit of work is starting to pay off. One of the little perks is being able to attend certain events, and last night I lucked out and attended the H&M Shanghai launch party at Shanghai's Science and Technology Museum (SSTM).

The SSTM is massive building, and when I first thought that a party was going to be held there, I wasn't really thinking that it would be big. Maybe, it would be tucked into some kind of atrium somewhere. I was very wrong. At least 500 people mingled in the main atrium of the museum in a glammed-out, sparkled piece of disco inspired decor. Press reports say a lot more about the event. IMHO, 99% of the people weren't really there to enjoy the launch of one of the world's most prominent fashion label, H&M (unflatteringly monikered "the IKEA of fashion"). They were there for H&M's guest, Kylie Minogue. As I am apparently the unofficial President of the Kylie fan club (WTF?!) I just had to be there.

And, as you can see, I took a heap of photos. Unfortunately, Lin couldn't join me for the evening, so she spent an evening with Brad Pitt just to make sure the books were balanced on the celebrity ledger. The night was super glam, the highlight was the 10 or so minute performance by Ms. Minogue followed by the mandatory fireworks display above the Museum square.

I was accompanied by fellow iist Helene, and together we watched the marvel that is a celebrity event. We managed to catch a word with H&M designer, Margareta van den Bosch. I don't think she was so impressed by our questions, as she almost immediately entered the glazed-over repetitive question response spiel that she had probably honed over a number of years. The most interesting questions I had were about marketing, and she pretty much fobbed those off. Although she did state that at least fashion-wise, H&M wasn't going to do anything special for China in terms of styles or size, so maybe that means expats like me might have another off-the-rack option to shop at rather than Zara.

I like perks.

I'm giving the polarising, quasi-blogging/instant messaging program Twitter a go. Although it has been around for quite a while, I guess the hype is starting to get momentum and has finally crashed through the long-time expat cultural isolation barrier. Through this system, I'll post fascinating updates about my life such as how hungry I am, or if I am in need of caffeine. If you want to join in the mediocrity fun, you can add me to your Twitter mates. In line with the tone of this post, I will now go sort my collection of coloured paper. Luckily this time, it is the current turn for my tonal sorting scheme for paper. Joy! I think the prior two examples are the main reason why I have been included in such a luminous list.

Screenshot of Zhulin Pearls Online Store - built by your's truly!.

The last six months have been somewhat of a rollercoaster for yours truly. There have been a lot of lows, but also a lot of highs.

One of the highs was becoming a part-owner & technical director in Linda's fresh water pearl jewellery business, Zhulin Pearls.

Linda has already announced the online launch of her little entrepreneurial adventure a few weeks back. Roping in her Mum, Linda has been consistently selling Chinese freshwater jewellery at local markets on Magnetic Island for the past six months. In December, Linda approached me to build her an online portal so she could broaden her reach in Australia. I wasn't too supportive at first, mainly as I had been in quite a depressive funk during that time. However with her egging me on, I started to get into building the portal and learning quite a lot about online e-commerce systems and methodology. We launched after a two false starts. Firstly we ran into perhaps the most awful ordinary webhost in the world, Dot5 Hosting. We found a much better webhost which then ironically went through its own period of service upheaval. We also enjoyed the immaculate timing to suffer from the great 2007 Asian internet outage caused by the aftermath of the deadly Boxing Day earthquake in Taiwan.

Needless to say that no, or painfully slow internet access can really put a dent in your e-commerce plans. This was truly frustrating. So many false starts was really starting to bug me, but together we kept at it and managed to nail the content, build the systems, update the registries and finally launch our site just before Chinese New Year. Since then, we've been in what we call 'soft-launch'. During this period, the bulk of our business has been through word of mouth advertising and also telling friends and family about what we can do. We have sent almost 10 kilograms of pearl, sterling silver, stone, glass, bead and faux-coral jewellery back to Australia. Not bad, but business has been sporadic. So we planned to rectify this and we have just commenced our "hard-launch" which will include an Australian-focused advertising campaign mainly centred upon magazine competitions and various other forms of advertising on the web.

It has been quite exciting, and very much consuming a lot of my time over the past few months. Now that the bulk of the systems have been tested thoroughly, we will begin to roll out our new website features and ad campaigns over the next few weeks, just in time for Mother's Day! (HINT HINT)

My prior work and study experience has almost been solely in the academic area and scientific research, so jumping into adventure has taught me quite a lot about small business. It has been very, very illuminating. One thing I have relished out of this experience is the ability to produce tangible, end-products to your work. I think I like being my own boss bossed around by Linda.

Recently, you might have noticed the introduction of advertisements on this site. Part of this was a decision to recover some hosting costs due to the recent rise of web traffic to scRambler, but also to promote Zhulin Pearls a little more widely. I hope you're not too offended by the commercialisation of this website.

So I came to China to forge a career in biotechnology and environmental sciences, and now I find myself as a minor entrepreneur and a budding writer (more on that later). It is awfully strange how things can turn out in your life.

So, if you are in the market to buy that little something special for your loved one, consider our business, Zhulin Pearls for your gift purchase.