Results tagged “shanghai” from scRambler

My life right now feels like I'm in stasis. Something where I am not moving at all, but appear to be seeing everything changing without my interaction or participation. An observer watching the daily grind of others, desperately wanting to be part of the mill, but rueing the inevitability of being a cog back in the machine.

This is the second round of unemployment for me in the last few months. Given that I just relocated to Australia, I'm not so concerned about it (also given the ~4% unemployment rate here). However, it is drudging up those old feelings of uselessness and depression that I felt during that time. Just like Pavlov's dog, I've conditioned myself to react quite well to this re-challenge.

One good thing about this round of unemployment is that I have a partner in crime - Linneh E. Being a bum is much better with a co-bum. We're spending our days looking for work, talking about what we want to do here in Australia, where to live, how to live, discussing the lifestyle options of our pro-green - pro-sustainability housemates, dealing with shipping agents and wrangling with international banking. Little things that all add up and fill our day.

Hence, we're quite bored, and really want to find some work.

I am now living with hippies. Lin's sister and her housemates in fact. And, it isn't too bad.

The advantage ofliviing living with wholesome people is wholesome food, lots of kangaroo meat, and a never ending supply of information surrounding Australian native fauna and fauna flora, sustainability, active transport (i.e. pedal pushing) and various other 'healthy and environmentally-concscious' lifestyle options.

However, I thank the stars that I can escape to my parent's place for a plate steak!

The location that we are living in Brisbane is fantastic. We're living in the inner west, the suburb of Auchenflower, just around the corner from The Alley Bar, Rosalie Village and Milton and Auchenflower train stations. Life without a car hasn't been so difficult due to the great public transportation options in this area, but we're both hanging out for our awesome bicycles to arrive from China.

One thing that has struck me since I arrived back in Brisbane is that the lifestyle I have here now would be nigh impossible to have in Shanghai. One plus for moving back, but I'm definitely missing the spontaneity of living in Shanghai. Life is a touch bland here at the moment.

Also, like millions of other Australians, I now possess a dislike for Centrelink. They make China's bureacracy seem efficient and friendly in comparison.

linda helping the special olympics at jia yuan, originally uploaded by timbeckenham.

Now that we've left Shanghai, I can talk freely about where we used to live. The Jia Yuan Complex (also known as Chez Moi) is a pretty awesome area of town to live in, and the apartments aren't bad either.

One of the better aspects about living in this complex was the very active Jia Yuan Community Organization. Often, they put on performances, school holiday activities for the kiddies, and various other 'community-minded' events for the complex's residents.

Just before we left, we noticed that Jia Yuan was gearing up to host some athletes for the Special Olympics in Shanghai. Walking past our community's organization office, we saw this sign which welcomed some of the special athletes who were to visit our community. Linda immediately engaged her editorial and language skills, and offered to 'smooth out' some of the mistakes in the English-language signage.

As for me, I looked like a doofus and took photos.

This entry was posted with flickr

Wonder Life - Vegetable Flavoured Condoms, originally uploaded by timbeckenham.

I wonder what marketing survey discovered this niche market among China's discerning consumers....

"Chocolate? Green Tea? Zhongnanhai flavours?"

"No, but I'd REALLY love vegetable flavour... It's SO healthy. Veges are good for you..."

Note the ISO9001 badge of honour, "Health Vege Flavour", and "Vitamin E Added".

This entry was posted with flickr

Shatin Cafe - Delicious Cuisine, originally uploaded by timbeckenham.
Delicious cuisine? Something innate within tells me to doubt this. ;)

Something was definitely lost in translation...

Shuicheng Lu, Gubei District, Shanghai, China

Just something I spied while enroute to Hongmei Lu yesterday.

I seriously doubt the food is 'delicious'...

This entry was posted with flickr

The world is currently peeved about China's products and safety record. My current job is predominantly focused on documenting and explaining many of the events around saga. It is intriguing and fascinating story, but one that I think has brought quite a deal of flak to all things Chinese.

Let me set the record straight on one thing that China does really well. Large green boxes. In particular, large green boxes that you purchase from China Post and send your mountains of belongings in to an overseas destination.

China Post's large green boxes are tough, green, and likely to leave a mish-mash of minor cuts and abrasions on your unprotected forearms. They will also contain about 20kg of your belongings that can float their way around the world (in about 2 months) for about RMB 350. Recently I've seen quotes from 'relocation experts' floating between RMB1600 to RMB16,000 for just a few boxes, with most of the services being from Shanghai to destination port. At least China Post will deliver to your door.

If you need to move your life from Shanghai or anywhere else in China, go see China Post. Even if it is for their large green boxes.

Beijing's electronic markets have already started to freely advertise unblocked Apple iPhones, apparently able to be used on any GSM phone network. This is starting to give me ideas. I wonder what the language support and any Apple updates are like on the cracked phone...?

read more | digg story

I looked around for quite a while to try and find where this popular restaurant should have relocated to. It took me about six months to discover that this restaurant had a second, poorly advertised location on Wuding Lu and Xikang Lu.

The food is great, moderately prices (RMB20-40 for most main dishes), and the Xinjiang Black Beer is cold and plentiful. One of the best features of this restaurant is the singing and dancing show in the garish to extravagantly decorated second level area.

The restaurant's owner often cracks open his keyboard and belts out some KTV inspired Uighyr tunes (but in Mandarin - go figure). The real highlight is the local dancer going through several motions. Generally the crowd can range from politely appreciative to completely immersed in the 'happiness' of Yakexi. Some, like this scribe and his dragon-boat friend, are sometimes called upon to liven up the show and add some detailed comic relief. Please spot the classic Australian dancefloor moves in my performance.

I can't wait to see this movie.

This entry has been a long time coming. Both Linda and myself are busy in the process of reorganizing our lives in preparation for our move back to Australia. Yes, our Shanghai life is over for now. We will leave in early-mid September, and then its back to Brisvegas. The last few months have been insanely busy, with me starting a temporary short-term editor's contract with a biotech and biopharma company here in Shanghai, a stream of umpteen visitors, a scale-up in my web service, and also lots and lots of planning to keep our little business going.

Blogging has really fallen of the calendar as a priority. It is a pity, because so much has happened recently. China's blocking of Flickr's image servers hasn't really enthused me to post the hundreds of photos I took when Linda, Stephanie, Mel and I visited Yangshuo earlier in late June. Wow. That is a place to go.

When I next have time, I am going to pick up some posting, but I'm starting to lean towards starting over with a new blog and archiving this one. This site is definitely Gen 1.0 of my skills, which have really been updated over the past year to include some nifty little things. It's time for a better showcase, and also something with more interactivity.

better fly. work calls.

Linda and I found ourselves out at the Brilliance West Mall (百联西郊购物中心) on Xianxia Lu during the weekend, and we were met with this odd sight.

An environmental and recycling awareness talent show-come-fashion competition involving kids and their parents (or extended family in one case).

This little gem of Vernacula australiana best describes the last four weeks in my hectic life.

I am glad to announce that I have moved on from my former life as a TUB, and I'm now dipping my toes back into the 'half-pat' lifestyle.

I'm going to expand on some of the points I make here, but this is what has been going on over the last few weeks...

• Parental Unit Entertainer
  A three-week visit by my parents coincided with most of what I'm writing below. It was great to spend time with them in Shanghai, although I think they would feel differently about my recommendation on attending the insanely crowded Longhua Temple Festival over the May Holiday break. Other highlights were non-stop eating, buying massive amounts of pearl jewellery, tailored clothes, gifts, and sharing a number of Guinness at The Blarney Stone with my family and Shanghai pals. Mum & Dad also hit Xi'an on a tour, and later traveled to HK on their way home to Brisneyland, but I didn't join them for those adventures. Probably the highlight of the time I spent with them was a brief Suzhou day-trip for a garden tour (much to my mother's delight). The perfect bookend for the day was the marvellous Bullet train service. The Nanjing-Shanghai express stops briefly in Suzhou. Nothing beats the experience of firstly standing on the train platform in Suzhou at 8:30pm, and scarcely one hour later we were all at home in my Jing'an District apartment. Amazing. The only sour note during their whole trip was my Dad's incessant handkerchief use, which I think was the source of the contagion my 'Olds' brought with them from Oz. I also felt a touch guilty that during their visit as I was working my arse-off smashing all of the below things together at one time.
• Charity Guy
  In my last blog entry, I wrote about the ChinaNext charity auction that I organised through the Shanghai Flickr Meet up group. Our evening was a success, raising just over RMB9,500 for Xin Shi Ji Xiao Xue (New Century Primary School) in Pudong. 1750 students, no library. Well, not anymore. I hope to put something similar together again before we leave China.
• SHiist Happenings
  From the end of April until the last 2 weeks, I have been writing consistently for Shanghaiist. At one point I took over the editing duties while Dan covered an Asian golf tournament in Nanjing. That was an interesting time, particularly after publishing this piece that I drew a lot of criticism for. Gotta love it. I haven't even had a chance to write that long-waited for, cunning rebuttal. I put it somewhere around here...
• The Blogger
  I've already chatted about my column in The City Weekend magazine. So far, four of my pieces have been published, with another in the works as we speak. Reporting on the blogging world is a bit tough as not a lot seems to be happening out there (except for the reaction to Ben Ross' barber shop experiment), but I got onto that one for this coming issue a week or so ago.
• Tutors In China
  I registered for this tutoring and teaching service over a month ago now hoping to pick up a few extra RMB over the close to the northern hemisphere school year. Despite the travel out to expat-havens of Kangqiao and Minhang, I've picked up some nice work teaching predominantly mathematics to IB students. It has been fun teaching again.
• Pearls of wisdom...
  Linda mentioned in her blog yesterday that Zhulin Pearls has been growing steadily over the past few months, and that there are a few interesting developments coming up soon. It seems everyone loves pearl jewellery in Australia, despite the fact that pearls are considered 'elderly' or 'American'. You can be the judge of that statement.
• You can call me Sir...
  Just after my parent's departure for HK, I accepted a sub-teaching contract the Puxi campus of The British International School. I'm teaching ICT (information and computing technology) and also history to middle-school students. The best thing about this experience is that the pay is good and that I love teaching, but I love teaching science a lot more. The worst thing is the early morning commute and relatively long-school days. I'll be out here for the next week or so.
• Chinese biotech reemerges in my life...
  I'm not going to say too much about this right at the moment, but it looks like I may be going back to my A-game of biotechnology for a crust. Stay tuned.

So that's about it. The last week or so in my life has been spent getting up before 6am and spending the bulk of my day running around the place, or at least commuting from meetings, work commitments, and fitting in a smidgen of socialising.

Also, congratulatiosn to Matt-man and Shirl who got hitched recently, and DaDan and Lozza who just delivered baby Euclid Cool Jnr. into the world. It's all happening!

This is something that has been taking up a heap of my time recently. Together with a few Flickr friends in Shanghai, we put together a photography competition and silent auction fundraiser using the Flickr interface. Monies raised at this event will be donated via Shanghai Sunrise, to the Xin Shi Ji Xiao Xue School on Hongqiao Road, Shanghai. 1750 students are in dire need of a library. 30% of the bar takings also goes to the students. Also, photographers will take portrait shots for a fee in a little mini-studio area.

The big auction is tonight, so if you're in Shanghai, please turn up to La Bella Cafe (127 Yongfu Lu, near Fuxing West Road) from 7pm.

There's a lot more information about the event over on these websites...

ChinaNext Flickr Group Thread.
Shanghaiist: Shanghai's Students to benefit from ChinaNext Photography Auction.
SmartShanghai: ChinaNext.

I hope to see you there. Bring cash for the kiddies.

So frickin busy at the moment, so here's the quickest thing I could post for me.

You scored as Beast. Beast is an intelligent, politcal spokesman for the X-Men. He has a Ph.D in Genetics and is well versed in literature. He may look like a blue fuzzy monster, but deep down he's very benevolent and logical. Powers: Enhanced strength and agility Beast 90% Colossus 80% Jean Grey 70% Cyclops 70% Wolverine 65% Storm 65% Emma Frost 60% Rogue 50% Iceman 45% Nightcrawler 40% Gambit 30% Most Comprehensive X-Men Personality Quiz 2.0 created with QuizFarm.com

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.

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.

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.

When I have a look at my site stats, one of the usual top searches in looking for a map of Shanghai's roads or a good map of Shanghai's metro stations. For my mind, there's a number of so-so metro and city maps in English. Realistically, Shanghai's expats would really benefit from an English version of the Google China's Ditu (map) service or an equivalent here in Shanghai.

A screenshot of Google China's Map (Ditu) service.

Don't fret. The ExploreShanghai online mapping website can provide the solution. It is a new and FREE map service that meets both Chinese and English requirements, which also provides some cool pointers to access the city. Created by web boffin Matt Mayer, the site offers two great maps for English-speakers in Shanghai, ExploreShanghai City and ExploreShanghai Metro.

Screenshot of the ExploreShanghai City online mapping service..

Both of the SmartShanghai and ExploreShanghai maps both have the ability to bookmark a location and access it via a hyperlink. I've found this very handy if you're hosting an event or a party somewhere.

Both the SmartShanghai and ExploreShanghai city maps can be accused of having a downtown-centric view of Shanghai, and don't really address Hongqiao, or Pudong at all. There's not a lot of information outside the inner-ring road either, so just be warned if you want to use these mapping services outside this general area. I'm sure these will be areas that are improved upon in the future.

Screenshot of the ExploreShanghai Metro Map.

These are cool, handy tools. Go and check them out.

A normal Great Firewall connection error.

Quite a lot has been written recently on how to get around the increased restrictions on internet access from China. Yes it sucks, but there's a million or so ways around it. A lot of them use proxies. Unfortunately many are dependent on third-parties, and in particular, unknown third parties. In my mind, if you use open IP lists to gain unencrypted internet access, you're just asking for trouble.

One of the best ways to ensure unrestricted, and anonymous internet access is through the use of virtual private networks. There are a number of commercial solutions that are easy to install on PC, Mac or Unix and really don't cost all that much money. Nonetheless, they do cost money and often have secure web traffic quota restrictions which if you use the web a lot, could cause you some problems.

However if you're like me and want to save a few RMB and already host your own web-site on a Unix-based server you may want to set-up your own secure proxy server through the use of SSH tunnelling. Sounds difficult? Well, it isn't. Thanks to matt-man for hooking me up with this system.

The Concept
What we are going to do is to create a private proxy on your Unix webserver that you can use to access the internet. Access to the private proxy will only be allowed if you have login privileges to the webserver. To access the webserver, you will use an SSH connections to ensure traffic between your computer and your proxy server is encrypted (thus unobservable). The last step will allow you to get past the firewall.

Requirements.

1. A Unix-based webserver outside the firewall (work, China, etc) that allows SSH connections.
2. Knowledge and familiarity with FTP, SSH and basic Unix navigation commands (cd, pwd, find, mv).
3. A little Unix compilation knowledge.
4. The ability to read all of these instructions first and then follow them (very important).

Explanation of the Unix Lines here

Before we start, I'm just going to qualify that in the below examples of Unix line, DO NOT include the following components as part of the commands. These just signify where you should be issuing the commands from (like on the Unix server, or your own computer). I hope this explanatory. The $ sign signifies the command prompt.

webserver:~ user$

mycomputer:~ me$

Free Tools
elhttp - The extra light HTTP proxy server that runs on Unix systems (in this case, your webserver).
SSHKeychain - A key manager for Mac OSX that can also forward local ports (on your computer) over a SSH connection (to your webserver).

From what I've read, you could also give the more robust privoxy a shot instead of elhttp. I can only vouch that elhttp works under this situation.

I'm writing this assuming you use OSX for your home computer system (like me), but don't fret if you've got a PC because you can use many of the other SSH managers (that may have to be paid for) available for PC or Linux. If you don't want to spend the bucks or are a purist, you can use command line SSH programs like PC's PuTTY or OSX's good ol' Terminal instead. I'll cover how to do this in the below notes section.

Installing elhttp on your webserver

• Download the tgz archive of the latest elhttp version (I used elhttp-0.22.tgz). Let's call this file elhttp.tar.gz for this example.
• FTP the elhttp.tar.gz file to your desired folder or subdomain on your webserver (FTP). I prefer to use a subdomain that has its own unique user just for added security. This user must have SSH access enabled, or this whole thing won't work.
• SSH to your webserver and navigate to the folder or subdomain where you placed the elhttp.tgz archive.
• Untar and decompress the elhttp.tgz using the following command structure.

webserver:~ user$ tar -xvzf elhttp.tar.gz

• This will produce a folder named elhttp. If this name differs from yours, you can rename the folder using the mv unix command.
• Navigate into the new elhttp folder using the cd unix command.

webserver:~ user$ cd elhttp

• Read the README text file in this folder on how to 'install' elhttp. For the bulk of you, you shall choose the linux option like below.

webserver:~ user$ ./make linux

Configuration of elhttp on your webserver
We will now configure the elhttp proxy server. The commands that we will call will ensure that any proxy traffic will only be accepted from our own webserver (referred to this case as 127.0.0.1 or localhost). Also, we will specify that any traffic accepted for this proxy must come through the 4222 port (ssh connection port). We will also specify a network mask (in our case the classic subnet mask 255.255.255.0), a logfile (proxy_log.txt) and what type of connection methods we will allow (2, any connection method allowed like http or https for example).

webserver:~ user$ ./elhttp 4222 127.0.0.1 255.255.255.0 proxy_log.txt 2

Here's the syntax for the elhttp command.

elhttp [proxy port] [authorized ip] [network mask] [logfile] [CONNECT method flag]

A full explanation of the syntax of the command can be found here.

Ok, we've now setup our extra light http server! Now what we have to do is connect to it from our own computer. And how will we do this? By SSH of course!

Install and configure SSHKeychain to connecting to elhttp proxy server.
SSH stands for Secure Shell. You can read up on SSH at Wikipedia after you've connected to your elhttp installation, but for now let's get started with the installation and configuration of SSHKeychain, which will manage your SSH connection to your elhttp proxy server.

• Download the SSHKeychain binary from the developer's website. Install the program as directed.
• Start SSHKeychain
• Open Preferences/Display. Choose to display SSHKeychain in the Status Bar and Dock.


• Open the Preferences/Tunnels tab. Create a new tunnel by pressing the + button.


• General -> give your tunnel a name. Select the other options as desired (I leave these off as a default).
• SSH -> Enter details for your webserver. Hostname = my.domain.com, Port = 22, Username = myusername.


• Local Ports -> Local Port = 4222, Remote Host = localhost, Remote Port = 4222


• Remote Ports -> Leave blank.
• Save the settings.

The key steps here are the local port forwarding to our remote server that hosts the elhttp installation. Here we are pushing traffic from our computer through our computer's 4222 port. This will then access our webhost elhttp system by using localhost (i.e. 127.0.0.1) and the port elhttp allows to access the internet 4222.

Create a SSH tunnel to elhttp using SSHKeychain.
This is really easy. Earlier, you configured SSHKeychain to be present on both the Menu Bar and the Dock. Go to the menu bar icon for SSHKeychain (a set of keys), select it and the Tunnels submenu.

Select your Tunnel configuration. Wait a few moments while SSHKeychain contacts your webhost and it responds with a password challenge. Enter the password for the webserver account you are using to access your webserver. If the connection is allowed, you will notice that the Tunnel configuration in the menu bar listing will now have a tick.

Guess what? You're tunnel is connected, and now you can use elhttp to browse the internet. All you need to do is tell your web browser to use this connection.

Setting up your web applications to use your proxy server.
This is the easiest step left to do. What you need to do here is to ensure that your web applications that you want to use your elhttp server can find the right path to access the server.

Essentially, all you have to do is point your http and https proxies to the SSHKeychain program. To do this, put the following proxy options into either your Firefox browser or your OSX System Preferences/Network/Proxies settings. Have a look at the below image and fill in as indicated.

In this situation, localhost (127.0.0.1:4222) refers your web browser to connect to the internet via the 4222 port on your own computer.

Save and apply your proxy settings!

Notes about this whole setup.

The elhttp proxy that has been built here creates a tunnel through a network firewall. It does not anonymise your IP address at all. In this way you can accept cookies, leave a trail through the internet, and also access a lot of websites that may not usually allow the use of free proxy services that also anonymise your identity.

Your webserver is a highly dependent factor in this whole escapade. Again, this can only work if you have SSH access to your webserver. If you don't, you can't use this method, but maybe someone with SSH access to another server can set this up for you if you ask very very nicely. I can also imagine that your webhost may not allow the functioning of elhttp for various reasons, in particular some hacker's penchant for using elhttp's capabilities. For people with their own hosting providers,I can assure you this works on Dreamhost's virtual machine/shared servers and also other Apache-variants. They give you a lot of bandwidth to use, so I don't think they care too much about what you use this for. Very rarely, elhttp loses its configuration settings due to Dreamhost's tinkering. To fix this, just SSH to your account and reconfigure the proxy using the elhttp command used earlier. No worries otherwise.

SSHKeychain's main aim is to manage security keys, and thus will start managing Apple's default key manager, Keychain. Essentially what you will find is recurring requests to use your Apple User accounts authorisation password to access your stored passwords. I don't find this annoying, but you might. You can alter this relationship by reading more on the SSHKeychain online help.

I have also added SSHKeychain to my start up items, and if you wish, you can automatically create your SSH tunnel when SSHKeychain starts up.

Using an SSH tunnel to drive your web connections through can be a pain as it can slow your access. At least from Shanghai, I don't see any major slow-downs, unless I am accessing sites within China of course. So it is a good idea to be able to switch between normal network connection proxies and your elhttp connection in such situations. Do do this efficiently and quickly, I like to use the SwitchProxy Firefox extension plugin to allow changing of my proxy settings just that little bit easier. You should be using Firefox of course! Otherwise on Mac OSX, I would create new Network Locations to make proxy switching easier for Safari or other browsers. For non-Firefox using PC people, I'm sure there's an easy solution to your problem.

By the way, if SSHKeychain isn't on, and the tunnel isn't active, you can't use the 127.0.0.1:4222 proxy configuration to connect to the internet.

You can also port other traffic through your SSH tunnel including email, torrent downloads, video and audio streaming for example. However, that is up to you to configure if you want it. Commercial VPN solutions cover all these different type of connections and provide a cheap, complete solutions for unrestricted internet access.

Command Line Tunnelling

This is perhaps the most simple way on the command line to set up your SSH tunnel to your elhttp webserver.

mycomputer:~ me$ ssh -N -p 22 useraccount@my.domain.com -L 4222/localhost/4222

The above Endgadget link breaks down this ssh command as follows.

• ssh - the actual SSH command
• -N tells SSH we don't want to execute a remote command. Not terribly necessary, but makes it safer.
• user@my.domain.com = account and SSH host on the my.domain.com server.
• -L 4222/localhost/4222 This one creates the tunnel. It tells SSH to forward traffic from port 4222 on the local machine (your computer) to port 4222 on the remote machine (the elhttp proxy server you created).

When you create this connection, you will be challenged for the password for the user account you specified. Please note that the command line prompt will not change after this step as the connection is active. You can then configure your internet browser to utilise the connection as mentioned earlier. When you want to close the tunnel, hit Control+C. The elhttp proxy will then refuse connections.

Ok! If you read this carefully, and followed the directions you should now be able to reach sites like shown in these screenshots.

Pretty cool isn't it?

Every expat living in China realises that there have been some roadblocks placed on China's internet access. Regardless of your viewpoint on censorship, measures like this usually offend the idealistic notion of a free and liberal internet. What annoys many bloggers to no end is seemingly arbitrary, blanketing restrictions placed on the free blogging sites that many of us like to browse and publish with.

Since September 2002, the number of blogs in China has risen 30 fold to reach 34 million in September 2006. After the recent China National Congress, there were intimations that control over internet use and publishing were going to be tightened. And true to their words, China-based bloggers using free services like Xanga, Blogspot and Livejournal found themselves in limbo following further strengthening of the Great Firewall of China over the last month. Technology focused Blogspot blogger Matthew Roberts had this to say on his discovery that his site was inaccessible in China.

Looking through my postings I’m not sure I’ve ever talked about China to be honest. So its probably not been caused by any actions on my part. It may have something to do with the comments? or perhaps items I’ve linked to or been linked from? not sure. It would be interesting to know what triggered so many, for lack of a better term, ‘politically bland’ sites getting blocked.

Qingdao blogger and satirist Mersault vented his dismay at these new restrictions, particularly after his recent site transfer to Blogspot.

I only have two options. The first is to use a Chinese blogging platform which would severely restrict anything I could write; the second is to buy my own domain which I'm also unwilling to do while I'm in China.

Well done China and the Chinese people. Writing was the only joy I had left in my life while I am stuck in your awful country; and now you've taken that away from me too. I gave up my original journalism job because Chinese regulations meant I could only write the empty crap that the government insisted upon, and now these pathetic rules have drained any determination I once had to write a weblog.

Others have taken more measured approaches to their musings. The Weifeng Radish's self-described apolitical blog has been inaccessible from mainland China since February 2006 due to his choice of the Wordpress publishing system. He often taps into his situation to write about why the internet is filtered here and how to get around some restrictions.

Here is an example of his exploration on why the useful Wikipedia site is blocked in China.

It is not clear at all that Wikipedia has been entirely blocked for that reason. China gains nothing from the negative press it attracts due to blocking Wikipedia, and if it was only because of 6/4 and similar issues they could simply block those articles and other Wikipedia articles that reference those articles and not have to deal with so much negative press. I don’t think the Chinese government is afraid of kangaroos. No, there are probably a number of other reasons in addition to this one as to why Wikipedia is entirely blocked. Personally, I think it has a lot to do with a fear of citizens experiencing free speech on the part of the Communist Party.

China-based Blogspot users are understandably not that happy about the newly imposed restrictions on their blogging sites. Self-described scoundrel and Blogspot user Chinabounder recently touched on the topic of blogging in China, and let loose a searing opinion about the recent Blogspot ban.

Blogspot, for example, was becoming something too free and truthful. Chinese people – horrors – were beginning to express themselves and – worse! – read the opinions of others, opinions that did not ‘stand where the Party stands’ (those are the words of Luo Gan, one of China’s most powerful men, on the nature of truth). The site is now blocked in China, many blogs far better than mine inaccessible to those lacking the tech skills to get round the great firewall. But so skilled is the government at the lies attendant on a skilful fucking that should you ask them about this they will tell you, ‘We do not censor the internet’ – and will tell it cool and calm, not a blink nor twitch. For they are the most practiced of liars.

This from Blogspotter, Aussie in the Orient.

They should rename Blogspot as Blockspot- yes once again the Chinese government in all it's wisdom has blocked blogspot again. Why? Just in case we point out that their dictatorial control of the internet is against the fundamental human rights of free speech - oh, wait, they just demonstrated that themselves by blocking it in the first place.

Technology portal Wired.com recently asked Xiao Qiang, founder of China Digital Times regarding the outlook for Livejournal users affected by the latest round of restrictions.

"For whatever reason (if) you've been blocked, it's almost impossible to get open again," says Xiao. "It could be one of the blogs in Livejournal has the content they want to block. They are very bluntly over-blocking sites."

In the last few years,internet users have seen greater controls put in place on access in China. Increased vigilance of registering at internet cafes is one such example, as is the mandate that China-based bloggers register their names with the Orwellian-invoking Ministry of Information Industry. Sometimes you can wonder if such expansion of the controls are actually needed for the average web user in China.

Chinese blogger Wangjianshuo wrote of his friend's experience with China's internet police in his English langauge blog.

This didn't happen to me yet, but it happens to my friend. He has a small blog, and wrote some article about finance. It may mentioned the name someone in power. The Uncle Police (the way children typically call policeman) called, and asked him to delete the post. They do have great technology to track who wrote what, via which telephone line, and on which computer. Then they have the power to map the post with a real person, and get his/her telephone number.

Such measure placed on Chinese nationals don't apply to the majority of expatriates. We're more than quite happy and able to utilise free, foreign-hosted blogging services or for the more adventurous, dive into the rabbit hole of building and hosting your own sites. The most bloggers like ourselves have to worry about is that our choice of platform will be the next to be put on the restricted list. Perhaps looking at the greener side of the fence, the average user in China saw this as less troublesome path to self-expression which in turn led to these restrictions? Considering that in 2005, only 10% of Chinese bloggers have complied with the registration edict, you may have some ammunition for your arguement.

Regardless of the reasons why, all is not lost for those people affected by these bans. There are numerous ways to circumvent a situation like this. Users of foreign-hosted virtual private networks or encrypted proxies do not have access problems but may trade-off unfettered access with slower internet speeds. For the average Joe or Joeline, perhaps the simplest option for average Blogspot user is to access their blog tools via the pkblogs gateway. There's also a myriad of other tools that will enable you to go where you want to go, but it is all user-beware when you choose to use of these services.

There are quite a number of sites that are dedicated to this conundrum that goes by the monicker of the Great Firewall of China. Perhaps the niftiest tool to see what is filtered out is the aptly named Great Fire Wall of China website, which can let you know if your blog or website suffers from restricted access in China. Of course, you cannot access this from the mainland without using virtual private networks or utilising anonymous proxies to browse this site. At least this example might serve as a counter conjecture that there is no internet access restrictions in China.

IMG_1917.jpg, originally uploaded by mjnewhook.
Us on the top of Victoria Peak

I'm continuing my with my nostalgic, Flickr blogging morning theme. Here's my friend Matt & his girlfriend Shirley in HK.

This entry was posted with flickr

Heavenly Dog, originally uploaded by dledge.
Lena hanging out on a white chair in front of a bright window...

This is our friend Josh & Amy's cute dog, Lena. Dan got a great capture of Lena a few weeks back.

Lena pees when she gets excited. She gets excited a lot.

This entry was posted with flickr

Mad Scientist, originally uploaded by Shanghai Sky.
Labella Cafe, Shanghai

Ben took this photograph at La Bella Cafe last night. La Bella hired French guitarist Etienne to play various French & Gypsy jazz tunes. If you're sick of my mug, Ben's photography is worth checking out.

This entry was posted with flickr

It has been a long, long time in-between posts on this little visitor advice topic of mine. The new update is partly due to the upcoming overseas guest/tourist season that seems to start towards the end of March each year. The other reason is although I've been cooking this idea for a long long time now, and it got pretty much out of control in terms of content. I'm going to write the day-trip version soon too. So here it is. An evening trip to Pudong!!

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. With this rivalry in mind, my circle of friends often refer to Pudong as 'Pu Jersey'. Otherwise, we affectionately refer to it as 'The 'Dong'.

Pudong also has some pretty cool things. I'll admit that I believe Pudong is far more sedate than what you would find across the Huangpu, but there's some good quality evening options around the Pudong area. As Pudong is a massive district. I will justl focus on writing about three main areas that I've spent a little time in and around. Jinqiao, Pudong Nan Lu, and Lujiazui.

Jinqiao
Out of all of these three areas, I've spent the least in the Jinqiao area. It is a decent trip from downtown Puxi, but should you find yourself out in Jinqiao, there's two main areas to hit for an evening out. These are Zendai Thumb Plaza (Du Mu Zhi) and the Jinqiao Green Sports & Leisure Center. To me, The Thumb Plaza complex mirrors the expat village area centred around the Hongmei Road area in Shanghai's Honqiao district. The usual expat chains are to be found here. I usually can't go past Moon River Diner for a meal, but also there's a number of good Indian restaurants in this complex. For a number of cold beers, hit the Korean Wah Bar for some frosty ales. Not far away from Thumb Plaza is the Green Sports & Leisure Centre. This place has a number of expat oriented shops, including The Pines Supermarket, Decathlon, Jinqiao Megafit (best gym I've seen in Shanghai), and a clustering of restaurants and bars. The Blue Frog is always my first choice here for a beer, there's a number of other options available that will suit your tastes. As for hitting the clubs, well, IMHO its time to look elsewhere.

Pudong Nan Lu & Zhangyang Lu
This area It is only a short metro or taxi ride away from Puxi and other areas of Pudong and boasts an almost unlimited choice of shopping and eating options. In fact, most of them are located in two massive shopping centres, The Next Age Department Store (also known as BaBaiBan shopping centre) & Pudong Times Square. For eating, I'd recommend the Shanghai Uncle Restaurant (Haishang Ashu Fandian) for some really tasty Shanghainese. The ribs are tasty, as is the Mandarine Fish. Another option for entertainment I can recommend is located on the 10th floor of BaBaiBan. There's an amusement arcade, and you'll also find a pool hall and bowling alley and cinema there keep the night moving along. There's also a number of kosher KTV joints, including one in the amusement hall, around the Pudong Nan Lu area, so you won't be missing any entertainment options.

Lujiazui
Lujiazui is undoubtedly the biggest evening centre in Pudong. The concentration of tourist attractions, restaurants, shopping and accommodation in this area isn't found anywhere else in Pudong. And, what's better, it is only a stone's throw from Puxi!

The Superbrand Mall (Zheng da guangchang 正大广场) is the biggest drawcard for shopping and (surprisingly) dining in Lujiazui. There is a wide selection of dining options in this mall. I've eaten at a few places in here, and really you just need to pick a cuisine & then make your choice of place. But my recommendation? Go to Pizza Hut! What? Ok, don't go for a fantastic meal, but for the AMAZING view. The Pizza Hut overlooks the Huangpu River and The Bund, and costs about RMB100-200 less than most of the other top-shelf restaurants (like South Beauty) that share its vantage point. I don't think there's a better view, but pity about the pizza. But there's many other options to choose from here. Towards the top of the Superbrand Mall, there is an indoor ice rink and a cinema that shows English-language films. You can purchase tickets at the cinema, or at the base of the Superbrand Mall underneath the escalators near the main entrance. Oh yeah, and heaps of shopping (including Toys 'R Us & Chaterhouse Bookstore if you want a taste of home).

World-wide, Shanghai has the reputation of possessing some of the most futuristic cityscapes in the world. And yeah, the bulk of them are based in Pudong, with the largest share being located in the area known as Lujiazui across from The Bund area in Shanghai. Watching this area from dusk to mid-evening is one of the ultimate urban experiences I have discovered. The area is so large, and so diverse, that there are three main ways to enjoy Shanghai's transformation at night.

My favourite way to experience Shanghai at night has to be visiting the Cloud9 bar at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, located in the JinMao Tower. I'd recommend reserving a table from 1 hour before sunset to really enjoy the change of city from drab & polluted to a light wonderland. Ask for a table facing The Bund or The Pearl Oriental Tower to ensure a good view. The only problem with this is price. The Cloud9 bar has a minimum charge from around RMB120 per person in the evening, which is almost 2 cocktails. Bring your wallet, or even better, a guest in the hotel. Avoid rainy and foggy days for this experience, you won't see anything.

The second way to appreciate what Pudong has to offer in the evening is to hit the Riverside Promenade (Binjiang Da Dao). You live in Shanghai and haven't heard of it? Well, that's the proper name for the embankment opposite The Bund (Waitan). This area is a stone's throw away from SuperBrand Mall and features a boardwalk promenade with various bars, cafes and restaurants. Just pick one with a great view and watch the old Shanghai put on her best face as the night lights come on. This is also an awesome place to experience how much ship and boat traffic the Huangpu River carries each day. It just doesn't stop.

The last and my close-second favourite way to enjoy the evening sights of Pudong is to jump across the Huangpu River to watch the evening light show from the banks of The Bund. Yeah, technically this isn't in Pudong, but escaping back to Puxi is a great way to wind down your evening in Pudong ;) . Strolling along the Waitan can be harrowsome after a long day, as large crowds and aggressive hawkers and beggars can get on your goat. Might I suggest that an even better way to enjoy the scenery is to grab a few drinks from the great vantage points of Bar Rouge or The Glamour Bar. If your budget allows, dining at M on The Bund is one of the more luxurious ways to while away the evening.

Keep an eye out for Part 4 - A Day in Pudong.

Previously on scRambler...
What to do with a visitor in Shanghai? Part 1 - The Usual.
What to do with a visitor in Shanghai? Part 2 - X marks the spot.

CNN Asia pokes fun at China & Chinese people once again. But the Jiang Zemin part is ironic, isn't it?

I wrote a little while ago about attending the Shanghai Flickr group's meet up at La Bella Cafe a few weeks ago. I consider events like these to be one of the best things about Shanghai because (a) Shanghai's a big city, (b) Shanghai attracts a lot of talented people, and (c) there is so much life and change to document in Shanghai.

In fact, I believe that you need both a lot of (b) in (a) so you get a lot of (c) covered [yeah, I got confused just writing this].

I liked the slideshow so much, that I have basically streamed it as my OS X screensaver to enjoy in my spare moments (just a like a changing picture frame).

This is how I did it.

• You need Mac OSX.
• You need a Flickr account.
• You need to install a screensaver plug-in that allows you to display your choice of Flickr photos on your own OSX system. The screensaver is can be obtained along with the fabulous (and free) Flickr accessory software, 1001. This is created & distributed from the gang at Kula Software, and allows you to do heaps of cool stuff with Flickr. Read their online How-To to get a better feel on what 1001 can do for you.

1. Install 1001 program (optional).
Download the 1001 package and install it on your OSX system. After installation of the software, run 1001. You will then be presented with an authorisation screen which will allow 1001 to use your Flickr account. You will need to be online for the authorisation process to go ahead.

You don't need to install 1001 to use the screensaver plug-in - essentially they are separate entities, but 1001 is so handy that I can't see a reason as to why you wouldn't install it anyway.


2. Install 1001 Screensaver.
Ensure that you've installed the 1001 screensaver into the correct location as described in the Installation instructions.


3. Enable 1001 Screensaver.


Go to System Preferences -> Desktop & Screensaver -> Screensaver. If you followed the installation instructions correctly, there should be a '1001' option to select from in the left frame.


4. Configure 1001 Screensaver.


Select 1001 from the left-frame, and then select Options from the main panel. You will be presented with another window from which you'll need to make choices.


1. Select the Authorization tab.


You need to authorise the 1001 screensaver to stream photos from Flickr. This authorisation is separate from the 1001 program authorisation, so you will need to do it again. This also means that you can install the 1001 screensaver without installing the 1001 program (but why would you?). Click on the Authorise button.


Your web browser will then launch, and ask you to allow the screensaver program Use your flickr login details to do this. The authorised program should be s1001 (screensaver 1001).


Then return to the System Preferences -> Desktop & Screensaver -> Screensaver -> 1001 -> Options -> Authorize window and select Finish to complete the authorisation process. You should then see that you're logged in under your Flickr account name.


2. Select the Streams tab.


Here you can select from a wide variety of options on what flickr images to stream to your screensaver. You can select from default options like flickr's Interestingness option, or from your own customised options. To create your own stream conditions, select the '+' icon to create a new stream. Rename the new stream to 'my stream name' and then use the pull-down options to configure this new stream. You can choose to stream images either from any flickr tags, or from your own flickr contacts, groups or tags. The options are limitless, so play around with it. In my case, I chose 'Groups', and from my flickr account options, 'Shanghai Flickr Meetup Slideshow'. You can also select more than 1 stream to display at once if you choose.


3. Select the Options tab.


Here you can select how often your streamed images will be refreshed, how many images you will store on your own computer, and the minimum size of the images you want to display. The last is a good one to play around with, as I've found that many photos streamed from flickr can appear pixellated on screens showing greater than 1024x768 pixels. This tab also shows you a big selection of 'keyboard shortcuts' to manage your 1001 slideshow. I usually use the following. Side-arrow keys for for browsing through your slideshow, 'd' to remove photos from your slideshow, but to also (which is the best function IMHO) the 'f' key to select an image as a flickr Favourite. Yes, this shows up in your flickr profile and helps you to browse flickr without having to hit your web browser.




Then hit OK to save all your 1001 option configurations.



5. Test & Use the 1001 Screensaver.
You should still be in the Screensaver System Preferences panel. If not, navigate back to it.

Go to System Preferences -> Desktop & Screensaver -> Screensaver.

Use the handy 'Test' button to see how well the 1001 screensaver works.

Now all you have to do is configure the settings on your OSX system to manage when your screensaver activates. I usually choose 3 minutes without activity as when to start my screensaver. You may need to check that your Energy Saver configurations to send your computer's display to sleep doesn't conflict with your Screensaver settings. You can check this by navigating to...

System Preferences -> Desktop & Screensaver -> Energy Saver

At first use, you may not have a lot of images to display. This is due to the refresh rate that you choose on the 1001 screensaver options. You will also have to have an internet connection to download images. If you're not online, the caching function in the 1001 screensaver allows you to store some images on your computer's hard-drive.

So, that's how you can get your Shanghai Flickr Meet-up Slideshow (or insert group of your choice) fix until the next time!

Gee, CNY really upsets the apple-cart here in China. Blogging included. I took a step back from extraneous things like posting here, there and pretty much everywhere else. I channeled most of my post-sickness energies into the second-stage launch of Linda's little enterprise.

To celebrate that, we just got back from a quick trip to Nanjing. Unfortunately, our main reason for going there didn't eventuate - namely visiting the Nanjing Massacre Memorial. It is closed until December 15th 2007 if you're interested. You have got to love the lack of information on all the official (English) websites for the site.

As for now, it is time to put the feet up once again, and enjoy a touch of slothdom before the day starts once a new. Just wish they'd stop letting off fireworks right outside our window.

I have just had my first major winter illness for as far back as I can remember. For the last 4 days, I've wavered between being an a puddledom of sickness to having most of my faculties. I forgot how awful being struck down by flu can be like.

All I can say is that I love Chinese super-strength pseudoephidrine, the mysterious packets of banlangen keli we picked up, and Lin for letting me use the couch most of the time. Watching episodes of the TV show Weeds has helped ease the discomfort too.

A scene from the Flash game, Stick Cricket.

I saw an article on The SMH yesterday that linked to this game, Stick Cricket. It is pretty awesome. Very addictive and really suited to cricket tragics like myself.

And you even get bounced. Check it out!

I'm currently leading a truly geeky lifestyle. Lots of time on the internet, as well as meeting people through it.

One typical example of this occurred last weekend. I dragged Linda along to my first Flickr meet-up in Shanghai at the La Bella Cafe on Saturday night.

I have found that reconciling with my geeky ways has always been difficult proposition. I grew up surrounded by sport-dominated society, which bred the stereotype of computer users as nerds. Then there was the 90's, which was a little more favourable to the average computer user, but socialising through the net? Only losers did this. So, an escapade like joining up with a bunch of photo enthusiasts through essentially a web-bulletin board is instantly tainted by these formative-year stereotypes. I admit I'm far more comfortable with the idea of a web-society meetup since the last few years, in particular due to my move to Shanghai. The web is usually the first medium that many expats like myself socialise through. If you take my current lifestyle as an example, over the past few years, I am seeing more and more of my life dominated by people I meet online through online-advertised events or organising sporting sides, or by keeping in contact with my older friends through emails or blogging.

So, I started with some simple socialising, and now it appears I'm potentially going to start making some income through the online world. I'm spending more and more of my day online, chatting using Skype or GChat, email-tagging support or friends, or cruising around looking for information.

So, getting back to the Flickr meetup topic. Despite my growing ease with my internet socialisation, jumping into the Shanghai Flickr fold is a little more intimidating due to the fact that I'm a hack photographer surrounded by some truly talented people. Absolutely brilliant in fact. This was evidenced by the contributor slideshow presentation by the Shanghai Flickr group. There were indeed some excellent photographs on display and almost everyone was transfixed by the presentations. I've now found a few more photographers who's work I can browse at my leisure.

While my stay was short there due to other events on that evening, we did have fun bumping into a few other Shanghai souls (both old & new), and we certainly will try to attend the next event as well.

If you want to see the quality of the photographs contributed to the evening, go and check out this link.

Right now I'm trying to pull myself out of a funk. Not the China Funk, but one where your hopes & dreams appear to have gotten out of apparent reach through matters that have thought to have been in your control, but have then found to be out of your control.

Part of me feels that I'm stuck here in Shanghai for the time-being due to personal reasons, but the main angst eating away at me recently has been the complete lack of direction to hit that next goal in my life. Major goal-setting isn't something I've revisited very much during the past few years as I've had a strong eye on getting my qualifications and experience as a scientist. It appears my choices in both areas have been somewhat questionable, as have my reactions to the outcomes in this area. I don't believe that quitting my last job was an incorrect step. I was essentially either a victim of a business' change of direction, or grossly misled to my role in the company & the potential for my skills to impact that business. Moving on was the right choice, but for the longer amount of time I've been away from that position, I've fallen for the romanticism of 'it wasn't that bad'. Second-guessing myself has become an art-form built from my well-honed process of careful calculation & planning, an art-from that I've been dwelling with for far too long.

I now recognise that I had become that person consumed with the pursuit of recognition for my skills & learning, to the point that the person had become a secondary or tertiary component of who I was or what I could be. Science came first - everything else was an optional extra.

I believe that the pain that I currently inflict upon myself stems from that my inherent self-belief that I always make correct & well-considered decisions regarding major events that affect my life, and on this and other occasions that my own well-founded process and deliberation could have been so wrong.

My own ego has taken a pounding from this decision/revaluation approach being fallible, and also my previous experience where at times, I've truly felt that my abilities as a professional appeared to devalued by my peers and superiors, or at other times, completely worthless to them. Combined with my approach where I came to identify my own self-image more from my title and skills rather than as a complete human being with other well-rounded skills and abilities, I found myself in quite a black place.

A lot of the former 'cognitive conditioning' stems from my time & experiences at university as a graduate student, and led me to a place that I questioned my own-self identity and worth to a point where I believed that I have little to offer to the world except for an assorted range of puns, snarky tidbits written on seldom-seen webpages, and explanations of scientific principles using restaurant table condiments and sauce bottles.

But I'm learning to see past this introspection. Because it can consume you. And it has consumed a lot of my time of late. And, I recognise that I do have a lot to offer and it is worth material gain to a lot of people in world. But it appears not here in SH (well, as far as I've looked so far). For a scientist, there really hasn't been too many options that have grabbed my liking. I've been offered a temporary relief teaching contract at a local international school, but the offer is truly an awful joke considering what they charge per student each semester. You earn far more in the generic English teaching area. Perhaps coming into the new academic year there will be more opportunities in science education from mid-to late 2007.

I've been a lot more pro-active of late and my life is getting a lot better for it. The work I've been putting into various little projects of mine is starting to come together, and I should get some form of income from it over the next 6 months. I also get to teach myself new skills, and believe that it shows initiative - something that I don't believe I have been able to exhibit in my past occupations except for getting around inevitable scientific/logistic roadblock.

I've thought a lot recently about where I could go next. For now, I'm still deliberating how much I should go back to go forward.

My friend matt-man helped me out with my Mac system on Monday afternoon. I had completely the wrong idea, and he had the tools, skill, and experience to get my poo back in one sock (<abbr title="Also known as...">aka</abbr> getting your shit together). Thanks Tiger!

So I'm back online, trying to catch up on some work that I missed during the last few days, and also hitting the job search-interview dance & casual tutoring gigs that bring in a few RMB.

Anyone want to hire a microbiologist/scientist/teacher?

My Powerbook pretty much crashed today.

Shit.

It only boots directly into BSD, so it should be salvagable. But even with root permissions, I can alter, copy or create files.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Anyone got any ideas?

I'll be online everynow and then until it is back up and running. Great timing for this to happen too.

So, on my usual morning routine of checking Australian online newspapers, I was met with sever DNS errors, which generally means that these sites are blocked.

Intrigued, as I may have thought that a few more satellites may have disappeared from the sky, or Australia signed a treaty recognising an island floating in the South China Sea as a fully-fledged nation, I jumped onto an anonymous proxy to check out the salubrious details.

I couldn't find anything juicy. Only one article seemed to fit my well-trained China news eye but I wouldn't really call the below article salubrious enough to warrant blocking.

The SMH: An end to Shanghai's spitting image.

The story about Shanghai's taxi drivers receiving onboard spitoons isn't really breaking news, however for those on Antipodean shores I am familiar with, it is.

Access appears to have been restored for me, but I just wonder why it access to such sites was blocked this morning in the first place?

I'm not really up for much diarist blogging right now (such an entertaining lifestyle I'm leading right now), so I'm resorting to 'Plan B', namely rehashing the work of other blogs.

I read this highly pro-blogging article on my favourite news source (The SMH) earlier today. I just liked this little excerpt. Prof. Halliday's comment is a great one, and typical of what I'd expect from a Professor.

In Western nations, blogging has grown in popularity as public trust in the mainstream media has declined. Much of what passes for debate in the Australian press can be called "corkscrew journalism", a term that originated in the 1940 film The Philadelphia Story, directed by George Cukor. According to Fred Halliday, professor of international relations at the London School of Economics, the phrase is defined as "instant comment, bereft of research or originality, leading to a cycle of equally vacuous, staged polemics between columnists who have been saying the same thing for the past decade or more".

Doesn't this sound like most of Australia's leading commentators? Endless point-scoring and ill-informed rants against "elites", the "Left" and the "Right" are constant features of mainstream punditry. It's no wonder the major newspapers are in terminal circulation decline.

The arrogance of the commentariat was on full display in August when the New York Times columnist David Brooks said on American TV: "One of the things I've found in life is that politicians are a lot more sincere than us journalists and we are more sincere than the people that read and watch us." Could there be a better argument for his early retirement? If Brooks was unaware of how the general public viewed the media - worse than the dodgiest real estate agent - he'd been spending too much time with political insiders in Washington, DC.

Yes, politicians are the most sincere people I've ever met¡

You can read the full article here.

A model-turned-PR asks me to guess the worst social crime you can commit in Shanghai. It's not a very good game, to be honest. 'Child abuse?' I hazard. She shakes her head. 'No! It is to give someone a fake!' she says, just a little too solemnly. 'This is the worst thing! Unforgivable!' And then she wags her finger at me.

I'd suggest you read more of this report into Shanghai's big money at The Guardian's Observer Magazine.

It is kind of easy to forget how much money floats around this metropolis and country, but articles like these give you that non-too subtle nudge just in case that new skyscraper just happened to fail to do so.

Nothing new here, but my hosting provider just changed it's reseller. You may have noticed a blip or two if you logged in recently - so that explains it.

Another project I've been working on recently involves a different style of website on a completely different web host. I have discovered many new things about hosting, security, and the whizz-bang world of web-hosting.

I've also learned that you truly get what you pay for. All I can say is don't EVER contemplate using dot5hosting for any website. They are cheap, but their hosting systems suck. Lots. Create a subdomain = a two day problem. Get a usable FTP account = two day problem. This stuff should just take 2 minutes altogether, and shouldn't require contacting live-chat support. I was also told today that there is no way you can connect to a server using FTP on the shell command line. Yeah. Live support at dot5 is on the ball.

Added to this is the Asia internet melt slow-down, and connecting to their servers is a painful process. It has much slower speeds than other webhost providers listed in John's hosting provider's entry & comments discussion section.

After pulling my hair out for quite a while about these small problems, today I came across this thread. It appears I'm not alone. In this thread I discovered bewaredot5hosting.com. Someone's taken their rage and made something constructive.

I really should have read these threads earlier.

Carol's custard tart birthday cake, originally uploaded by DaLish.

My sister & bro-in-law took a few photos from my Mum's (something)th birthday 点心/饮茶 breakfast extravaganza back in Brisbane last weekend.

The photos were a good way for me to catch up with the day's celebrations as I am the bad son and couldn't make it back for both my Dad & Mother's birthdays in the last few weeks. But this one took the cake so to speak.

A 蛋挞 birthday cake?

I like these, but my Mum loves them a lot more than myself.

I was thinking that a Chinese person seeing this photo would shake their head. "Candles on an egg tart? Crazy foreigners!" It goes to show that each culture takes in a part of another, and puts their own unique twist on things.

A few pertinent links from Wikipedia (via Anonymouse)...
Egg Tarts, Yum cha, and Dim Sum.

This entry was posted with flickr

The last few weeks have been quiet for me and Lin, and thus we've spent a great deal of our time leading homely but studious lives inside our cosy apartment.

Hence, there's no great stories to be written nor tid-bits to be shared through this blog. I've a number of photos to upload to Flickr, but both my internet and personal interest bandwidths right now are both suffering from post-New Year outages.

Lin & I spent both our Christmas and New Year's holidays in Shanghai this year. We had a great time hosting a Christmas luncheon at our place with a few of our friends that didn't follow the annual mass expat exodus for the Christmas/NY holidays. There's a number of lasting memories from this period, with the most tiresome (but ultimately satisfying) being numerous excursions taken to hunt down those special ingredients for our feast and also to find the niche & thoughtful gift in a land of cheap, easily purchased mass-produced items that would normally consist of a thoughtful (and moderately priced) gift back home.

One of the joyous was stepping a little further outside our social zone and mingling with new friends & faces during the Christmas and New Year party rush. Almost every expat we chat to agrees with the sentiment that the calendar New Year in Shanghai is a real anti-climax due to lack of interest in the holiday here in China. There is no buzz whatsoever about the holiday here (although a few of our Chinese neighbours have wished us well). I find this a little puzzling given the interest & buzz for Christmas that we've observed in Shanghai over the last 2 years. The level of Santa and tinsel representation & the force-fed consumer spending of Christmas here matches that of our home-towns.

One thing that I've regretted about spending this time of year in Shanghai is that I missed both of my parent's milestone birthday's. Although they understand our position & location on the northern side of the Pacific Ocean, I would have dearly loved to have been there to celebrate with them this year. At least we will be able to swap notes when both my parents, sister and new brother-in-law visit China later this year.

Lately, I've been wrangling with a few job possibilities, and also contributing a lot of my own time to a little project of Linda's. She's a hard task mistress. Both of these developments will be deserving an entry or two in the not so far future if all goes to plan. I'm glad to be doing this, and it is starting to add considerably to my technical skills and future employability. This new branch of learning is really taxing my concentration skills and I have found myself spending between 4 to 10 hours at a time plugging away at it. If only I could transfer that interest into a much longer and more important millstone I have to grind.

Apart from her little project, Lin has also been intently focused with her language studies prior to the massive 6 week break Chinese university students receive around the Chinese New Year period.
We're thinking of taking a few little trips in the next couple of weeks. Initially we were considering the Harbin Ice Festival, but Lin vetoed this due to her aversion to chilly climes. Then there was the attraction of Xiamen during the Chinese New Year Golden Week, but we decided against that. We're now contemplating a Nanjing excursion in the near future. Who knows where we could really end up!

More later as life comes to hand.

Earthquakes are terrible things. They kill and main people, and destroy the lives of the unfortunate people living in the affected region. Earthquakes also destroy infrastructure. Like Asia's major internet and telephony lines to the world.

Since late on Boxing Day, international internet and telephone access from Shanghai (China, and probably the rest of Asia) has been an absolute nightmare.

Needless to say that many businesses and people have suffered major disruptions to their usual way of life. Some may even have their businesses at considerable risk. On the Shanghai Expat website, I've read many stories about how people are coping with this problem, with some even resorting to posting hardcopy work and sending them in overnight express mail just to keep international business moving. For others (like myself), I've essentially been cut-off from both my work (a little web site construction), the means of finding work (job sites), contacting my father on his birthday (sorry Dad!), checking Australia's demolition of England in the The Fourth Ashes Test Match, and several other means of procrastination that are firmly entrenched in my life. The only internet connections that appeared to be unaffected was within mainland China and to neighbouring countries, and I wasn't too interested in scrounging around looking for alternatives. I'm not that far gone!

This is the first successful attempt at reaching my US-hosted website and main email server for the last four days. Luckily most of my friends and family knew they could sporadically reach me on my Gmail account, but I even found access to that really spotty. At this stage I really wished I was working for one of the MNC's with their own dedicated networks (or at least a VPN) to establish connection to North American, European and Australian websites. For me, Skype sometimes worked but for most of the time it acted like an OCD-sufferer by constantly logging in and out.

The worst thing about this event is that there doesn't appear to be any Plan B for restoring the network capacity within a reasonable time-frame (i.e. 24 hours). At this stage, it may be 3 to 4 weeks until the previous network capacity is restored.

I have learnt quite a lot from this internet melt-down. The sea-bed communication networks are amazing, but fragile. And in Asia's case, it now appears to have design faults and has been poorly planned. This incident has confirmed that my expat life is truly entwined in the internet. As I didn't have any alternatives to solve this problems so the only thing left to do was to spend time with my awesome girlfriend, get some fresh air (thanks to the high-winds in Shanghai at the moment), and play Uno with Lin while eating take-away Thai food.

It hasn't been that bad at all really!

Merry Christmas to ALL, originally uploaded by spicedfish.

Merry Christmas to you all from Shanghai, China.

We're missing all our family & friends back home, and wish we could be with you today.

But only if we could bring our monster Christmas luncheon with us (now what a feast we have in store today).


Tim & Lin

This entry was posted with flickr

The Doritos corn chips you can get for RMB30 at City Shop .

Doritos! No, not the bananas, but real corn chips! I love Nacho Cheese! There's also Spicy Nacho and Cool Ranch. At RMB30 per packet, the price won't blow the budget either. I came across this addition while gathering the appropriate ingredients for a few Christmas dishes we're cooking up for next Monday. A friend told me a while back that Doritos was supposed to be launching in China sometime this year, but these packages were devoid of any Chinese printing and had the logo 'Export' plastered on the bottom corner of the packets, so I guess these aren't the "for Chinese market" variety that we've come to love & cherish (Cucumber-flavoured Lay's potato chips, anyone...? Anyone...?).

On the topic of the imported foods, I just wish a box of Vita Brits or Weetbix was less than RMB45 a pop - a truly criminal price for a few bricks of wholesome shredded & pressed wheat. At least Tim Tams go for just about the right price at around RMB25.

china mail, originally uploaded by Wam Mosely.

I think that I am falling in love with the China Post branch near Jing'an Temple (corner of Beijing Xi Lu and Huashan Lu). Yes, it does sound a little crazy, but let me explain.

I reckon that China Post is awesome. It is cheap, it is fast, and invariably it manages to get your packages to the right spot either on time or before time. The only problem many people face (whether your a foreigner or a Chinese national) is the service. It can be spotty, you can get rude staff, or people who just don't know what they're doing. Just like any public service job around the world you could say.

In the last month, both Linda and I have had some really positive experiences in dealing with China Post at the Jing'an Temple main office. This is perhaps one of the busiest branches in Shanghai. Invariably there is a sea of thronging masses pushing and shoving to get the attention of the counter assistants. Yet the capable people behind the bench still manage to keep a good eye on who was first, second, third in entering the maul and thus judiciously selects the right customer to serve.

In my recent dealings with the staff in this branch, they have been patient with me and my newly studied post & package Chinese. I've gained an education in sending letters, padded envelopes and boxes to overseas destinations, the cost structures and custom procedures. I was also impressed that the staff at this branch have wisely also segregated some of the customs and form filling procedures away from the commerce areas (which are usually inundated with bill-paying patrons), thus easing the load on the counter staff. In some of the other branches I've been to, it is a one-stop shop for pretty much everything.

The diligence of the staff can be highlighted in one such example. Last night I popped into the Jing'an Branch office to pay some bills. There weren't many counter staff working at that time, and there was a throng of customers wanting to pay bills and post letters. It was all working well until one customer needed to pay his bills in mostly JIAO!!! Everyone groaned but the customer and the staff member. The guy's bills were due that day and he didn't have any other large money, and despite it being in bank coin rolls, the counter staff informed him that he'd have to count every single one. He kept the face of the customer (despite what I believe the unreasonable request) and set about opening each roll of coins and counting the each one as quickly as possible. Luckily I chose another counter, and was dealt with promptly.

Another good-news story I'd like to share is that we came to learn that one of Lin's sisters had sent her a Christmas package to China, but after sending the item, she realised she had the wrong address. Bugger. We won't see that package this Christmas. But China Post contacted Australia Post, who then contacted Linda's sister (register your packages people), and she then supplied the correct address for our apartment. Beauty! Presents are on their way!

The last piece of China Post advice I'd like to dispense is that we've come to learn of the China Post branch inside Shanghai's Portman Center on Nanjing Xi Lu. For the uninitiated, The Portman Center is a bastion of English-speaking customer service (thus ease and thus expense) in a sea of the unfamiliar (& inaccessible) Chinese service systems to the fresh expat. All the counter staff speak English, and they also act as agents for DHL and Fedex. If your Chinese isn't up to scratch, maybe you can check out that post office at some point so you can access China Post's reliable systems.

Lastly, I would like to add that China Post is awesome!

The End

Some information.
China Post Homepage (and in English).
China Post Jing'an District Branch: Corner of Beijing Xi Lu and Huashan Lu.
The Portman Center's China Post Office Branch is located at 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu, Suite 203A, West Retail Plaza. Phone: 6279 8044

The 'ho ho ho hat' Flickr Christmas easter egg in action..

I noticed a little festive graffiti (care of my Sis or BROIL) on one of my Flickr photos earlier this morning. You can perform this little festive-season Easter egg trick by adding a note to any image, and typing either "ho ho ho hat" or "ho ho ho beard" for the cool resizable image addition.

Bao Xishun & the dolphins he violated saved. Photo from The SMH.

But when it comes to problems with wildlife, you wouldn't really think that the human approach would have been one that high on your list of possible solutions.

Enter plastic-eating dolphins and the world's tallest man. When regular plastic-removing dolphin surgical tools didn't work (huh?), maybe the world's tallest man replete with (perhaps) the world's longest arms would be able to solve the problem? Yes!!! Human power wins once again! I am 100% positive that I wouldn't have wanted to be either of the dolphins in this scenario.

Who the hell came up with this idea?

Yuck Flavours of Carrefour Yoghurts, originally uploaded by timbeckenham.

Yet another foreigner-originating story about the 'weird' foods found throughout China. This one is again from your local neighbourhood Carrefour dairy aisle; yucky yoghurts.

My advice to the unwary is just be a little judicious in what you reach for in the Carrefour yoghurt cabinet. To the unwary eye looking forward to next morning's dairy fix, you may just choose the nicest and brightest looking container in your rush to escape the hell-hole that is Carrefour Gubei on a packed Wednesday night.

If you didn't look to closely, you may end up with either potato/sweet potato, aloe vera or corn flavoured yoghurt. According to my cultural conditioning, such things are abominations and are wrong on several levels. The only thing that could top it would be seafood-infused yoghurt (very, very, very wrong IMHO) but I have a niggling suspicion that it may do quite well in the Chinese marketplace.

I will now go and enjoy some of the more pleasantly -tailored flavours of strawberry & raspberry yoghurt from the same manufacturer.

This entry was posted with flickr

Across The Water at Zhōuzhuāng, originally uploaded by timbeckenham.

I went to Zhōuzhuāng last week with Lin & Mel. I had a pretty good day-trip, which I will elaborate further on in a couple of days. This is my favourite photo from my day's worth of happy snapping, so I thought I'd just give you a preview of ALL the photos I took at Zhōuzhuāng.

For me, I'm quite busy with job applications, job interviews, more job applications, writing, tutoring, site building (not mine!) and staying warm and toasty. Did I mention playing a heap of basketball as well?

My life is pretty full right now.

This entry was posted with flickr

I don't know why, but I am starting to obsess about food lately. Maybe its because of the colder weather that has arrived late in Shanghai this year, and I have subsequently started belated efforts to produce my own personal winter coat. I'm assuming I'm not alone in this sentiment, so I've decided to write just a little entry on a few informative (but maybe not well-known) food blogs based around Shanghai.

So hopefully this entry will help you plan your impending cold & wet weekends of food-bagging!

I was introduced to the Like A Local food blog a few months back, and have really enjoyed the content of that site. It features simplistic and informative writing, and is a really nice piece of work (and in fact, is my favourite food blog). It seems a lot of the writing is centred around the Sinan Lu/Jiangguo Lu neighbourhood south of Huaihai Zhong Lu, so if you live in that area (JM, D-rée, Gunsie), you should check out some of mentioned places.

This morning I just came across another Shanghai-based Chinese food blog called Kung Fu Eats. This blog appears to specialise in restaurant dishes, and throws in a few recipes so you can can try your own hand at some of the dishes. The photos of featured dishes look very tasty & have struck a chord with yours truly. Considering my new head-cold, I now have a yearning for the following two dishes that feature a lot of garlic. Linda would be very happy about that.

Another food & review site that has its own blog is Shanghai Eats (and Drinks). Its food blog is sporadically updated, so is only worth a visit every now and then. Primarily this site acts as a restaurant directory cross-referenced by districts, but it also contains reviews of different eateries featured in its database. So if you want to head out this weekend, you should check out this directory. The main site features bilingual directions and offers print-outs of each establishment's address & basic ordering Chinese. I find that its a more personable alternative restaurant database than those presented by City Weekend & SmartShanghai.

Now its time to strike up my usual Friday lunch-time Man-date with MattMan. I think it will be big bowl of 牛肉拉面 today!

So far this week, I've had two very vivid & moving dreams featuring Shanghai scenery.

Dream #1 (Nightmare)
It is a typical dreary winter's night in Shanghai. I'm walking home along YuYuan Road from Jing'an Temple. It is really cold. There's ice/slush garnering the lesser used portions of the footpath & street. It is very late in the evening. I'm rugged up and moving as fast as the conditions allow. I'm walking along the road beside the gutter of the street as there's too much mud & puddles making walking on the footpath difficult.

No one is out, except me. An older Chinese man on a scooter sidles up beside me as I walk. He looks at me. I look at him.

He then says to me in English, "You're a statistical anomaly here".

He then pulls out a hand-gun and shoots me in the back. He scooters on off.

I fall bleeding. I lie there in the slush, yelling for help. No one comes.

Dream #2
I'm in a marketplace - I think it was a wet-market. There's an older Shanghainese guy there trying to sell me something at a really stupid inflated price. I object. I tell him that he's cheating me. Our 'discussion' soon degenerates into one of those classic Shanghai marketplace arguments replete with finger poking, nasty looks, and high volume yelling and swearing.

I had enough. I told him lets take it outside. He agrees.

I then teach him how to play Knuckles. We end up having fun, and our argument is resolved.

Now, we are new best friends.

Dream#1 kept up for hours earlier this week. I was pretty shaken. Dream#2 made me feel a lot happier, but still was a little disturbing as I hate playing Knuckles!

A big problem that faces cricket fans in Shanghai is the paucity of venues willing to throw open their doors at 8am in the morning and show the first session of the First Test of The Ashes. Enter The British Bulldog Pub. This venue isn't everyone's cup of tea, but for the sake of watching live coverage of the first delivery of the most hyped series of international Test Match Cricket series in the existence of entire universe*, I'll be sinking a few RMB on beers so I won't wear out my welcome.

The only other venue I spoke to that said they would show The Ashes over the coming weeks from was O'Malley's, but only during their normal opening time (10am onwards). This equates to roughly the end of the first session.

If the worst comes to the worst, and you can't actually make it out to see the first match, don't fret. There are a number of ways to access the live action of the Gabba Test Match. You can go for the intenet radio streaming options directly care of BBC Five Live Sports Radio. or if you prefer the Australian Broadcasting Commission Sport's Radio coverage, download the below Real Audio Media file (right-click, save as...) and connect via Real Player. ABC Radio isn't allowed to stream outside of Australia, so this is a little work-around!

If you're a little more technically competent, you also may want to look into the video streaming program called Viidoo. A tip from their forum page suggests that you're likely to be able to find coverage via one of their streamed TV channels. Unfortunately this option has been ruled out for me as I'm a dedicated Mac user.

For the uninformed, a dedicated Test Match Cricket fan also has the bona fide excuse for five-day binges of beer drinking and fixation with statistics. Hmm, I wonder if this predilection has shaped my personality (and body-shape) somewhat.

* I may or may not have evidence to back up this spurious claim.

Vacuous post alert!

There's a few places in Shanghai that you can't possibly mistake where you are. Visually, The Bund, Lujiazui and Yu Yuan are places that are at the forefront of my mind. But when you extend your recollection to your olfactory senses, for me one locale is at the forefront of all others. Donghu Lu near the Huaihai Zhong Lu intersection. The reason? It has perhaps the strongest, consistent resident stench in all of Shanghai. The smell in this area is one of strong sewage mutated with the permeating power of 臭豆腐. The latter characteristic lends 'The Stench' to have the unfortunate ability to allow you to taste the surrounding atmosphere. The smell is awfully offensive. At times when I've passed through Donghu Lu on my bike or on foot, I've been surprised that I couldn't actually see the wafts of smell cornering hapless victims and make disparaging remarks about their parentage.

On top of this, I initially found it strange that some of the more eminent businesses (like the Donghu Hotel) and eateries of Shanghai do such a roaring trade on this street. My theory is that once encountering this smell, you will do anything to avoid it, and hence seeks the closest refuge in the restaurant, bar or sensory-deadening environment of closest convenience. The local hawkers have also taken advantage of the situation, and dash from the cleaner area closer to Huaihai Zhong Lu to ply their wares on victims disoriented by 'The Stench'.

It certainly is the most stinky part of China I've encountered so far.

Inspection team asking questions and taking details, originally uploaded by timbeckenham.

There are actual measures undertaken to counter the rampant fake trade in Shanghai, they are effective, and what's worse is that they are impacting my quality of life in an unexpected way.

Last Thursday, I found myself doing a little shopping at the Yatai Fake Fashion Market with D'Ray & AussieLozza. What I didn't expect was an actual Intellectual Property Rights raid by the power's that be.

The inspection session took about half an hour, during which I saw a lot of nervous looking stall owners. I was 'just browsing' in one of the more questionable stalls when the news of the raid spread throughout the market. I was promptly asked to leave, and then all the fake stock was hidden, the stall's lights were turned off, followed by the staff vacating & locking the doors. They can't raid you if you're not there right? What was ironic is that then a lot of the stall owners went over to the raided stores to have a good gawk. In fact, most of the observers in the photos could be linked back to any one of the stalls in the entire market.

What I was truly surprised by was that the inspectors only paid attention to two of the stalls. At that moment, the measures didn't strike me as an extensive use of anti-piracy measures. After the inspectors had left, I went back to chat briefly with one of the stall operators. I asked why they only checked out two stalls, and was answered with the news that inspections I had witnessed had been very frequent over the last few weeks, and had caused many shop operators to at least to hide all of their popular faked goods in the ceiling space or hidden compartments in their stalls.

Ladder inspection of fake goods hidden in stall rooves., originally uploaded by timbeckenham.

Hiding the goods appears to be a popular counter to the increased policing of copyright infringements and fake branded items in Shanghai of late. Another twist on avoiding detection by hiding brings to mind the recent relocation of Shanghai's infamous Kade Club DVD store chain from their Dagu Road and Zhenning Road locations to a single Taikang Lu outlet.

The problem is that the Kade Club staff weren't too clever about keeping the location hidden as they were handing out relocation directions to anyone who wandered past the store.

Personally, I'm not that fussed about the Kade Club as a DVD location. The DVDs were overpriced, and often we'd end up with a dodgy box set that didn't seem to work on any DVD player other than the Kade Club's demo unit. The main reason I went to that chain was it was less than 2 minutes walk from my front door and thus appealed to my inner sloth.

For me, the worst thing about the Zhenning Lu branch's relocation is that now I'm going to find catching a cab on a wet day increasingly difficult as there will no longer be a constant stream of bored expats in search of entertainment conveniently delivering empty taxis right near my apartment block.

If you're thinking that I'm talking about gaggles of foreigners indulging in water-sports on the Huangpu River or Suzhou Creek after a downpour, or the amorous happenings on Julu Lu each evening, it is time to look at another webpage.

Almost every foreigner in Shanghai with an ounce of internet nouce knows what torrent downloading is. One of the downsides of living in a land with a culture & language that is far removed from your own is lack of cultural and entertainment stimulus from legal sources in China. CCTV9 is an amazing service in that it caters for non-Chinese, but really it is like watching paint dry. I sometimes flick through the other TV stations we get here and just marvel at (A) how much Chinese I don't know, and (B) how unappealing local productions are to my tastes. Yes, I still have a lot of Chinese media & entertainment appreciation classes to attend.

So for most expats, getting that fix of your favourite shows from back home is a welcomed respite from reruns of 'The Journey To The West' or Da Shan's "Travel In Chinese". The usual process involves a quick trip to your favourite DVD store/stall/dude on the street and pick up a pirated copy of the latest movie releases, or just box of the latest season release of your favourite TV shows. I've found that the boxed-sets of TV shows lead you into a quagmire of chain-episode watching where you may not leave the couch for a number of hours, or in the worst case, days. The ability to run through an entire season of (lets say for example, Lost) in one or two days definitely raises your appreciation for these productions, but also your appetite for more. Yes, boxed-TV sets are really the MSG of the expat entertainment world. You just want more despite how much you've already consumed.

The problem is, you quickly get up to date with all the shows you've missed and your left facing a six to twelve month wait before getting your hot little hands on the next season's episodes. But like me, you're too impatient, so you must rely on getting techamanological and obtain them from the net.

November Rain in Lujiazui, originally uploaded by timbeckenham.

After an unusually mild autumn, Shanghai's notorious renowned weather has unfortunately decided to make its annual visit.

I'm really looking forward to the next three or four months of crappy, "I want to stay inside" weather.

I remember when we arrived here last year from beautiful, sunny and mild Brisbane, we didn't enjoy November at all. Not one bit. Lin says that she remembers riding her bike in the rain, avoiding sloshy puddles and even black ice spots on the roads. I just remember her icicle-touch on my warm skin and a grin of sadistic pleasure on her face.

Just up until a few days ago, it was unusually sunny and dry (so say my long-term local friends).

So I guess November's weather in Shanghai might have some catching up to do. As does Lin's icicle fingers.

This entry was posted with flickr

It has been about two weeks since the UK Government released the Stern Review to the rest of the world. A lot has been written about the significance of this report and the implications for our world's environment. In my mind, the report has finally put a warning in a language that governments and policy makers & shapers understand. Money. A realisation that "business as usual" already does have significant economic cost and continuing inaction will have far-reaching consequences.

Already you start to see traditional critics of sustainability and pro-environmental policies performing magnificent backflips on their viewpoints. The current Howard-led Australian government in my mind are the epitome of this bandwagon. I predict, sadly for them, their previous lack of leadership in regards to eco-conservation, land-management and greenhouse gas emissions will leave them without the proverbial leg to stand on.

One of the oft repeated responses by Australian government officials aimed at deflecting inaction has broached that even if Kyoto or green-house emissions targets are met, it doesn't really mean much if current leading polluters like China and India are replacing other country's carbon emission savings. This elicits two thoughts from a reasonably well-informed reader like myself. Firstly, yes I am concerned about these country's contribution to atmospheric and water pollution despite the actions of other countries, if you are reducing or minimising your own contribution carbon emissions, you are contributing to decreasing either the rate or total carbon emissions output worldwide. Yes, you are improving on the status quo. The second thought is prompted by the touch of truth in this somewhat misguided sentiment. It is fact that India & China do currently contribute a lot towards worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. Anything that can be done to reduce the emissions from these countries would be beneficial for each country's and the world's environment. This also cannot be disputed. Yet again, both countries see themselves once again in the world's spotlight. And so far, this expectant audience hasn't a single utterance from these leading players.

Yet for all my morning internet delving in the English-language web, I haven't seen any official response from the Chinese government in response to this report. I find this interesting as we now have a situation where the world's eyes and fingers are pointing towards China and its competitor India as the key players in damage to the world's environment.

One can hypothesise that a range of responses will emerge. The most sceptical from a Western perspective would be adversarial. As anyone who hasn't been under a rock in a coma for the last ten years, China is the world's pre-eminent manufacturing engine. This has transferred a lot of wealth to China, but also seen China's carbon emissions to dramatically increase. The call from developed nations to curb emissions would be seen as hypocritical given that most of these countries have already benefited from their own lengthy industrial revolutions, urban development and manufacturing booms that have contributed their own fair share of pollution to this planet. Further to this, North America and Europe match (or surpass) the more heavily populated India & China in carbon emissions. Along with their manufacturing, the West can be accused of exporting the associated pollution with this manufacturing onto China & India.

In line with this "us versus them" thinking, further grey areas emerge. Foreign wealth that fuels both China and India's manufacturing booms has and continues to contribute to these country's global footprints. It is also worth noting that off-shoring of the world's manufacturing to both India and China has additional environmental costs due to the transportation of goods and raw materials to and from these manufacturing powerhouses. The picture that emerges here is the the burden of the world's environmental problem isn't just India & China's to shoulder, it starts with all of us and our demand for cheap goods.

Both China & India are not innocent parties in facing the world's pollution crisis. India & China, like all countries, are responsible to manage its own environment and its impact on its neighbours. China is faced with unique problem of dealing with the drive for developing its nation while also ensuring its own long-term productivity.

The ChinaDialogue website has recently posted part one of a two entry review by Maryann Bird which explores the findings of the Stern Review and examines China's internal and external impacts. Bird's article explores the potential for environmental damage in China ranging from increased water shortages, coastal flooding, and desertification of marginal agricultural land, and points to some of the consequences for China under such scenarios.

China is already facing some tough environmental problems caused by its rapid development and hunger for coal-supplied electric power. Recent examples of industrial pollution include the 2005 Songhua River chemical spill in Jillin Province, the smog-filled skies of Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces, and a large sulfuric acid spill China's ancient Grand Canal area. This article provides an excellent exploration of the impact of China's environmental problems on its society. There are acknowledged problems, and the Chinese government has implemented many policies to help curb the impact of environmental damage in China. The trillion dollar question is "are they doing enough?".

To me what is really interesting is the link between China's prosperity, the environment of China, and the potential for China to lead the world in environmental solutions (yeah, amazing I know). One of the drivers that led my former employer had for establishing a presence in China is this country's relative water shortage and need for improved water treatment & preservation solutions for the Eastern Asian region. Additionally, both India & China are well-placed to take advantage of their powerful manufacturing capabilities and educated workforces to help create new solutions to their current pollution problems. Indeed, this could be where each country could emerge as world-suppliers of green-friendly technology. We now see the a shift in the West's perspective on the importance of environmental conservation, and with this an emerging market to exploit.

The questions I have are, can China take advantage of this wind of change, is it willing to, and if so can it become a world leader by providing the will and the means to make this needed difference? Could our perceptions of China and its relationship with the world's environment be shattered by *such a scenario?

* Something was cut-off when posting this entry. Sorry about the abruptness in the earlier version!

Green Fields of Despair, originally uploaded by timbeckenham.

It is tough hitting middle-age in SH. Especially if you're in your twenties.

Recently, in conversation with my friends, I've bemoaned a lack of variety in the expat life in Shanghai. Besides the usual, day to day routine life matters, it appears that any free time is quickly allocated to be spent either at home with a DVD, hopping from one bar or restaurant and so forth, or just popping around to someone's place for a quiet time & a chat. Yeah I know it is the good life, but figuratively speaking, anyone's palette would quickly get sick of Wagyu Beef with a red-wine jus reduction each and every weeknight.

Our general plan B involves interactive pursuits. However I'm finding the prospect of traditional "Let's spice things up!" alternatives like ten-pin bowling at the Orden Alley on Hengshan Road, or karaoke at CashBox don't inspire the buzz that I'm missing.

So, I decided to recast my eye over some of Shanghai's offerings, and resolved myself to fully explore some of the alternative options for entertainment in this fair city.

Last Friday, I met up with Adam and we hit Shanghai's Museum of Contemporary Art located inside People's Square Park. The museum is currently exhibiting the chock full of wank words stereotypically titled "MoCA Envisage -- Entry Gate:Chinese Aesthetics of Heterogeneity".

One of my favourite quotes from the exhibition's foreword is as follows...

The standards of living that the neo-literati of today's China have cultivated in this digital environment are a concentration and hybridization of aesthetic senses both ancient and contemporary, Chinese and foreign, all of which have in turn metamorphosed into a heterogeneous neo-aesthetics.

This Aussie yobbo's personal view is apart from a few beautiful pieces, I found the art work to be quite underwhelming. Many of installations showed a high level of technical skill, but few pieces elicited some thought in me the viewer. Maybe I'm too much of a "just the facts ma'am" type of guy, but IMHO, most of the displays were a bit kitschy and superficial. But at RMB20 a head, it is a cheap way to figure out some type of opinion on this yourself.

As usual, I've posted a few more photos of my trip to MoCA on my Flickr page.

Lunchtime rush on Wujiang Lu Foodstreet, Shanghai, originally uploaded by timbeckenham.

After discovering that the Yakexi Xinjiang Restaurant on Nanjing Xi Lu was replaced by an empty construction site (sniff), Adam, Nick & I popped down to the Wujiang Lu foodstreet for some tasty shengjian mantou from Yang's Fried Dumplings .

Tasty. But bloody busy.

This entry was posted with flickr

No more entries from TalkTalkChina? Say it isn't so!

Check out the 'Classic Posts' section on their website while you have the chance.

No big posts today, I'm off to the museum this morning.

• I'm very good at procrastination.
• We've been paying for a 512K ADSL plan instead of the 2M ADSL we thought we hooked up.
• My resume isn't looking all that bad (but it could be a lot better).
• Finish migrating Lin's site to my subdomain (and finally update her site look. I'm a baaaad boyfriend).
• It is time to throw out/recycle old clothes & the ones I never seem to wear.
• I'm liking my authentic RMB120 Wallabies jersey (I kid you not, it is a perfect 'over-run' from a factory outlet here in Shanghai!).
• I need to print some of my Flickr photos and hang them on our walls.
• I have read a lot of scientific articles over the past few years. Heaps.
• I write lists to break out of procrastination.
• It is time to find a new Chinese tutor and start studying again in earnest.
• There are quite a few science-related jobs in Shanghai.
• There are very few science jobs in Shanghai that I'm interested in.
• I'm looking forward to restarting our mates 'Burgers & Beers' sessions on Wednesday nights.

Despite the recent cool change, it is a brilliant (Shanghai) day outside. Now, where to go?

Morning Exercise Circuit, originally uploaded by timbeckenham.

One thing that has always struck me as a difference between Australia and China is the propensity of the general population for early morning exercise, particularly amongst retirees & the elderly.

Each morning you can find various people practicing Gong Fu, Tai Chi, fan dancing, backwards walking, shuffling and plain old walking around the central garden of our apartment complex.

Afternoon is definitely reserved for the kids making noise on the playground equipment, and the very noisy (and I find annoying) kid that drives a high-pitched electric powered toy car in a never changing circuit that happens to juxtapose directly underneath our balcony.

In fact, I think I've never seen that kid walk at all. What's going on there?

This entry was posted with flickr

IMG_8296edit originally upload by monkeyking.

One of Australia's answers to its dwindling workforce problem is finding itself Shanghaied. And unsurprisingly it is the Chinese migrant worker that is bearing the burden once again.

The case of Fu Zhi Hong and the Shanghai Overseas Employment Service is documented by The Sydney Morning Herald's Nick O'Malley..

A CHINESE worker was made to sign a contract that bans him from making anyone pregnant, drunkenness, "trouble-making" and joining in political or union activity. Fu Zhi Hong, a printer on a 457 visa, signed a contract with a Chinese employment agent banning "for personal reasons resulting in pregnancy or impregnating others and inflicting physical or mental harm on others". He was later sacked by his Melbourne employer, Lakeside Packaging, after breaking his wrists. When he signed up to work in Australia Mr Fu was required to pay $21,000 to his agent, the Shanghai Overseas Employment Service, and to pay for his air fares to Australia. A Senate estimates committee hearing this week heard Mr Fu's contract with the agent also forbade him from seeking new employment in Australia, breaking migration regulations.

Along with this, Fu Zhi Hong was banned from impregnating anyone, drunkenness, "trouble-making", and joining in union or political activities. In my opinion that appears incongruous behaviour for the average Aussie worker anywhere in the world and is definitely worthy of the label 'un-Australian'.

Australia is a country undergoing a radical up-turn in economic fortune, but at the same time is facing an employment shortage crisis due to a troika of declining population growth, lack of skilled workers in key growth areas, and the imminent retirement of Australia's ageing workforce.

One measure to counter this situation has been the implementation of the temporary migrant visa subclass 457. This allows semiskilled and skilled foreign workers to temporarily enter Australia for the course of employment. Both China and India are commonly cited sources of foreign workers entering Australia under this employment scheme.

The implementation of this visa subclass has highlighted a number of concerns surrounding opportunity and welfare of both local and foreign workers. These include...

• poorly-skilled foreign workers do not meet Australian work practices and safety standards.
• accusations that imported labour suppresses wages and employment opportunities for local workers.
• recent revelations that foreign workers are subjected to conditions in-breach of basic Australian rights that include rights to association, personal relationships, standardised working conditions, and equal remuneration for work performed.

Chinese workers have thus forged an unfortunate reputation for linked to substandard work quality, unsafe workplace practices, or being exploited themselves. Not unlike being back at home for many of China's migrant workers you may say?

One repeated accusation levelled by many critics of this visa subclass is that in some cases that the Australian government and public service have approved the importation of foreign employment agents subject workers to contract conditions that are in complete breach of Australian law and human rights conventions.

The Australian Federal Government has issued several statements outlining their support for the rights of foreign workers living in Australia under the 457 permit scheme.

During Australia's 11th Joint Ministerial Economic Commission (JMEC) meeting with China, Federal Trade Minister Warren Truss had this to say regarding the topic of foreign labour market in Australia and China's role.

Well certainly for the first time in many, many decades Australia has a labour shortage, and in particular we have a need to increase the number of people with skills who are available in our workforce. Whilst we will continue to give priority to training Australians and developing their skills, we recognise that there is a contribution that people from other parts of the world can make to our skills base.

There are already a number of Chinese workers in Australia and we certainly see potential for other skilled Chinese to play a role in our workforce. Now that will obviously be managed in the context of our workforce policy and the rules that we put in place in relation to the terms and circumstances under which overseas people are allowed to work in Australia. But I think we've demonstrated in good faith a willingness to include Chinese people in our workforce.

In fact, if you go back to ancient history, there have always been Chinese workers playing a significant role in Australia. This is a new era now of substantial growth, when the demands on our workforce are substantial, and I certainly see the potential for Chinese workers to be a part of the national workforce in the years ahead under the same rules and terms and conditions as apply to other people working in this country.

Federal Immigration Minister, Amanda Vandstone recently announced a AUD$23.5 million funding increase to ensure the policing of the terms of this policy. As an example cited the case of another Chinese worker Jack Zhang and his case of exploitation as evidence the Australian government was serious about policing the terms of employment under Australian law.

However critics of this visa system have highlighted several areas in which these breaches have been allowed to occur and have questioned why further action hasn't been taken. AMWU National Secretary Doug Cameron called for further action on dodgy employers and employment agents.

"They have been completely desensitised to human problems," he said. Under the visa rules, the harshest sanction is to prevent the employer sponsoring more temporary migrant workers. No criminal sanctions apply".

The Federal Opposition along with several of Australia's union's have led calls for reform about the visa program to ensure that foreign workers must be subject to Australian work practices and rights, and to implement an outright ban on overseas-based agencies contracting workers for employment in Australia.

I just learnt that one of my favourite Australian television shows, The ABC's 'The Glass House' is to be put in mothballs at the end of this season.

The Glass House is an Australian television show hosted by a panel of comedians that talk about events, politics, happenings and other social issues in Australia and around the world. Their snarkiness against the Governments of Australia (Federal conservative, state-based mainly centralist/left) is actually one of the attractions of the show. The long-cherished Australian pastime of 'taking the piss' and 'cutting down the tall poppies politicians' are usual components of the comedy act. What is really amazing about this show is that they've managed to gain a massive viewership on what is considered a dead-time slot (Friday nights past 10pm).

And then there's the online following for the show. One of the few joys I have week to week is searching my favourite torrent site each Sunday morning looking for the latest capped episode of The Glass House. Unfortunately the ABC Asia-Pacific/Australia Network channel doesn't beam The Glass House out into the wild yonders of Asia - and now it seems very unlikely to do so. Until our recent acquisition of Satellite TV, Lin & I didn't have a lot of cultural influence flowing from Australia in the form of entertainment, political discussion, or just plain 'taking the piss' television. Like many Australian expats, I watch this show. But I know that there's a whole lot more Aussies who miss out on the show because of the timeslot and watch it later. This is a very popular show.

So why was it axed? There have been a number of rumblings regarding The Glass House in the last few months, and has been accused of anti-Howard government bias. From my viewpoint, the panellists on The Glass House all exhibit anti-idiocy bias and great one-liners. Given the massive amounts of news and current affairs that the Government of the Day produces, I guess commenting on this and making light of the day's events could be construed as anti-Howard government bias. But, it doesn't explain how often they get stuck into the NSW and QLD Labour State Governments as well? I don't see them being accused of anti-Carr/Iemma, anti-Beattie bias in the media?

This is why this decision pisses me off. It reeks of 'Wedge Politics/Debate' and SPIN SPIN SPIN!

This contentious decision appears to have been made following a recent series of policy redirections at the ABC to counter the long-held viewpoint of anti-Howard/anti-conservative viewpoint at the ABC .

This latest round of changes saw the creation of a Director Of Editorial Policies by the reputedly conservative-stacked, Government appointed ABC Board. This has raised a series of concerns regarding the objectivity of any content at the ABC following concerns that this position could produce a chief sensor of content at the ABC.

Regarding this appointment, Stephen Conroy, Communications Spokesman for the Federal Opposition said....

"This is just an attempt by a board stacked with ideological zealots to remake the ABC in its own extreme conservative image. The new guidelines are an attempt to bully and intimidate ABC staff into reflecting the Government's biases. The national broadcaster shouldn't be used to settle scores in the culture wars, the ABC belongs to all Australians."

A few weeks earlier to this, The Melbourne Herald Sun's opinion writer Paul Gray examined the flow of changes at the ABC from a conservative viewpoint and highlighted an argument for further editorial control at Australia's ABC in the area of info-tainment.

... But the ABC's main problem goes beyond news and current affairs. It's also about lifestyle and entertainment shows, where there is no charter requirement for impartiality, such as theoretically holds sway (very theoretically, you might say) in news and current affairs. Unfunny jokes about setting fire to the Pope on The Glasshouse, gay kisses on Spicks and Specks and extended Andrew Denton interviews with eccentric Christian "peace campaigners" who attack military bases are all standard in ABC entertainment.

In another part of his opinion article, Gray revealed a common conservative viewpoint regarding ABC's content.

Interestingly, it's the Australian-made and ABC-made programs that are the problem, while quality international imports like British satirical series Absolute Power, starring Stephen Fry, are not only funny, but succeed in making you think.

But, like Steyn (Mark Steyn - OMG!), that must also be brought in from overseas. When ABC entertainment starts breeding its own local quality, I'll give three cheers.

What a load of bollocks! (As an aside; I think OMG! I think holding a right-wing hawk like Steyn as a shining example of intellectual is a bit far-fetched) Australia has loads upon loads of such people and ideas but they struggle for support and a platform to produce such work. Weak argument mate!

What we have here another great example of The Culture Wars but in an Australian context. Conservatives versus the rest. This has been going on for donkey's years, but now it is really starting to take a turn into total war.

There is a distinction between anti-Leftist and anti-liberal views. People like Mark Steyn work at challenging/blurring the boundaries between centralist and conservative viewpoints, obscurificating clear humanist issues with political rhetoric. A similar agenda appears to have been implemented at the ABC. But where is the centreline between left and right? I suspect that with people like Mark Steyn, Janet Albrechtsen, and other notable conservatives on the ABC board that it is to the right-of-center that many Australians would flag as the centralist viewpoint. This is why I cringe whenever I hear the term objectivity used to describe content of the ABC. The ABC should be able to present MANY ALTERNATIVE VIEWPOINTS that present contradictory viewpoints from set-facts. Ridding the ABC of The Glass House robs Australians of a (small 'l') liberal standpoint on many of the world's and Australia's topics of the day. Given the huge markets for conservative talk-back radio and print media in Australia, the ABC supplies a series of shows that provide alternative viewpoints. I do believe this is one of the charters of the ABC to provide content to Australians that is not readily supplied by mainstream media sources.

Perhaps the most worrying aspect of this move in my mind is the blurring between criticism of government practice and the culture wars. I really believe that criticism of government should not be a criticism of political beliefs. The current Howard-led government has a long and documented track record of poor governmentship. I proffer SievX, deportation of Australian citizens, the politicising of Middle-East refugees, Gulf War II, the Australian Wheat Board fiasco as evidence. This is poor leadership and should be criticised and criticised it has been. One of the most vocal shows on the ABC has been The Glass House. Is this political revenge? The Glasshouse thinks so. And so do I.

This decision stinks. I'm very very angry! The last episode will air on November 29th.

And, just to end this little rant. Here's just a snippet of Dave Hughes mentioning his favourite Web2.0 site, YouTube. (After watching this little snippet, I would like to point out that yes, I am aware of the irony of linking to this clip).

A screenshot describing how you can subscribe to this blog.

So what were my reasons for doing this?

Functionality was the major reason I chose to implement a Feedburner XML output. I took the opportunity to combine various outputs from all of my blog, Flickr and del.icio.us pages into the one feed. Yep, that makes a mega-feed of sorts full of links, entries and photos. I mainly did this so people could just go to one centralised source to access my content whether it be at this blog, my del.icio.us link collection or my Flickr photo sets. The feed is pretty big, but I believe its a nice gateway to my little hovel on the web. To access this new feed, you will need to re-subscribe using the syndication links on the right side column (or if you have a decent web browser, just use the Livebookmark addition method).

I also realised that people might not like a massive set of links and photos to browse through, so I created a simple blog entry only feed for the traditionalists. You won't need to resubscribe to this XML output as I redirected redirected all the former MT XML outputs to this simple feed. Yes, this is probably how you got to this entry.

Feedburner also allows for email updates of blog entries. When I popped back to Australia, a few of my friends complained that they weren't receiving emails informing them of new updates to my blog. I guess I didn't explain the concept of XML, RSS, ATOM and LiveBookmarks that well considering some of the blank expressions that I received. So, I've also put a link on this site so you can subscribe to either 'Blog Entries only' or 'Blog entries, del.icio.us bookmarks, & Flickr photos' feeds.

Another reason that I decided to 'upgrade' the various XML feeds from my site was redundancy. There are 3 different kinds in the default MT publishing setup, whereas Feedburner is clever enough to provide one single feed that satisfies the various competing formats out there. But I ended up having 2 feeds instead of 3, so I guess that was really just an excuse.

Lastly, Feedburner has stats! Working for 'The Man' has turned me onto stats in a big way. Statistics is like crack for scientists. You either love it or work actively to avoid them. My current stats program doesn't tell me how many people access my XML feeds, but Feedburner does. I wonder how many lurkers I have?

Frequent visitors to this blog would be aware that I'm TUB, and given the impact of my latest entries, you may well have surmised that I'm not really doing all that much. In all reality, I have been going through the motions of readjusting my goals and aims in my career path following my decision to leave my former employer in SH.

Cutting your losses is a tough thing. I found it daunting - it's tough to admit that your choices that have led you towards a path haven't worked out, and perhaps its also harder to realise that any efforts you make to improve your situation would be more effective outside your current work environment. For me, that was the toughest thing to admit to. After this point, moving on was much less emotionally taxing. Or so I thought.

Since returning from an awesome series of China and OS trips, I've fallen into a come-day-go-day routine. For a period, I was seeing myself as the latest addition to Shanghai's expat taitai scene. 'Tai tai' is strictly Chinese for 'wife', and is used as a synonym amongst my friends here for many of the trailing spouses of expatriated workers in Shanghai (which are mostly women in my experience).

Now, this label is often used in a derogatory fashion (I offer evidence in the form of this satirical movie from the LocalBrand website). From my experience, I have been far from leading an entirely vacuous existence, but rather one that has been rarely constructive in its use of time. Furthering my education and Chinese skills have been on top of my list of things to do, but I've so far I've experienced too many negatives ranging from splitting simple tasks from hours into days, and learning more Tagalog from Philippino Satellite TV than Chinese Mandarin. My usual routine has been filled with all manner of little projects (including this site), chores, individual activities, a few lunch-dates, and such. After a number of weeks filling my days, I've grown tired of such a luxurious life. It is quite surprising, as I've always joked that I wanted to be a 'kept man', but this experience has turned me off this concept. I guess you could easily define this experience as a means for invoking demotivation, depression, aimlessness, boredom, and impassivity. I would have to agree wholeheartedly.

So, I've been shaking off my self-imposed shackles by starting to take myself and my time more seriously (more on that later). But my realisation that my 'Taitai Lifestyle' has led me to a greater appreciation of the impact of a relocation on the lives of the trailing spouse expats living in Shanghai.

While Shanghai is considered a hub of the world's business sector, many trailing partner's find it difficult to secure employment in their field of expertise. The troika of competition from bi- or multi-lingual Chinese workers, decreased wage remuneration due to 'local hire' packages, and decreased financial impetus to maintain a set living standard are key reasons that many trailing spouses find themselves out or voluntarily withdrawn from of the global workforce. I know quite a few people in this situation, and while I recognise the impact it can make on a person's self-worth, I hadn't truly appreciated their situation until I had walked a mile in their shoes. For those trailing spouse's without children to care for, I think the transition is much tougher as most probably these partners would have been working back in their home countries and are now forced to readjust to life without an opportunity for a traditional career role.

For now, I'm taking inspiration from those people on how to either manage your Taitai lifestyle so you don't go too crazy, or to break out of it completely. I'm aiming for the latter.

Iron Man 75% Superman 70% Spider-Man 65% Hulk 65% Supergirl 65% Green Lantern 60% Catwoman 60% Robin 45% Wonder Woman 45% Batman 45% The Flash 35%

Inventor. Businessman. Genius. TUB ^.

^ Yeah, I added TUB into the mix here for comic effect.

The Beautiful Couple, originally uploaded by Alicia & Dan.

You can see the rest of their wedding shots here.

But I really like this one a lot.

This entry was posted with flickr

My workspace, originally uploaded by timbeckenham.

Given my position of being TUB and needing to fill my days, I've been spending more and more time rummaging around the internet looking for those items that will keep me entertained and occupied. So this has led me to this truly boring entry where I'm talking about my desk and its setup. Yep, a stereotypically geeky entry on a geeky blog.

If you click on the above image it will take you through to my Flickr photos and this will reveal all the notes I've spent silly amounts of time & energy labelling this photo with. Much to my lament, the blog entry posting engine that Flickr provides doesn't conserve these notes, so you will have to use that well-worn clicking finger to satisfy your unending curiousity about this strange 'Flickr Notes' concept.

I just recently picked up a few new additions to my office space thanks to birthday well-wishers. In gadgets, I obtained a Mierke External HDD enclosure complete with a 320Gb Western Digital HDD and a Logitech USB keyboard from Cybermart down on Huaihai Zhong Lu. Lin bought me a bookshelf and several large photo frames from Ikea. Really nice gifts. Thanks everyone.

One thing I can't make my mind about is a second monitor. It's not that I'm unsure if would use it, of course I NEED one, but TUB isn't bringing significant money in right now, and can't really justify the expense in lieu of rent, eating and drinking a beer or two on the weekend. On my Flickr page, a series of comments from what I have labelled 'like-minded geeky individuals' have been prompting me to get it, with the general theme being bigger the better.

However, I don't expect this to be continuing for much longer as I've started to pull it all together. I proffer bathing before 9am, getting a proper haircut & leaving our apartment at least five times a week as evidence for such a turn-around. And then there are other such things, like looking for work, reading scientific papers, and having a generally more positive outlook on all things Tim-related.

This entry was posted with flickr

Finally! My G4 Powerbook Battery Replacement, originally uploaded by timbeckenham.

I'm not very happy with Apple Customer service. In earlier entries I've written about the problems receiving my Apple Powerbook replacement battery. I've been very frustrated by dealing with Apple Australia during this. I took the opportunity to replace my battery during an extended visit back home in Oz when I was informed that I would be supplied with another battery within the duration of my stay. Nuh'uh! As of Monday evening this week, it took 10 weeks for my Powerbook replacement battery to arrive in my hot little hands. That's +6 weeks from the 3 to 4 weeks I was originally told.

Understandably, I have 'special circumstances' that required co-ordination of both Apple Australia & Apple China to deliver my battery. The scary thing was that this arrangement had been established over 6 FUCKING weeks ago. For six weeks, no one bothered to pull their their proverbial finger out to deliver this battery. For the past 3 weeks, I had called Apple Australia to determine the status of this replacement, but was met with stone-wall responses from three separate customer service representatives along the lines of....

"Hmm, that should've been done by now, I'll look into it".

No sh!t Sherlock! It's amazing what a threat to deliver a letter of complaint, and then a letter from a solicitor can do to motivate a bunch of people and a company. I felt as though resorting to the John Laws/Alan Jones demographic's standard response of "I've got a good mind to write a letter about this..." was a little outside my generation's slacker response - but there you go. After this threat, it took 3 working days to receive my battery after this last phone call. It looks as though I have learnt something from my time working for 'The Man'.

I have been informed that person handling my case was dealing with torn stomach muscles. Ok, that's bad. But the problem is that Apple as an organisation hadn't deemed it necessary to reassign the case to a capable agent? I still haven't been informed why the person's case hadn't been dealt with in a timely manner, like passing it back into the work chain? The disdain that I've been treated with during this case is fucked. If Apple was serious about their customers, they would have provided replacement batteries upfront to those people who bought (through no fault of their own) poorly-engineered laptop batteries. Fucking terrible Apple. Service like this will make people switch to Mac for sure.

The only good thing about this is that I'm mobile and able to change my workspace at will. It's good to get out of the apartment I've been relegated to most of the day.

This entry was posted with flickr

Just like the rest of the world, Australia's eyes are on China. During the boom of the Chinese economy, many Australians and Australian companies have greatly benefited from increased trade-relations from China over the past 10 years. China is in the news everyday. Our image of this country is shaped in large by what we hear and what we read care of the Australian media. One of the positive aspects we hear repeatedly about China is its booming growth, on which Australian's can benefit through increased trading opportunities. Yesterday, I wrote an entry touching on this aspect (while simultaneous taking the opportunity to link to a bikini model), but for the bulk of Australians, experience of China and the Chinese way of life remains a mystery. Myself knowing little about China and the Chinese way of life before expatriating to SH, I experienced a perspective shift that reset my preconceptions about this city, China and Chinese people. Each day, I continue to witness these shifts when new expats and visitors lodge with us in SH. There's quite a lot that people outside of China don't know about China! So let's look at this a little more by scanning the press (well, in this case, the Australian press).

With an eye to the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing, I have started to see an increase posting of stories about Australia's sporting teams and their likelihood of success in China. Here's just a few links I've come across in the last few days that have some interesting insights into Australia's (well, the fourth estate's) opinions and perspectives of what could be in store in 2008 in Beijing.

The Australian -Sports - Steroid School Escapes Penalty
A follow-up story regarding the news that broke earlier this year when it an anti-doping raid revealed that the Anshan Athletics School in north-east China allegedly had implemented a systematic doping program in its schools. With the headmaster missing, no progress or charges have been laid on those organising the ring - except for punishment of the children caught up in the middle of it.

The Australian -Sports - Beijing road test runs out of puff
First glance at this title suggests the Aussies will be hard at it in Beijing. Sailing grounds without wind? Bring your own perhaps? Or just lose 10% of your body mass to get that extra edge? The adverse anthropological environmental conditions of Beijing might throw out our athlete's preparations. So might the food. But one thing comes through, that a few Olympic venues & support appear to be awesome (besides lack wind), and they're ready and waiting.

When you hold the Olympics, there's a lot of eyes on you. If there's an association with Australian sport, then there's going to be a little more attention thrown your way from us. Added to this, when you're as big and dominant as China is, those sets of eyes will be trained on you long and hard. Here's a few from the recent past.

AU.Yahoo News - World - Yao calls on China to be more courteous for 2008 Olympics
Yao must understand what it means to be stared at and shouted at a lot.

The SMH - World - Beijing Chief To Target Air Pollution
Same vein as the above story, but highlighting some positive announcements from the top of China's government.

News Limited - World - Vendor Fights To Sell 'World Cup' Air
Striking out on the Olympic Air Rights, Li Jie takes the next obvious step.

News Limited - World - Boxing Roo Show Is A Cruel Blow
Shanghai's hosting of the 'Animal Olympics' gets another thumbs-down when Skippy jumps into the ring.

NineMSN - World - Olympic Boycott Call Over Organ Claims
Regardless of the call for a boycott, this concept is head-shakingly horrifying. Could this really be?

News Limited - World - Ethnic Games Blighted By Cross-Dressing Cheats
Australian tend to think that their sporting champions dressing up like women is high-brow comedy, but on the sporting field? That's where we draw the line. And so does China. This is weird.

For me, these stories represent snippets of life from what I've seen from my time in China but just stories from the peaks and the troughs. A long list of weird, striking, abhorrent, and not-so wonderful things about China from the Australian perspective. Yes, information like this has influenced the way I see China on a daily basis. But one thing I have come to learn as an expat in China is that there's a lot of other stories, information and life that goes on between these snippets. So what are the key reasons for such gloss? One of my favourite China bloggers, Imagethief, has just written an eloquent, incisive and well-thought entry that explores the poor relationship between foreign and Chinese media, and lays the problem down an an inherent mistrust of State-controlled media coverage with an element of stodgy, sloganised delivery thrown in. But what I can take from this is although the information may be filtered to foreign press agencies, it is still there. Information is accessible to foreign media using their myriad of news wire sources, people on the ground, foreign correspondents, and dare I even say it, talking to people on the ground. The way is there, but it is rarely utilised. So what's going on? Is too hard to nut out that story? Will it sell papers? Is it easy & convenient to keep stories in the stereotypical Chinese story basket? Or do we really don't care about China as a nation to look beyond the sensational?

Please just remember when reading about China in your morning paper or listening to some talking head on the telly, that for each one of these reports, there are thousands of others ranging from daily life, to local events, community news, disasters, corruption scandals, success and failures that won't even rate a mention. Yeah, China is different from back home, but there is a whole lot of normality to be found here too.

Perplexed about my use of the Australian vernacular? Well, you might well be if you're in Shanghai this week. It is officially 'Celebrate Australia' Festival Week in Shanghai. This Austrade-sponsored marketing event is aimed at increasing Australia's export markets in China.

With various promotional events linked with this festival being staged in locations such as Xintiandi, M on the Bund, the Shanghai Grand Theater and Fuxing Park, this campaign is definitely aimed at the more affluent segments of China's population.

After arriving in Shanghai, I quickly appreciated how much emphasis on capturing the Chinese trade & tourism market by various Australian governments and businesses. Due to many hours spent commuting on Shanghai's metro, I've been witness to an inundation of ads promoting tourism in Victoria & Queensland, fly to Oz using Qantas, and to drink Jacob's Creek wine. Anyhow, how does this YouTube-linked video (above) relate to this? Well, this is the current in this long string of promotional campaigns to get Chinese to come to Australian shores and spend their RMB. This ad is also part of the controversial Australian tourism marketing campaign launched last year. I first noticed a Chinese version of this ad playing in the video screens of Shanghai's metro stations early last week. What I found a little bit hilarious is that these screens are usually ignored on the platform of the metro stations, but in the times I've seen this one played, there was always and avid collection of viewers. Could the reason for all the attentive viewers be this?

That's if you happen not to be laying down shots in Shanghai's only fallout-shelter bar this Halloween.

Yes, from the 'strange but true' files of my Shanghai life, my apartment complex does appear to have incorporated its own bomb shelters for its denizens in each building. I'm not 100% sure if this is accurate, but it does appear to be so. If not, people in our apartment complex really value their bicycles!

The functional apparatus of our shelters appear to be the real thing. Sequential lighting displays, big air-recycling looking things, heavy concrete doors with rubber seals, loudspeakers on some corners. Yes, it could be a scene of The Hatch taken from Lost, but without the retro 1970's furniture & record collection. In fact, the only decor consists of a large selection of our neighbour's push-bikes. And in all reality, I'm convinced that this area is only ever going to be a glorified bike shed forever more.

I had heard about Shanghai's mega-underground shelter quite a while ago via Shanghaiist, and part of me wonders if our complex is linked up to the heart of that subterranean beast wherever it may be located. If the worst does come to fruition, it could be possible that there is the potential for an underground community along the lines of Sly Stallone's movie, Demolition Man, but without the cool "fightin' The Man" theme.

There's an obsession with 'underground' things in Shanghai. Please don't confuse this with your local music aficionados beating their chests, but a loose collective consciousness that requires a cage of pure logic to harness. Failing to produce such a cage, I decided to build one based on ludicrous. Here's my idea. Persuade the Shanghai populous into adopting a Morlock lifestyle. It could be an easy sell. I believe the key attributes that indicate this predisposition for this already exists within a large portion of Shanghai's populous. Tapping into the Chinese obsession with minimising sun exposure will almost guarantee success. Sure, you'll be pasty coloured, but unfortunately you will develop a penchant for human flesh and sprouting blue hair on your body. A small inconvenience really. For most Shanghairen, we work in tiny, nearly windowless boxes so a shift into the underground lifestyle is the next natural move. See, life really is better underground. You also have your favourite fall-out shelter bar or Window's Jing'an Temple (I think I saw some Morlocks there previously but they disappeared after a few beers), you can enjoy crappy tourist bubble rides with your friends, or you can go shopping for our favourite fake goods via the fancy underground train. Life as a Shanghairen Morlock - it's already at your fingertips - go on, try it out for size.

But in all seriousness, in the event that the highly improbable occurs, please remember that even if you fail to make it in time to my place when the first couple of nukes from the DPRK/Iran/that pesky Taiwan/emerging power of Tuvalu arrive in SH, be comforted in knowledge that at least Lin & Tim's bicycles are safe from harm and that the mutant people from the future will have something to ride on amongst the rubble.

Reading this entry has made me realise that its time to end being TUB and to go out and find some proper employment and have a real life. Wish me luck.

Given my current lifestyle as TUB, I've been spending a lot more time being introspective, delving deeply into trivial matters, and pretty much spending very little time doing anything worthwhile whatsoever. Regardless of the ins & outs of my situation, one positive thing is that I've had a lot more time to investigate the online world, and in particular current events and happenings within and around China. I should really be outside enjoying the remaining days of Shanghai's 'good' weather before the inevitable winter wind, humidity and drizzle appear. Despite this lament, I'm a little upbeat that I've discovered some cool stuff on the web recently, and as I'm the sharing and caring kind of guy, I'm more than happy to put my 2 fen worth down on pixels of your screen.

So as I'm suffering from a drought of material for documenting my life (yes, the reason for this blog), I've decided to do a little bit of documenting about other things. So amongst my online scrambling, I discovered the joy that is The Hao Hao Report. Sinosplice has previously mentioned this Chinese-based clone of digg. digg wasn't one of those websites/tools that I could easily become addicted to. Why? Unlike having lists of really cool things like bookmarks or tag clouds that facilitate quick access to grouped information, digg in its default configuration didn't really provide a focus for my internet use. It is like a giant State or National Library archive that doesn't lend itself to browsing. This is where IMHO that The Hao Hao Report has differentiated itself by creating a China-focused swap-forum of information collectors which is much more manageable to browse through. Is it a domain of the nerdy for the nerdy? Yes. That is why I like it. Submitting articles to the Hao Hao Report is easy through the use of bookmarklets or redirection links that you can easily add to most of the popular web-based dynamic content management systems (WP, MT, Blogger, etc).

So through this site, I 'caught' up on a lot of China-related topics, discovered a few more blogs based around the whole China/Chinese experience. Trust me, it is an easy way to lose a handful of minutes. Along with the China Blog List, I don't think you could possibly miss anything happening regarding China in the English-language documented internet.

Don't attribute this one to me. I'm still getting a hold upon the basics of the language (pathetic I know).

This essential guide to insult someone fifty different ways in Chinese is brought to you via The Humanaught via TalkTalkChina.

This may spark my interest in the language. How else would you abuse referees in Chinese?

Live In Shanghai is a new sub-portal on The Shanghai Daily website. This is perhaps the best English-language city guide to Shanghai that I have come across. Well done Shanghai Daily! There's a lot of information here - particularly on how to get around the city via public transportation. The only thing it appears to miss in this category is an English-translation of Shanghai's bus-timetables & bus-stops (the holy grail in my mind's eye). Go and check it out!

Self-defense? What a load of bollocks!

This from the SMH.

Since relocating to Shanghai, I have regained my passion for basketball. So, in a sense I keep an eye out for anything to do with basketball with a Chinese bent.

Anyway, here's a story from the SMH about Sun Ming Ming - potentially China's newest guardpost on its 'Walking Great Wall' Men's national basketball team. He makes Yao Ming look like a weed.

Tumour behind hoop giant's spurt - October 9, 2006 - 10:23AM

At nearly 236 cm (7 feet 9 inches ) tall, with size 19 feet, Chinese basketball player Sun Ming Ming dreams of joining the National Basketball Association.

But what has made him so tall and given him dreams of following his countryman Yao Ming into the US professional ranks was also a threat to his life.

A tumour at the base of his skull was pressing on his pituitary gland and making him grow, and had to be surgically removed last year. Without the surgery, he faced the possibility of heart failure and early death. A tiny piece of tumour remains.

"Yao Ming is the pride of all Chinese people," Sun said from Greensboro, North Carolina, where he is training to improve his speed and agility.

"Could I be like him one day? This is not something that can happen just because I wish it to happen. I need to work hard and even if I work really hard, I don't know if it will ever happen."

Sun arrived in the United States from China in February 2005. Sports agent Charles Bonsignore says he took a risk by taking on the then lead-footed player and agreeing to raise funds for medical bills that already exceed $100,000.

"I said, 'Let's see what we can do and make this guy into an NBA player,'" Bonsignore said from his office in Ventura, California.

Sun was eligible for the 2005 National Basketball Association draft, but wasn't chosen because of his lack of stamina. He landed awkwardly and felt winded often.

Sun's huge feet were covered with corns and welts, his toes were gnarled and an X-Ray showed the bones in his toes were deformed because he didn't have shoes that fit him properly while he was growing up.

Then doctors made a more shocking discovery: a tumour was crushing Sun's pituitary gland and it was secreting excess growth hormone that caused him to grow and grow.

Dr. Hrayr Shahinian, director of Los Angeles-based Skull Base Institute, who performed the brain surgery on Sun in September 2005, said the condition was a blessing and a curse for Sun, who barely needed to jump in order to dunk a ball.

"It is a curse because this disease, if it is left alone, if untreated, can be fatal and he may die of heart failure right on the basketball court," he said.

Robert Pershing Wadlow, who suffered from gigantism and died in 1940 from a foot infection at the age of 22, is recognized by the Guinness World Records as the tallest man in history at 272 cm (8 feet 11 inches).

By all accounts, Sun's recovery from surgery has been successful. But a tiny piece of tumour remains lodged in his skull close to the carotid artery, the main blood vessel from the heart to the brain, and the optic nerve.

Treatment could include radiosurgery or special drugs, both of which are costly.

If he succeeds in playing in the NBA, Sun would be the tallest player in its history, overtaking Manute Bol and Gheorghe Muresan, both 231 cm (7 feet 7 inches). Yao Ming and Shawn Bradley, both 229 cm (7 feet 6 inches ), are the tallest players currently in the league.

"The first thing you notice about Sun Ming Ming is that he's the largest human being you'll ever see on Earth," said Bill Paolantonio, executive producer of a (the) documentary about Sun. "It is an amazing feeling when he walks into the room. He stops the room. He's that large."

The documentary, Anatomy of a Giant, airs in the United States on the Discovery Health channel on Oct. 15. It follows Sun's journey from Harbin, China, to his recovery in the United States after the three-hour brain surgery.

Sun's height is one thing that impressed Dale Osbourne, general manger and coach of Dodge City Legend in Kansas and prompted him to sign Sun onto the minor league team for a short contract in March.

The 360-pound player averaged only about 5 minutes per game, said Osbourne. That compares to about 20 minutes for an average player.

"It's going to take time," said Osbourne. "He's got to continue to work hard on his foot movement, continue to work hard on his stamina and he's got to continue to hit the weight room and get stronger upper body and lower body strength."

Sun is now training about five hours a day, yet still finding time to soak in a little Americana, from learning English to eating new food; shopping to playing pool and even getting a taste of night life.

"The dream that I had when I came to the United States has not changed," Sun said. "It will be great if I can play in NBA one day. I will work as hard as I can, do my very best to achieve that goal. But if it still can't happen in the end, at least I will have no regret."

Happy Birthday To Me!, originally uploaded by PhotoShmoto.

^ This is what I thought birthdays in China would be like.

Now, where's my party dress...?

This entry was posted with flickr

Chez Moi Dancers!, originally uploaded by timbeckenham.

Linda and I now live in what you could call a 'fancy' apartment complex. In no way is it a 'USD$Millions in a villa somewhere with umpteen drivers and support staff' but rather a nice, clean and surprisingly tasteful apartment. Indeed, each time we receive visitors from overseas at our place we are often met by a degree of shock (or at least surprise) to the 'niceness' of our lodgings. In fact, on our recent trip back home we commented that my sister's & brother-in-law's place was really cool & spacious to which a retort in the like of "don't tell me that our apartment is enormous when in fact you both have a drinking room in your apartment" was proferred. We had no reply. It is one of the perks of living in China.

Yeah, we think its pretty special, and also a steal for what it costs.

Anyhow, we reckon our apartment and our apartment complex is pretty special. Its not far from transport links, not far from Jing'an Temple, not far from the metro, not far from Cloud9 mall at Zhongshan Park, and conveniently for this TUB not far from dubious DVD stores. In essence, we live in a great apartment in a great location.

Now we can add to this list - we have a great apartment community. To celebrate the impending Mid-Autumn Festival, our apartment complex threw a performance extravaganza last Thursday night. We were treated to Britney Spears inspired pop dancing (whoa!), perhaps too much kareoke, various popular renditions of Chinese favourites, more singing, tap dancing, fan dancing, and old stories from a 'veteran' entertainer call Zhang Laoshi. This was all free and put together by the people living in our complex. Pretty amazing. So amazing in fact that people strolling by outside our apartment complex were pressed against every nook, cranny & vantage point to grab a look at the action.

It wasn't really an occasion to take photos, but rather sit back and enjoy the show. The photo above represents a taste of what we saw that night. I believe we have some pretty talented neighbours.

This entry was posted with flickr

Hmm, it seems I've been fairly prolific in documenting my recent trip back to Australia. In terms of a timeline, it started out with an awesome flight experience, some problems with getting my Powerbook fixed, meeting up with friends & family for dinners/coffees/beers/story telling, visiting a beautiful tropical island, attending my sister's wedding, buying lots of stuff to bring back with me, playing a lot of golf (despite my complete lack of aptitude for it), and exploring my thoughts about home.

The only thing I haven't documented is getting from Brisbane to Shanghai. I'm amazed I actually made this leg, as I missed my connecting flight from Brisbane to Sydney by 1 minute at check-in because I was stuck behind the obligatory Japanese tour group (grumble). Then there was that whole late-night packing thing, slow to get going in the morning thing, repacking in the morning thing, etc. I won't dwell on that further. I was put onto the next flight (7:30am to Sydney) which was due to arrive at 9am - just 30 minutes before the closure of my Shanghai flight's boarding time. The problem I faced was transferring from the Domestic terminal to the International terminal in less than 30 minutes. [Insert diety of your choice here] smiled upon me, and I made my Shanghai flight. What was even more amazing is that once again I snared a spare seat on an almost full plane. Cool. What's even better, I managed to get a chicken dinner this time (doubly-amazing!).

Unfortunately, my travel karma was all used up after arriving at Pudong Airport in Shanghai. No, I didn't get the rubber glove treatment, but rather I took the mother-of-all diversions while riding on Pudong Airport Bus #2 to Jing'an Temple. For some reason (which I could not verify by talking directly the driver), we traversed the southern reaches of Pudong for almost 50 minutes before crossing over into Puxi. Normally, a little diversion from a usual route can be expected when travelling from Pudong Airport in a taxi - but this was the "ever-reliable" Airport Bus #2! It does not deviate. I've taken this bus a number of times and even the lane changes appear to run according to some unknown but somehow predictable routine. I wasn't the only passenger a little concerned by this world-shift, as witnessed by the increasingly confused expressions on the faces of my fellow ticketholders. In all, it was a 45 minute delay. Much better than missing an international flight. I'll wear that.

So after time apart measuring just on one week, Lin was there to meet me at Jing'an Temple. The residual bad luck from the bus ride affected our ability to hail any form of taxi, so we lugged all my stuff back to our apartment. All 35kg of it. Linda wasn't happy. But then I showed her why the bags weighed so much. That eased the pain very quickly. Home sweet home!

As you may have read earlier, Lin & I have just returned from a decent holiday back to Australia. While we were there, we did the usual thing when you visit your home towns after 18 months away. Visit friends, visit with family, eat a lot of steak, go to the beach, buy stuff, sort out red tape governmental type thingies. All the usual.

But despite all these little tasks & desire to see your loved ones, there was an over-riding impetus for me and Lin to go back to Oz. It was the wishes of Bridezilla. My sister. Now, first of all let me state that in no way was I subjected to sustained and detailed wedding planning as the rest of my family (and I doubt knowing my sister and Danny this was the case for anyone in our collective families). However, with all weddings, there is the threat of Bridezilla that hangs over us like the Sword of Damocles. There would be no excuses for not showing up.

I would also like to add that I really wanted to go back for this wedding. Its not everyday you lose a sister and gain a brother (what a swap!), and even rarer that you get invited to swank parties in cool surrounds. And then there was that whole brother/sister relationship thing we'd built up over the past 28 or so years. Small ties really*. So in all, both Lin & I had been preparing for this trip back for a while and had arranged both suits and formal dresses long long long in advance.

The wedding itself was awesome. Both Lin and I joined my family & the rest of the bridal party at the engaged couple's apartment for some pre-wedding sushi, Bollinger & photography. We then went via limousine to the wedding venue, The Brisbane Powerhouse. Not what you would consider as a traditional location, but chosen as it was just a few hundred meters from where the wedded couple first met.

The choice of The Powerhouse was fortunate as Brisbane had just welcomed a few weeks worth of dreary rainy weather, which suspiciously coincided with both Linda and my arrival in Australia (sorry sis!). If you know either Alicia or Dan, you'd know that they have plans A through to Z (and onwards) ready in any case of emergency. The ceremony was moved indoors a few days prior to the wedding, and was held in a top-floor room that overlooked the Newfarm reach of the Brisbane River.

Alicia arrived in style to the ceremony, accompanied by the dulcet tones of Nina Simone's "Feelin' Good". The ceremony was simple, with words and emotion being the focus of the ceremony. It was over quite quickly and I was happy to have been there for my sister's big day.

Afterwards, there was a reception in the Spark Bar inside the Powerhouse where I took the opportunity to take a few photos and mingle with many of the old family friends that attended the ceremony. Later, the reception was held in the Powerhouse's theatre. The food, entertainment (pianist & jazz band), and occasion went swimmingly.

It was a pretty awesome wedding.

There will probably be an inundation of photos from the wedding as soon as A&D return from their honeymoon, but as you can see I've posted just a few here. Keep a lookout for a private group on Flickr for shared photos of the event. Not sure what that means? Send me an email and I'll let you know the ins-and-outs of this.

*In the true brother/sister dynamic, a large portion of this post was meant to stir and poke fun my rival sibling. I love my sister heaps & this is all in good jest.

It has been a long time coming, but yes, I finally did get around to changing this site. I didn't quite meet all my goals, but I am a lot happier with the layout (more amenable for dynamic resizing), cleaning up some of the CSS, and also starting to play around with phpFlickr and MagpieRSS to see if I can mirror some of my Flickr photos on this portal.

The site changes will also allow me to add some new multimedia to my site in the coming future. I'm experimenting with Flickr's flash slideshow at the moment, but an awesome Flash app that I first spied on Shanghaiist has caught my eye.

So, I've said farewell to my Gallery installation. It served me well, but now all my photos (including Gallery's) are all over on my Flickr page.

I'm also going to look at cleaning up of both my Feeds page and my Shanghai page. Both need a bit of TLC. They've been neglected of late.

Steph just submitted a query on my experiences with exchanging an Apple laptop battery...

As this is the first I've heard of the new recall for the G4 batters - am so out of the loop here - I was wondering if you were able to have your battery replaced here in Shanghai under the recall, and if so, where?

Now, I would normally drop another comment in there, but I realised that my response was getting quite wordy and probably deserved an entry, so here I go.

The first thing to work out is if your Apple laptop battery is listed for recall. You can enter your battery's details on this Apple webpage to find this out.

If your battery is due to be recalled, the website advises you to contact your nearest authorised Apple reseller. For me, this is where I started my misadventure.

Right now, I'm in the process of getting my battery replaced, however it is very complicated due to the fact of the timing at which I pursued this exchange (the next day after the announcement), and an additional complication due in part to my travels over the past few months and slow response to my situation by Apple Australia. Sometimes it pays not to be an eager beaver.

Let me explain further. The battery replacement program for my Powerbook battery model was announced just a day or two before I left Shanghai for an Australian holiday. I popped down to the authorised Apple store in the Cybermart Electronics mall (corner of Huangpi Lu & Huaihai Lu) the day before I left. To the staff there, this was complete news to them and they brushed me off. One staff member said to me "because it was purchased in Australia, you should do it in Australia". Now, I knew this wasn't the case with Apple (World-wide recall?), but it was obvious the staff on that occasion didn't want to bother with me, and as coincidence unfolded, I was going back home in a few days. The easy solution was to forget those jokers and do it back in Oz.

So, after touching down in my home city with my PB in hand, I contacted the reseller I bought my PB from and went through the exchange process within a day of me landing in Brisbane. I was told that it would be back before I left Oz. But wouldn't you know it - it wasn't. The shipping time blew out from less than 4 weeks to 4-6 weeks. I also later learnt that the resellers were just 'depot' points for the exchange point, and each nation's Apple businesses were co-ordinating the recall. The reseller's really didn't know what was going on.

After a number of bounces around the Apple helpline in Australia, a 'special' arrangement was put in place whereby Apple Australia coordinated with Apple China to provide me with a new Lithium ion battery without any charge to my person.

Due to Apple Australia's policy, they haven't released the contact details of the people in Apple China dealing with this, but as soon as I know, I can drop you a line or post the follow-up here.

It is now 5 weeks since I lodged my battery into the exchange program. No battery as of yet. And I'm a little sick of working with an immobile laptop. Especially as I'd prefer to spend my time working & writing my thesis/papers at this place.

The official way to get an Apple battery replacement in China is listed on this page. My Chinese isn't up to scratch, but I'm sure a friend (or Babel Fish) can help out out with this. Apple's Asia page might also help.

If you can't wait for a laptop battery, you can purchase them from many places around Shanghai. The best deal I found was at the authorised Apple reseller located on the bottom for of the Xujiahui Taipingyang electronics mall (new model PB battery for RMB1100, just some bargaining and its already below the US Apple-store price!).

Here are some photos from last Saturday morning. I volunteered to teach Shanghai Sunrise children frisbee throwing and some Ultimate Disc action out at the SC & Johnson Company campus in Pudong. Not bad for a TUB.

My good friends Lozza & DaDan roped me into this. Lozza (along with another friend Amy) is deeply involved in the Shanghai Sunrise charity whereas DaDan & I like to throw discs. It was a picture-perfect scene. DaDan & I were joined by JD by teaching the kids various throws and drills, followed by a few little games. In fact, I started to bug out in the end (getting a bit bored, and I later rediscovering my talent for cutting up fruit in child-sized portions).

A fun day.

I'm as proud to be an Aussie as much as an American is proud to come from the U.S.A., or a Chinese proud to come from China. Maybe not as proud as a Shanghainese to have come from Shanghai, but I digress to much here (and that might be a whole much larger can of worms I don't want to dive into further...) ;) .

However, just like every country, we've got our good and bad traits. Of the bad, one of those that we tend to discuss more openly (as opposed to the ones we don't and their ongoing consequences) is the Tall Poppy Syndrome, otherwise pulling our fellow but more successful Australians back to the pack. This has been longest known (or at least should I say debated) symptom of what could be considered as Australia's Cultural Cringe.

However, it appears now another facet is becoming much more prominent and acknowledged in our society, and that is of Australians and our alleged increasingly jingoistic behaviour both at home and abroad.

I have noticed that over the past 5 years that there has been increased displays of overt nationalistic pride in Australia. Perhaps one of the best trends is increased attendance of remembrance services around Australia, and the worst being the 'US versus THEM' mob violence in Cronulla last year. On both sides of the coins, there's a multitude of events, issues and occasions that sprung up. What's the cause of this? Well, I guess there's many. Probably the one's I can identify quickly are the growth of terrorist impacts on our country (and our allies), a swing to conservative values in Australia (and the world), and indeed more efficient means of communication of ideas and concepts to larger and larger audiences (aren't blogs great for that?).

For me personally, I see a lot these events have detracted from our image and reputation as a people in the world. And it appears I'm not alone in this. I don't have the elegance or craft to accurately summise my feelings and perspective on this issue, but I read an article by Jack Marx a few days ago that I can whole-heartedly related to. Indeed, the whole blog entry and the ensuing comments is a perfect encapsulation of this trend as seen by Australians both on the "what's wrong with this..." and "thank god someone else sees this..." sides of the fence.

You can read Jack Marx's blog entry here. You'll spend a good 10-20 minutes reading this one. I believe this a pretty elegant discussion and exploration of the topic at times. Then there's the mudslinging. An entertaining and absorbing read.

Now before I can be accused of being an OS expat pointing the bone back at his homeland brethren (or one of those "this is why I left my country because of political so so and that's why I'm not going back until they've gone" whinging/excuse people), I've come to my own self-developed ideas based on personal observances a long long time before I left for Chinese shores. It is a convenient label to throw at any expat wanting to criticise their nation's perception of self-identity. I won't wear it.

When we first arrived in Shanghai over 18 months ago (yesterday), we were faced with a multitude of challenges posed enormous city filled with a people and culture that was very different from what we had experienced back in Australia.

I remember clearly the first few months in Shanghai where Linda and myself spent hours orienting ourselves with Shanghai's juxtapositions, uncovering the cluster neighbourhoods of trades (like the engineering district around Sichuan Bei Lu & Beijing Dong Lu), finding a place to live, working out how different communication, renting and utilities systems work, how to pay the bills (and later how to pay them conveniently). On top of this, there was the unending pursuit of trying new and exciting places to eat & purchase those little items from your home country that make the transition into your new life a little easier to bear. It was exciting, stimulating, and in some ways a small adventure.

But as time progressed, you've found the treasure troves of Shanghai's offerings and how to access them during your hectic expat lifestyle. I akin this much like where someone would always find the shortest & quickest route to work each day. I know that I started to settle into a pattern, my expat life habit and routine. It was blissful and convenient. We shopped at the same stores, ate at the same places, went to the same gym (well, we went sometimes), ultimate disc during the week and basketball on weekends, Wednesday night burgers at Malone's, weekend drinks at The Big Bamboo or Senses. The restaurants and the days might be a little jumbled up at times or you'd try a new place vetted by a trusted friend with a trusty palette, but essentially everything was routine.

There's many reasons for this. One thing I know is that many of my friends fill their days with so much whether it be work, study or play. Not a moment was wasted. The routine things are those little anchors that make the day amenable for the 'other' things that you just want to do. Anchors that are often just dismissed as a chore, a background actor in a busy scene. That type of thing.

It's not often that these little anchors shift, and even rarer that these anchors are lost. The anchors that are usually lost are those big ones that shift your life - like moving to Shanghai for a new job 18 months ago or more recently resigning from the same job due to professional issues. That took a lot of consideration and thought on my behalf, and a decision that resulted in fairly predictable outcomes for my foreseeable life in China over the next year or so. However, sometimes it is the loss of those little anchors in life that little unexpected thing can make your viewpoint and perspective change quite quickly but also in welcoming and refreshing ways. For me, it was yesterday's realisation of how structured and one-dimensional my life can be day to day in Shanghai.

I have a pre-paid phone with China Unicom. Ever since coming to China, I lamented the fact that I couldn't send messages to my friends back in Australia. I didn't know how to set it up. I knew that someone somewhere could help me, but it didn't seem a priority. I always felt aggrieved that I couldn't do it. I should change to a plan, but that would take effort outside my normal routine, so I'll do it when I have the time & occasion. Of course, that never seemed to happen so I went on my slighted way in Shanghai. At least I could get recharge credit at my favourite vendor in Jing'an Temple metro station each Thursday night. She was my favourite because she knew me, tolerated my poor Chinese, we had some small-talk each time, and I didn't have to haggle for IP cards (each month, 3 IP cards at RMB100). It was easy and convenient.

So after three or more weeks of travel around China and Australia, I've returned to China intent on catching up with people, letting them know of my exciting few months of post-work exploration and celebration, family weddings, tales of tropical islands with algal blooms, my self-proclaimed (but now reconsidered) rain-god status, and detailed descriptions of plate-sized steaks which seemingly greeted me every third day. Stuff like that. But I had a hitch. I ran out of phone credit. Easy. I'll pop down to Jing'an Temple & buy my phone cards.

My vendor wasn't there. Actually, none of the vendors were there. The metro station retail booths were all being redeveloped. I was pissed-off. I couldn't get my credit. Actually, I couldn't think of a place where to get my credit without some semblance of thought. This was a good sign that I had become a little too used to my own routine. A little too self-absorbed I believe. The fact is that while I may have been pissed off, I was faced with the reality that I, an adult man had a problem in firstly thinking of where to purchase a recharge card. So I went exploring to find a place. And of course, I found one easily because mobile phone and IP recharge card stores in Shanghai are the hairs on your grandma's face mole - there's a lot here & you can't help but draw your eye to them.

I spoke with the guy in the store. He was hanging out with his buddies watching one of those Pop Idol shows on TV. He was friendly, welcoming my business and my cash. Asked me if I knew how to recharge them. We chatted a bit and I was on my way. Really easy, and I had a nice surface chat in Chinese with another fella from my neighbourhood. That was a new opportunity that I hadn't taken up.

Sadly, I hadn't taken much of an effort to notice these stores in my day to day life around Jing'an District and it took such a little event like this to open my eyes and my mind once more to the possibilities that this great city offers, even if its a place to buy that mobile phone recharge card.

I'd definitely recommend breaking those little habits every now and then seeing what happens.

I have always loved getting a package from Australia. Invariably it contained some of the foodstuffs or other little thing that had just finished from my Australian goods and packages hoarde which we first brought to China.

Now that I'm back in Shanghai, I've been busily storing away the mountains of stuff we brought back to China with us so we can feel that a little bit of our old lives can linger on in our Shanghai life.

The problem with bringing stuff from home back to Shanghai is really figuring out that there's sometimes a hard choice to be made between the items you need versus the items you want. And usually, with your small baggage allowances and will to travel lightly, something has to be cut.

So here's my list of the things I wanted, but couldn't take with me...

• Weet-bix (or any other cereal).
• Nutri-grain (supposedly a cereal - more like sugar, oil with corn).
• Any other cereal.
• Nacho Cheese Doritos (D-ree is with me on this).
• My Mum & Dad.
• Eye fillet steaks from The Breakfast Creek Hotel.

And here's the list of things that you can take with you...

• Vegemite
• Tim Tams
• Bounty and Cherry Ripe coconut chocolate bars.
• Socks that are size Euro 45+.
• Underwear - just something that won't last 2 washes
• Violet Crumbles - No idea why, this happened to my sister too when she & DannyS lived in the UK for ~3 years.
• Deodorants that work (yeah, I'm a stinky laowai). Rexona Sport Anti-Perspirant Deodorant - It won't let you down, and won't leave you smelly like Shanghai deodorants do.
• Eclectic Good Music - anything from the JJJ's playlist could get it, particularly if its got a blues & roots theme, is mellow, or upbeat.
• Books - just about any book could satisfy Linda, its just hard to find a book that already hasn't satisfied Linda!
• Packets of sauces: gravies, cheese-based sauces, pestos.
• Good quality shoes that are Euro 45+.
• Pharmaceuticals, supplements, and other such things.
• Big, well-fitting clothes off the rack (like my new jacket! Made in China ironically).
• COFFEE!!! Big bags of beans.
• My mum's pickled chutney.
• My manual SLR camera gear!
• Thai cooking ingredients (because you can, and I haven't looked that hard in Shanghai).
• Gifts for people.

I calculated that from this last trip, two-thirds of the weight I bore back from Australia could be attributed to the above. That's a good 20kg!

You should have seen me at the airport. Heavy stuff!

The title should really reflect that this is a sequel, rather than an individual life event. After my first visit back to Australian shores slnce leaving for Shanghai 18 months ago, I have decided a few things about my home of Brisbane, my friends in it, and the life I lead right now.

• I have awesome friends in Brisbane.
• I have awesome friends in Shanghai.
• Life is awesome in Brisbane.
• I use the term 'awesome' a little too much (I blame DaDan).
• Brisbane is a beautiful and vibrant city, even so life is mundane compared to SH.
• Brisbane isn't my home any more, rather a place where my friends and family live.

The last statement appears contradictory. And it well might be considering your take on what 'home' is. For me I am coming to the realisation that home is the place you put your feet up and feel at ease. On my trip back to Australia, I always felt I was under or standing on someone's toes, crashing their schedule, or a welcome or inconvenient tacked on addendum to other's daily routines.

I love Brisbane. I love my friends, but there is a realisation that my life and the life of people I know has shifted in impercievable or dramatic circumstances in 18 months.

To me this is just another sign that I need to keep on making my own changes and do something I feel worthwhile with my time on this little blue dot of a planet.

I leave Brisbane early tomorrow morning and will be back in Shanghai late on Wednesday night. I can't wait to get home & kick on.

I'm a little Vegemite..., originally uploaded by timbeckenham.

This entry was posted with flickr

The Shanghai Daily has linked to another podcast (apart from ChinesePod) that appears to be catering for the science-curious residents of Shanghai. The podcast and accompanying files can be found at their Science Podcasting website. I hope there's less emphasis on trains in following episodes and more emphasis on broader topics. I might suggest one here. How to find a decent science job in Shanghai.