In Carefour Hypermarket.

The first time I saw someone wearing striped cotton pyjamas in a crowded street in the middle of the afternoon, it is hard not to do a double-take especially when that person is walking a dog, playing chess at the park or pedalling a bicycle. As you sitting in a bustling restaurant where every 20 person wandering by in their pyjamas, you will realise that stepping out in their comfies is one of the most enviably relaxed customs of this modern city.

Heck! That’s a 360 yuan pyjamas! This is my colleague response when you ask them about wearing pyjamas outdoor. The summer weather in Shanghai might explain it, but also the non-judgement attitude of Chinese people towards other people’s accoutrement. Sounds interesting to me…

At the bank.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Taking a cab in the city of Shanghai can be very nerve-wracking. Walk as much as possible! Take the subway or even buses. Some of the drivers give you a scary and exhausting ride while going around corners and down streets even if you, in reality, are going only a few blocks away. I also found-out that it is possible to walk to a lot of places and the metro was easy, cheap and fast. Also, be sure to get a real taxi, with the meter and the recording welcoming you and telling you to fasten your seatbelt?

The best taxi company in town are DaZhong (cyan color) and QiangShen (Goldern Yellow color) while the red taxis are the worst. QianShen is the largest and first taxi company in Shanghai.

Taxi drivers in Shanghai have a kind of ISO certification on their license at the front seat. Their photo and Taxi license number (the highest the number, the newer the driver are) will be listed, as well as a star rate below the number. The highest is 5 starts and usually you will see no star, or just one star. If you are lucky, you’ll meet some with 4 stars!

Popularity: 13% [?]

I work @ Xu Jia Hui – one of the central business districts in Shanghai

Xujiahui is mainly a commercial district of downtown Shanghai. The main shopping district is centered around the intersection which is home to three supermarkets, six major shopping malls nice large-scale office towers and the famous Shanghai Jiaotong University. Everything from cosmetics to cars to cucumbers is available within five minutes, but the type of product that Xujiahui is most famous for is electronics. It is one of the biggest places for people to get electronic equipments – from cameras, to laptops, PSPs to phones and other game consoles as well.

Xujiahui was part of former “French Concession” of Shanghai. It’s a very busy area and you can hardly get a cab here. Xujiahui subway station is my choice if I want to go anywhere in Shanghai.

Somewhere near Zhong Shan Park, the place where I stay.

My accomodation that coast RMB11,000 a month.

Paris Spring located next to my condominium, and May Fair Hotel opposite.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Popularity: 10% [?]

As a foreigner living and working in Shanghai, I am enjoying the benefits of being an expatriate of a country which is far wealtheir than the one in which I reside! I dine in expensive restaurants. I have a chauffeur who waits downstairs and fetch me to work every morning. I eat sushi at least once a week. I travel accross China. I call ah yi (maid) to clean my apartment up when it’s dirty. My life is nothing different from other thousands of foreigners in China. We all come here for the “China Experience” and still live our lives with the advantages of being a foreigner.

But what is it like to be one of the 6 million rich Chinese residents of Shanghai, especially those wealthy white collar? They bought several properties for investement. They invest in stock market. They buy car and paid in full CASH! Yes FULL CASH, and they paid for a cup of Starbucks coffe with credit cards! They bring their whole family to Milan for a vacation. They have chauffeured car. They wear real gold Rolex. The Chinese are rich especially those who can travel outside China. (most of the mainlanders never travel in a plane!) Trains and buses are widely use in China.

Working in China is challenging. Things like communication problem, different working style, presentation format, plans & drawings, … etc. That’s not the hardest…. IT’S IN CHINESE!!!!!!!!!! ALL stuff and the specifications are in CHINESE!!!!!! Can you imagine all architecture and design terms are in ChinESE!!!! Being new to this, I was obviously blown away by the various jargons… and ended up as confused as a hungry infant in a tittie bar.

Thank GOD that I have a team of designers and draftmen (with a translator of course)!

Granite = ???
Marble = ???
Stainless Steel = ???
Sections = ????
Display = ???
Air Conditional = ??

I got really MAD with all the building materials in Chinese terms!

There is never a proper office attire in China. People are way MORE casual when it comes to office attire, especially the ladies in my office who seem to have a completely free reign, it’s hard to determine if they are dressed for a friday’s night in a pub, or a day’s work in the office. Sleeveless blouse, tank-tops, mini skirts, some even wear running-shoes, hello-kitty tee and jeans. And for the guys, jeans and the old-fashion working pants are common, with RMB19.9 short sleeve shirts. (I’m not complaining or whatever, when I said a 19.9 short sleeve shirts, you’ve got the idea of which kind of shirt it is). For designers, t-shirts and jeans are acceptable as designers always need a more fashion or stylish attire.

Popularity: 13% [?]