Shanghai is now blanked with thick white snow. This is a series of snow storm that affected large portion of central and southern part of China since January 25th, and is also the worst winter storm in five decades! The storm affected these areas with heavy snow and cold temperatures causing extensive damage, power shortages and transport disruption for millions of Chinese travellers who return to their hometown to celebrate the Spring Festival (which begins on Feb 7). More than 400,000 people were stranded at Guangzhou Railway Station on Friday. Trains have been delayed or canceled as a result of power failure and railway damage. The snow has also blacked out many cities in central provinces.

The weather was unusual especially for the southern part of China. Weather forecast predicts more snow, sleek and strong cold wind will hit central and eastern province soon. The snow will continue to fall accompanied by cold winds and would probably continue for at least the next 3 days!

Here’s some photos taken outside my apartment.

Popularity: 46% [?]

The Shanghai World Financial Center was planned to be the tallest building in the world when it was frist designed in 1997. This 97 storey building has surpassed the spires of Petronas Tower in Kuala Lumpur. When construction started, the 508m tall Taipei 101 was already underway to becoming the world tallest building. Plans was change since then because the tower couldn’t be build any higher as the foundation was meant to support a 460m tall building.

To protect the building from natural disaster like earthquakes and windstorms, the building holds 2 tuned mass dampers below its observation floors to reduce the building’s sway. It were installed on the 90th floor. The mass dampers use sensors to detect any swaing of the building and connects with a computer controlled. It is the first mass damper installed in Mainland China. It also design to withstand disaster such as plane crash including 12 fireproof refugee areas and 2 external elevators.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Welcome 2008! There’s nothing quite like it in the world. Beautiful, unique, chaotic, exhilarating and violent are the words that best describe the New Year in Shanghai which come just after the hula gala of Christmas. Many have joined the New Year countdown at The Bund and XinTianDi Countdown Parties. The new Year was welcomed by fireworks and a sudden blast of cold weather as temperatures dropped below zero. It’s 1:48am now and I can still hear fireworks in the distance. Again and again! The city glows. It ignites… It howls and cackles…

Happy New Year!!

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XinTianDi (closest match to what Lan Kwai Fong is in Hong Kong) teamed up with the Shanghai World Expo to present the annual New year’s Eve countdown show and party called “City Lights Life”. The countdown party that will be held, as usual on the “shore” of artificial TaipingQiao Lake, has become a signature event among locals and expats. Pop singers Taiwanese girl band S.H.E. and Hong Kong singer Emil Chau will perform.

If you spend a combined total of RMB 500 using credit card ar any 2 or more Shanghai XinTianDi or Corporate Avenue stores, just present your purchase receipt and you will get one ticket to the 2008 New Year’s Eve Countdown Party at XinTianDi. Tickets are given on a first come first serve basis, with a maximum 2 tickets per redeamtion.

Redemption Date: December, 7th- 25th, 12am to 11pm
Redemption Venue: Shanghai Xintiandi South Block Piazza

Popularity: unranked [?]

I called this guy an “entrepreneur” because he’s doing his own business. And I called him a “creative entrepreneur” because he integrated the baby tram and the BBQ pit to form a movable stall! He fully ultilize the baby tram by placing a container in a baby seat to keep all his ingredients. What a great idea!

Popularity: 10% [?]

Pudong, Lujiazui new icon – The Shanghai World Financial Center will be complete in 3 years, in time for the 2008 Beijing Olympic! The world will soon witness the birth of Shanghai World Financial Center, a tower pf Power, a dynamic and new, mixed-use 101 story development that soars 492m into the sky! In a city that believes – “the taller the better”, I believe the tower will be a major tourist destination and landmark. It is said to be the part of the city’s ambitions to become a key International center once again.

The upper portion of the building will feature a large rectangular opening to symbolize China’s new window to the world. The structure features a 3 floor underground parking, sophisticated retail space, elegant conference center, office units, five-star luxury hotel and finally observation and exhibition areas at the upper level of the building. the observatory atop the building will be the highest outdoor observation deck in the world. It would be cool if some nice restaurants fill the top portion.

The man behind the project, a Japanese real estate Developer – Minoru Mori from Mori Building Company, one of the largest privately held property developers in Japan knew he has to aim higher to make his new mark. When Minoru was young, he dreamed of becoming a novelist before he follow his father, a professor at Yokohama City University, into the property business. He then developed a facination with the ideas of Le Corbusier, one of my favourite Architect, and championed Le Corbusier’s notion of “Vertical Garden City” (Taller buildings and higher population density reduced commuting time and freed space for parks and civis amenities.)

Popularity: 7% [?]

Popularity: 8% [?]

Photo of the day:

China Fashion?

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Some interesting articles submitted by expats in ShanghaiExpat dot com…….

You know you’ve been in China for too long when:

• You blow your nose or spit on the restaurant floor (of course after making a loud hocking noise)
• You look over people’s shoulder to see what they are reading
• You throw your trash out the window of your house, your car or bus you are on
• You would rather SMS someone than actually meet to talk ‘face to face’
• You wear nylons when it is 30 degrees outside
• You honk your horn at people because they are in your way as you drive down the sidewalk
• You regularly fumble for five minutes to find 10 cen despite 10 people waiting in line behind you
• You have a pinky fingernail an inch long
• You ride around on your bicycle ringing a bell for some unknown f***ing reason
• When shopping at Carrefour some laowai stares you down for catching you looking into his basket while you wonder to yourself what laowai’s eat.
• You haven’t cut you finger nails in 8 weeks.
• In a meeting you say everything will be ‘wonderful’ and give no details.
• You forget that the other person needs to finish speaking before you can start
• You burp in any situation and don’t care.
• You see one foreign person eating Pineapple (or whatever) and say “Yes, all foreign people like Pineapple
• You start to watch CCTV9 and feel warm and comforted by the governments great work.
• You think Pizza Hut is high-class and worth queueing for.
• You go shopping to buy gifts for a future business partner, just to ‘smooth things along’
• When you sit in the restaurant with your finger up your nose to your elbow and stare at the laowai. Then you pull it out, inspect it, roll it into a ball and casually flick it onto the wall or the closest person’s plate
• In the rain, you spot a vacant taxi which is 10 minutes away and you have already planned how you are going to jump out with great enthusiasm in the road, elbow everyone else trying to claim it, and wave your hands everywhere in a ‘look at me I’m a goal keeper’ kind of fashion

• The footprints on the toilet seat are your own.
• You no longer wait in line, but go immediately to the head of the queue.
• You stop at the top or bottom of an escalator to plan your day.
• It becomes exciting to see if you can get on the lift before anyone can get off.
• It is no longer surprising that the only decision made at a meeting is the time and venue for the next meeting.
• You rank the decision making abilities of your staff by how long it takes them to reply “Up To You”.
• You no longer wonder how someone who earns US$ 400.00 per month can drive a Mercedes.
• You accept the fact that you have to queue to get a number for the next queue.
• You accept without question the mechanic’s analysis that the car is “Broken” and that it will cost you a lot of money to get it “Fixed”.
• You find that it saves time to stand and retrieve your hand luggage while the plane is on final approach.
• You can shake your hands almost perfectly dry before wiping them on your trousers, or you have your suits made with terrycloth pockets.
• A T-Bone steak with rice sounds just fine.
• You believe everything you read in the local newspaper.
• You regard traffic signals, stop signs, and copy watch peddlers with equal disdain.
• You have developed an uncontrollable urge to follow people carrying small flags.
• When listening to the pilot prove he cannot speak English, you no longer wonder if he can understand the air traffic controller.
• You regard it as part of the adventure when the waiter correctly repeats your order and the cook makes something completely different.
• You have more knick-knacks than your grandmother.
• You are not surprised when three men with a ladder show up to change a light bulb.
• You understand all the above listed references.

Popularity: 56% [?]

Mini Cooper

Lamborghini concept car

The exhibition was held in the neighbourhood of Pudong in Shanghai every 2 years. I heard this year’s show demonstrated a huge effort to be an influential and a large scale international show. Not only have local auto makers stepped up the quality of their exhibition booths and presentation (with some English catalogues) but all international brands were flexing their muscle. More than 1,000 exhibitors from around 26 countries and exhibiting area of 120,000sqm made the auto show the largets one ever.

Popularity: 7% [?]