The other day, my friend who can speak Shanghainese took me to the shop where he usually picks up his stash of DVDs. I have always heard about DVD's being cheaper in Pudong but was always too lazy to go over the water and stuck with my Dagu Rd shop.
We went to a non-descript building near the Yaohan 八佰伴 at 1271 Pudong Nan Lu called "Rong Fu Deparment Store" 融富百货商场. The entire building is full of little shop/stalls peddling all kinds of wares. We went straight to the 3rd floor, stall B15, where Lady Pan's shop is. It's dinky shop, much like an old record shop, with rows and rows and DVD's not organized in any particular order. Everyone there was intently flipping through the DVD jackets, looking for those hidden treasures to bring home.
My friend claims that he goes through 20 movies per week, so always picks out a ton of stuff and is a favorite customer there. He's also a walking IMDB and served as a movie title translator for Lady Pan. I found Qatsi Trilogy, Baraka/Chronos, and an Ang Lee collection, which even contains "Xiao Yu" 少女小渔, a movie he co-produced but not directed. Most of the discs were DVD 9 format, the higher quality one, and it worked to be around $7-8RMB/movie.
2008年3月17日 星期一
2008年3月10日 星期一
Hainan Sanya: China's Hawaii Waikiki - part 2 food
Searching for places to eat is a bit of a challenge. The tourist places are definitely not cheap, and may even be on par with Shanghai prices. For the first couple of days, we went to the ol' McDonald's for breakfast/lunch. There is only one M in town, which is located at the Pedestrian Stree (行人徒步街). Later, we found some more authentic local vermecelli noodle shops near the First Agriculture Market (第一农贸市场). The "Baoluofen" 抱罗粉 (vermecelli with pig's guts and small crunchy bread bits) was really yummy. At the market, we also bought some locally grown tropical fruits such as jackfruit, rambutan, and mango. Fresh coconuts are also pretty ubiquitous, although we heard that a lot of them are actually imported from Vietnam.
The seafood is a must-try here. We went to a popular joint called Mingrun明润, which has one location on Binghai Blvd. To order the seafood, you go check out the various live seafood selection and they'll weigh them on the spot. They charge$6-10RMB/500g (一斤) to cook the dishes, any style. The bill should come out to be $50-$100RMB per person, if you didn't order too much exotic stuff. I really liked the deep-see jumbo shrimps, but the crab is not as good as the hairy crab varietal we get in Shanghai. There's this rare type of fish called "Su-mei"苏眉 that's supposed to be delicious but it wasn't in season when we were there. You can also have seafood dinner on fisherman's boat off the Hongsha Pier 红砂码头渔排 (to the east of Dadonghai) for $50RMB all-you-can-eat type, but we didn't get to try that either.
The seafood is a must-try here. We went to a popular joint called Mingrun明润, which has one location on Binghai Blvd. To order the seafood, you go check out the various live seafood selection and they'll weigh them on the spot. They charge$6-10RMB/500g (一斤) to cook the dishes, any style. The bill should come out to be $50-$100RMB per person, if you didn't order too much exotic stuff. I really liked the deep-see jumbo shrimps, but the crab is not as good as the hairy crab varietal we get in Shanghai. There's this rare type of fish called "Su-mei"苏眉 that's supposed to be delicious but it wasn't in season when we were there. You can also have seafood dinner on fisherman's boat off the Hongsha Pier 红砂码头渔排 (to the east of Dadonghai) for $50RMB all-you-can-eat type, but we didn't get to try that either.
There's one nice western pub/cafe in Dadonghai called Rainbow. We went for brunch a couple times when we stayed in Dadonghai.
As Sanya develops into a world-class beach vacation spot, there should be a lot more opportunities for new restaurants of all kinds to move in. This is a town (city) that doesn't even have Starbucks yet! The local foods will be much more accessible and safer to eat if newer concept restaurants are opened.
See my part 1 write-up about Sanya's accommodations.
Hainan Sanya: China's own Hawaii Waikiki - part 1 accommodation
I recently spent a week down in Hainan Island's Sanya to check out some real estate and also to get away from the cold in Shanghai. After a 3 hour direct flight, I arrived at Sanya airport. The cheapest way to get into town is to take the city bus on the arrival level on the 2nd floor. For $4-5RMB, you can get to Sanya Blvd, which runs along the Sanya Bay beach. For $30RMB, you can also take the airport bus or taxi to get to the Sanya Bay area.
Sanya is roughly divided into 3 sections: Sanya Bay 三亚湾, Dadonghai 大东海, and Yalong Bay 亚龙湾. Sanya Bay is the most popular beach with local Chinese vacationers; the beach itself is a narrow band that runs several miles long, but the sand and water qualities are so so due to heavy traffic. There's a newer section of the Sanya Bay near the airport called Haipo 海坡, where a lot of new apartment and villa complexes are being built along the beach front. Dadonghai (Big East Ocean) is a smaller crescent shaped beach, mostly taken over by the Russian vacationers; the sand and water is nicer than those of Sanya Bay, esp. if you go toward the Xiaodonghai (Small East Ocean). Yalong Bay is packed with upscale international 5 star hotels like Hilton, Sheraton, Marriot, Ritz Carlton, as well as some Chinese branded 5 star hotels. Sanya and Yalong Bay became better known after the Miss World Pagent finals were held there, but the golfers have been going there for the nice weather and courses.
For accommodation, I had researched several "family hotels" that are located in the beach front apartment complexes; these are pretty much clusters of apartments managed by professional property management companies on behalf of owners who don't live in Sanya. Being a budding short-term apartment rental manager myself, I'm obviously eager to check these counterparts out ;-) Me and my friend decided to stay at multiple places in the different areas around Sanya to get a feel for the real estate quality.
The first place we stayed at was a "super deluxe ocean view room" at 海豹家庭旅馆 (the Seal Hotel) in the Future Life complex (碧海蓝天). The room was nicely decorated w/ 2 single beds and a bathroom. The balcony has a great ocean view from the 19th floor. It turned out that the room belonged to another hotel in the same building called Yomovo 游牧虎, which has a nice English site. The room was $200RMB/night, a great value considering the ocean view we got. They waived the $10RMB/night charge for internet connection (no wifi) after we protested that their competitors' were free of charge. Most complex residents are local Chinese, and I suspect many of them are also staying at one of the many family hotels in the complex. There's a big swimming pool (well, most complexes in Sanya have it), tennis courts (remember to bring your own racket), and a very well-stocked supermarket. Several bus lines also stop in front of the complex and take you to pretty much all the scenic spots along the beach, as far out as Yalong Bay.
Next, we moved to the Haipo area's BT Inn, which is located in a well-developed complex called Sunny Oceanfront (阳光海岸). This family hotel was a disappointment, as the room they gave us was not at all what's shown on their website. The furnitures are sparten and worn, and there was no interior deco to speak of (the bathrooms had exposed piping). At this hostel quality level, they charged us $260/night! What a rip-off. The beach out front is not too much nicer than Sanya Bay's -- even narrower and lack maintanance. We did stop by the Kempinski Hotel another 10 min by bus toward the west end, and the hotel seemed very nice with a big, private beach out front. The Holiday Inn that's a few doors down from Sunny Oceanfront was so-so, and doesn't have any stand-out facilities.
After one unhappy night at BT Inn, we fled to Dadonghai. We tried out the Bluesky Youth Hostel for $120RMB/night, recommended by Lonely Planet. The famed Peter guy wasn't in and the building was a bit old. We decided that we needed more view and comfort than what a hostel can offer, so we moved again after one night. We had our eyes set on Nanfeng, a first-line oceanview family hotel right in the center of Dadonghai, but they were solidly booked until end of March!! Wow, that's some good biz they're doing there. We settled for another family hotel, Yi Jia 怡佳, in the same apt building but on a lower floor. The view from the room was great and so was the price: $200RMB/night. Yi Jia is not as well-run as Nanfeng upstairs, that's why they still had open rooms when Nanfeng was full.
Overall, it's a great deal to stay at the family hotels when you come to Sanya, esp. if you want to stay for extended period of time. The monthly rent on these apts are pretty low: you can get a decent ocean front place for less than $3000RMB/month, which won't last you 3 nights at those 5-star places. I do have to admit though, that the hotels and beaches at Yalong Bay were super nice and definitely the choice for those with the dough.
See my part 2 write-up about Sanya's food.
Sanya is roughly divided into 3 sections: Sanya Bay 三亚湾, Dadonghai 大东海, and Yalong Bay 亚龙湾. Sanya Bay is the most popular beach with local Chinese vacationers; the beach itself is a narrow band that runs several miles long, but the sand and water qualities are so so due to heavy traffic. There's a newer section of the Sanya Bay near the airport called Haipo 海坡, where a lot of new apartment and villa complexes are being built along the beach front. Dadonghai (Big East Ocean) is a smaller crescent shaped beach, mostly taken over by the Russian vacationers; the sand and water is nicer than those of Sanya Bay, esp. if you go toward the Xiaodonghai (Small East Ocean). Yalong Bay is packed with upscale international 5 star hotels like Hilton, Sheraton, Marriot, Ritz Carlton, as well as some Chinese branded 5 star hotels. Sanya and Yalong Bay became better known after the Miss World Pagent finals were held there, but the golfers have been going there for the nice weather and courses.
For accommodation, I had researched several "family hotels" that are located in the beach front apartment complexes; these are pretty much clusters of apartments managed by professional property management companies on behalf of owners who don't live in Sanya. Being a budding short-term apartment rental manager myself, I'm obviously eager to check these counterparts out ;-) Me and my friend decided to stay at multiple places in the different areas around Sanya to get a feel for the real estate quality.
The first place we stayed at was a "super deluxe ocean view room" at 海豹家庭旅馆 (the Seal Hotel) in the Future Life complex (碧海蓝天). The room was nicely decorated w/ 2 single beds and a bathroom. The balcony has a great ocean view from the 19th floor. It turned out that the room belonged to another hotel in the same building called Yomovo 游牧虎, which has a nice English site. The room was $200RMB/night, a great value considering the ocean view we got. They waived the $10RMB/night charge for internet connection (no wifi) after we protested that their competitors' were free of charge. Most complex residents are local Chinese, and I suspect many of them are also staying at one of the many family hotels in the complex. There's a big swimming pool (well, most complexes in Sanya have it), tennis courts (remember to bring your own racket), and a very well-stocked supermarket. Several bus lines also stop in front of the complex and take you to pretty much all the scenic spots along the beach, as far out as Yalong Bay.
Next, we moved to the Haipo area's BT Inn, which is located in a well-developed complex called Sunny Oceanfront (阳光海岸). This family hotel was a disappointment, as the room they gave us was not at all what's shown on their website. The furnitures are sparten and worn, and there was no interior deco to speak of (the bathrooms had exposed piping). At this hostel quality level, they charged us $260/night! What a rip-off. The beach out front is not too much nicer than Sanya Bay's -- even narrower and lack maintanance. We did stop by the Kempinski Hotel another 10 min by bus toward the west end, and the hotel seemed very nice with a big, private beach out front. The Holiday Inn that's a few doors down from Sunny Oceanfront was so-so, and doesn't have any stand-out facilities.
After one unhappy night at BT Inn, we fled to Dadonghai. We tried out the Bluesky Youth Hostel for $120RMB/night, recommended by Lonely Planet. The famed Peter guy wasn't in and the building was a bit old. We decided that we needed more view and comfort than what a hostel can offer, so we moved again after one night. We had our eyes set on Nanfeng, a first-line oceanview family hotel right in the center of Dadonghai, but they were solidly booked until end of March!! Wow, that's some good biz they're doing there. We settled for another family hotel, Yi Jia 怡佳, in the same apt building but on a lower floor. The view from the room was great and so was the price: $200RMB/night. Yi Jia is not as well-run as Nanfeng upstairs, that's why they still had open rooms when Nanfeng was full.
Overall, it's a great deal to stay at the family hotels when you come to Sanya, esp. if you want to stay for extended period of time. The monthly rent on these apts are pretty low: you can get a decent ocean front place for less than $3000RMB/month, which won't last you 3 nights at those 5-star places. I do have to admit though, that the hotels and beaches at Yalong Bay were super nice and definitely the choice for those with the dough.
See my part 2 write-up about Sanya's food.
2008年2月17日 星期日
Paul Bakery Cafe at the Shanghai Centre
Located right next to the Element Fresh in the Shanghai Centre- Portman complex, this is one of a series of Paul Bakeries that have opened around Shanghai in rapid fire in the last 6 months. Hailed from France, Paul's key selling point is that they even import the flour from France. I'd have to agree that basic ingredients matter a lot in baked goods; for some reason, the local flour just does not produce very aromatic breads and cakes (or I'm just prejudiced?) That said, I still think Paul is too expensive to make it an everyday affair. The Centre location has a pretty sizable sit-down area -- atmosphere is great with large windows looking out to a terrace, which will make excellent outdoor seating in the summertime.
We ordered a croque monsieur, a croque madam, and another kind of sandwich, along with some coffee drinks. The sandwiches range in the high $20's to $40', and drinks are Starbucks prices. The food is decent, but I think it's the location that's really worth the bucks. Didn't try their desserts yet, and think I'll go back for afternoon tea next time. They offer a $45RMB set where you can choose a drink + dessert during the weekdays.
See other cafes and restaurants nearby.
We ordered a croque monsieur, a croque madam, and another kind of sandwich, along with some coffee drinks. The sandwiches range in the high $20's to $40', and drinks are Starbucks prices. The food is decent, but I think it's the location that's really worth the bucks. Didn't try their desserts yet, and think I'll go back for afternoon tea next time. They offer a $45RMB set where you can choose a drink + dessert during the weekdays.
See other cafes and restaurants nearby.
Laifu Hotpot at Fuxing Rd/ Huaihai Rd
In the dead of winter, what's better than rounding up a group of friends and heading for a delicious hotpot dinner? Laifu is a reliable place in the French Concession that is not outrageously expensive. We spent about $80RMB/person, including a couple beers. The decor is more elegant than your typical hotpot restaurant and the atmosphere is pretty cozy and relatively quiet. You can order the usual "Yuan Yang" 鸳鸯锅 with with the pot divided into 2 halves, holding 2 kinds of soup base. I like the light bone-stewed broth + spicy oil soup base combo, but you can also order a variety of other types of soup base, such as Chinese-style sauerkraut fish. There are also a dozen or so DIY dip sauces that you can mix to your liking -- this is definitely something you can't really prepare at home. For the more adventurous ones, try the curdled duck blood - it tastes perfect in the spicy oil! Other noted dishes include small egg dumplings with fish paste filling 婆婆蛋角, "bai ye"百叶包 tofu packages, and special beef 秘制牛肉. There's another location near Hengshan Rd.
See other cafes and restaurants nearby.
See other cafes and restaurants nearby.
2008年2月13日 星期三
Moganshan 莫干山 mountain retreat for a long weekend
I'm parking the info I found so far on Moganshan here. The mountain area is only 3-4 hours away from Shanghai (one hour from HangZhou) and supposed to be the perfect getaway for people who are trapped in Shanghai with no beach, no mountain, etc. I've wanting to check it out all last year and friends were waiting for me to organize the trip... Well, it's gonna happen this year!
Where to stop for fresh coffee and authentic Brit meals: The Moganshan Lodge
Historic guest house that looks beautiful: Yiyuan 颐园 and Priest Villa
Where to stop for fresh coffee and authentic Brit meals: The Moganshan Lodge
Historic guest house that looks beautiful: Yiyuan 颐园 and Priest Villa
Buying a local mobile cell phone SIM card
Getting a local SIM card makes sense if you expect to make and receive frequent calls and text messages during your travel. The most common network in China is the GSM system, which runs on frequencies of both 900 and 1800. Unfortunately, the US GSM system runs on 1900 (yes, they did this on purpose to sell more phones), so your safest bet is to bring a tri-band phone. Worst case is you can buy a cheap 900/1800 phone in China for $300RMB (I've seen a pretty decent mini-Motorola at that price). I also have one available for rent for my guests ;-) China Unicom, the other mobile company, runs on CDMA, but I'm not too familiar with it.
The most popular prepaid GSM SIM card that you can buy from street vendors is China Mobile's 神州行畅听卡16元版（Shen2Zhou1Xing2), $16RMB/month, unlimited call receiving edition. The packet and card look like this:
Getting the SIM card
You can usually find shops that sell them near the subway stations. You can also find shops that sell cell phones inside shopping centers. The prepaid card comes with $50RMB credit, but sells for anywhere from $55-100RMB per card. The vendors will try to sell at the higher prices, claiming the phone numbers are better -- no 4's (same sound as death in Chinese) and more 8's or 9's (same sound as prosperity in Chinese). You'll also see a card with a scratch-off PIN, which you can use as the password to log on to the China Mobile's Shanghai site to check your phone number account (only in Chinese).
Rates
With this type of card, local calls are $0.13RMB/min, and receiving calls from anywhere is free. China domestic text messages are $0.10RMB/msg, and international texts are $1RMB/msg whether you're roaming or not, so most people end up texting a lot. Receiving text messages is also free.
Making internationl calls
I'm sure you can probably get a cheaper rate by using a calling card, but make sure you figure out how much those cards really cost (can be bought at a steep discount) and what the calling rates are. Recently, China Mobile is promoting its "12593" access number for international calls. For an additional $1RMB/month, you can dial 12593 in front of international numbers and get $0.4RMB/min calling US, Canada, HK, and Singapore, $0.7RMB/min to Taiwan and Macau, $1RMB/min to Japan and Korea, and $1.5RMB/min to most of European countries. This is by far the cheapest rate you can get on the mobile phone without using a calling card, and in some cases it's even cheaper than dialing from a land line. To activate this service, you can send a text message of "KTXGX" to 10086. You'll receive a Chinese message back to confirm. Just don't forget to put 12593 in front the numbers when you dial! Dial like this: 12593+00+COUNTRY CODE+phone number.
Roaming outside of China - Not recommended. It's pretty expensive to use a China number while roaming outside of China, and you'd need to put down a hefty deposit to even turn on the international roaming option.
Making domestic long distance calls from Shanghai Basically, calling anywhere in China outside the city you're in is considered long distance. The best rate I can find is to subscribe to the "17951" plan, where you pay another $1RMB/month to receive a $0.20RMB/min long distance rate. Send a text message of "IPYH" to 10086 and begin adding 17951 to all your Beijing or other inter-city calls when in Shanghai. Calling while roaming outside of ShanghaiIf you plan to travel to multiple cities within China, you can pay another $1RMB/month to activate the trusty 12593 code to get discount rates when roaming domestically. This is the same code as the international long distance but you have to pay again... but you need to send a different text, "KTMYB", to 10086 to activate this one (are you confused yet??). Under this plan, you pay $0.49/min when roaming and calling and $0.30RMB/min when you receive calls. If you don't do this, receiving calls under the original plan would cost you $0.6RMB/min PLUS $0.07RMB/6 seconds. These can rack up pretty quickly and drain your prepaid credits.
Refill and checking credit balance
For refill cards, you can also buy them at those same shops I mentioned above, or at tables set up on the curbside selling these and calling cards -- just make sure you complete the refill process successfully before leaving the vendor. To refill, call 13800138000 and enter "2" for English. To check the amount remaining on your phone, send a text message "YECX" to 10086 and it'll come back with a Chinese text message containing a number in it -- that would be the amount you're looking for.
So is it any wonder that China Mobile is raking it in? With complicated rate plans like these, callers can easily make mistakes and spend a fortune. To summarize, you basically should spend an extra $3RMB/month to cover your basis. A word on how long these SIM cards are good for -- basically if you don't return to China for more than 3 months, you're better off getting a new card next time you're back, because they'll continue to charge the monthly fees even when you're not using it until all the money in there runs out.
If you're staying longer
One good news is that you can convert to other calling plans without changing your phone number, should you decide to stay in Shanghai long-term. The plan I currently use is the China Mobile's GoTone $50RMB/month plan, where you get 450 free local minutes included (but you'd still need to pay addtional subscriptions here and there to get those discounts). I wonder if I can make money by becoming a calling plan optimization consultant?
The most popular prepaid GSM SIM card that you can buy from street vendors is China Mobile's 神州行畅听卡16元版（Shen2Zhou1Xing2), $16RMB/month, unlimited call receiving edition. The packet and card look like this:
Getting the SIM card
You can usually find shops that sell them near the subway stations. You can also find shops that sell cell phones inside shopping centers. The prepaid card comes with $50RMB credit, but sells for anywhere from $55-100RMB per card. The vendors will try to sell at the higher prices, claiming the phone numbers are better -- no 4's (same sound as death in Chinese) and more 8's or 9's (same sound as prosperity in Chinese). You'll also see a card with a scratch-off PIN, which you can use as the password to log on to the China Mobile's Shanghai site to check your phone number account (only in Chinese).
Rates
With this type of card, local calls are $0.13RMB/min, and receiving calls from anywhere is free. China domestic text messages are $0.10RMB/msg, and international texts are $1RMB/msg whether you're roaming or not, so most people end up texting a lot. Receiving text messages is also free.
Making internationl calls
I'm sure you can probably get a cheaper rate by using a calling card, but make sure you figure out how much those cards really cost (can be bought at a steep discount) and what the calling rates are. Recently, China Mobile is promoting its "12593" access number for international calls. For an additional $1RMB/month, you can dial 12593 in front of international numbers and get $0.4RMB/min calling US, Canada, HK, and Singapore, $0.7RMB/min to Taiwan and Macau, $1RMB/min to Japan and Korea, and $1.5RMB/min to most of European countries. This is by far the cheapest rate you can get on the mobile phone without using a calling card, and in some cases it's even cheaper than dialing from a land line. To activate this service, you can send a text message of "KTXGX" to 10086. You'll receive a Chinese message back to confirm. Just don't forget to put 12593 in front the numbers when you dial! Dial like this: 12593+00+COUNTRY CODE+phone number.
Roaming outside of China - Not recommended. It's pretty expensive to use a China number while roaming outside of China, and you'd need to put down a hefty deposit to even turn on the international roaming option.
Making domestic long distance calls from Shanghai Basically, calling anywhere in China outside the city you're in is considered long distance. The best rate I can find is to subscribe to the "17951" plan, where you pay another $1RMB/month to receive a $0.20RMB/min long distance rate. Send a text message of "IPYH" to 10086 and begin adding 17951 to all your Beijing or other inter-city calls when in Shanghai. Calling while roaming outside of ShanghaiIf you plan to travel to multiple cities within China, you can pay another $1RMB/month to activate the trusty 12593 code to get discount rates when roaming domestically. This is the same code as the international long distance but you have to pay again... but you need to send a different text, "KTMYB", to 10086 to activate this one (are you confused yet??). Under this plan, you pay $0.49/min when roaming and calling and $0.30RMB/min when you receive calls. If you don't do this, receiving calls under the original plan would cost you $0.6RMB/min PLUS $0.07RMB/6 seconds. These can rack up pretty quickly and drain your prepaid credits.
Refill and checking credit balance
For refill cards, you can also buy them at those same shops I mentioned above, or at tables set up on the curbside selling these and calling cards -- just make sure you complete the refill process successfully before leaving the vendor. To refill, call 13800138000 and enter "2" for English. To check the amount remaining on your phone, send a text message "YECX" to 10086 and it'll come back with a Chinese text message containing a number in it -- that would be the amount you're looking for.
So is it any wonder that China Mobile is raking it in? With complicated rate plans like these, callers can easily make mistakes and spend a fortune. To summarize, you basically should spend an extra $3RMB/month to cover your basis. A word on how long these SIM cards are good for -- basically if you don't return to China for more than 3 months, you're better off getting a new card next time you're back, because they'll continue to charge the monthly fees even when you're not using it until all the money in there runs out.
If you're staying longer
One good news is that you can convert to other calling plans without changing your phone number, should you decide to stay in Shanghai long-term. The plan I currently use is the China Mobile's GoTone $50RMB/month plan, where you get 450 free local minutes included (but you'd still need to pay addtional subscriptions here and there to get those discounts). I wonder if I can make money by becoming a calling plan optimization consultant?
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