Recently I met with Alex from Yana Adventures to discuss the possibilities offering Quintet guests some interesting day-tours that would give them a better sense of the city's sights, sounds and smells. Since we are already located in the French Concession, where people can roam about relatively easily on their own, she recommended a walking tour around the north Suzhou Creek area, a lesser-explored but interesting neighborhood.
The tour guide is the long-time Shanghai resident Mr. Chong, a retired cabby who has lived in the city for most of his life. Mr. Chong will show you around his own neighborhood, where you'll stroll through bustling markets and laundry-strung Shanghai alleys, as well as discover historical landmarks and hidden gems. Being a veteran dancer himself, Mr. Chong will also take you to an old-school neighborhood dance hall; you can watch couples waltzing and fox-trotting between one another or even show off a few moves of your own ;-) To get a feel for what local life is like in Shanghai, visit Mr Chong's home and hear the family's stories from the past and present. He's aided by a translator to round out the tour.
Starting in September, Mr. Chong's tour will be offered every Thursday morning (9:30am - 12:30pm) and Saturday morning (9:30am - 12:30pm) and afternoon (1pm - 4pm). The tour is 250RMB per person and requires a minimum of 4 people.
If you're interested in joining the tour, please email us at info@quintet-shanghai.com and tell us all the dates/times you can consider. If your group has less than 4 people, Quintet will try to match you up with other guests who are also interested in the same dates/times.
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2010年8月30日 星期一
2009年12月30日 星期三
Newly opened subway lines make touring Shanghai even easier
The subway system in Shanghai has always bee pretty good, but since taxis are relatively inexpensive at 12RMB starting price, I tend to opt for the taxi if the destination is requiring more than one transfer on the subway. This month (December 2009), three additional subway lines or segments (Line 7, 2nd phase of Line 9, and Line 11) have opened and made taking the subway from the city center much more attractive. These new line currently operating from 9am to 4pm, and gradually expanding service to 5:30am to 11pm in the next three months.
New airport route: Visitors coming from Pudong Airport can now change from the maglev train to Line 7 and arrive directly at the ChangShu Rd station, which is closer to Quintet than Line 2's JingAn Temple station. You'd have an easier time walking with your luggage.
Fabric market: we used to recommend that guests take a taxi to South Bund Fabric Market, but now you can also take Line 7 to transfer to Line 4 at DongAn Rd and get off at Nanpu Bridge station. The fabric market is within 5 minute walking distance from the station.
Expo site: go one station south on Line 7 from Changshu Rd Station and change to Line 9 at Zhaojiabang Rd Station. Then at the Madang Rd station, change to the soon to be open Line 13 directly to the Expo site.
Shanghai F1 Race Track: With the opening of Line 11 to Jiading, F1 race goers will be able to take the subway to the race track. Change from Line 2 Jiangsu Rd station to Line 11, and then continue on the west branch of Line 11 at Jiading Xincheng to reach the race track. The train's top speed reaches 100KM/hour, the fastest in the Shanghai metro area.
As there will be more lines coming on-line in the next few months, keep an eye on the development by checking this very nicely done English subway map site here.
New airport route: Visitors coming from Pudong Airport can now change from the maglev train to Line 7 and arrive directly at the ChangShu Rd station, which is closer to Quintet than Line 2's JingAn Temple station. You'd have an easier time walking with your luggage.
Fabric market: we used to recommend that guests take a taxi to South Bund Fabric Market, but now you can also take Line 7 to transfer to Line 4 at DongAn Rd and get off at Nanpu Bridge station. The fabric market is within 5 minute walking distance from the station.
Expo site: go one station south on Line 7 from Changshu Rd Station and change to Line 9 at Zhaojiabang Rd Station. Then at the Madang Rd station, change to the soon to be open Line 13 directly to the Expo site.
Shanghai F1 Race Track: With the opening of Line 11 to Jiading, F1 race goers will be able to take the subway to the race track. Change from Line 2 Jiangsu Rd station to Line 11, and then continue on the west branch of Line 11 at Jiading Xincheng to reach the race track. The train's top speed reaches 100KM/hour, the fastest in the Shanghai metro area.
As there will be more lines coming on-line in the next few months, keep an eye on the development by checking this very nicely done English subway map site here.
2009年12月11日 星期五
Our limited edition holiday gift: Hand-made Christmas Stocking
For our first anniversary, I though we'd make a Christmas keepsake for guests who come to stay with us around the holiday time. If everyone likes it, we can potentially do a version every year!
While brainstorming on what the gift should be, I was inspired by the recent "Tiny Feet" exhibition at the Plum Gallery. Why not make a Christmas stocking with a Chinese flavor? For those who know a bit about Chinese history, women, especially in the royal and wealthy families, used to have their feet bound to about only 3 inches long starting in their childhood. Women with tiny feet supposedly looked delicate and attractive to men when they walked and swayed from the imbalance. While the feet finding custom is now seen as an evil, sexist tradition that kept Chinese women subdued for centuries, some of the design and crafts that went into making the tiny shoes that covered those feet were exquisite.
I brought up this stocking idea to my guest-friend Hiroko and she also thought this ideas was interesting. So when she came to Shanghai a few weeks ago, she helped sketched out a design for the stocking and then we went to the fabric market to pick out the fabrics together. We chose four different patterns and colors for the stocking to give it a luxurious look and feel; the fabrics we used are also the same fabrics that people make "qipao" dresses and "mian-ao" jackets out of.
Each of the stockings is sewn by my housekeeper's neighbor so each one looks a bit different and unique! For a limited time only, we will sneak these little stockings into the guest rooms as parting gifts. If you want one, come stay with us soon!
2009年11月1日 星期日
Add-on romantic/special occasion packages
Coming to Quintet to celebrate a honeymoon, anniversary, birthday, or a special occasion? Ask about our special add-on package below when you book your room. We can also customize to your request and event.
The Adagio Package: $300RMB
-Romantically decorated room with fresh flower petals and candles
-Candlelight milk bath prepared with a scent of your choice
-Bottle of red wine with chocolates
-Mood music played on Quintet house ipod (you can bring your own ipod also)
-Breakfast served in-bed
2009年10月7日 星期三
La Strada, Pho Real, Bistro Burger, Lapis Thai
The speed with which restaurants open and close in Shanghai is unbelievably high that even residents like ourselves have a hard time keeping up. Each week, I have to bike around our neighborhood streets to check out if there are any new store signs put up or constructions started. No wonder every time I went back to my hometown San Jose, California, I was often shocked to see venerable restaurants from my younger days still standing.
This is not to say that new shops are always better than old, but it does speak to the unprecedented number of entrepreneurs who are seizing the opportunity to make it out here in Shanghai. These aren't the big corporate restaurant chains you see in more matured markets; these are the small guys who started with one concept/location. As the capital to start something in China is still relatively lower than in western countries, many foreigners also jump into the fray. As a result, we witnessed many experiments -- some succeeded with flying colors and some crashed and burned. The consumers are (more?) fickle in Shanghai so the businesses have to work extra hard to stay relevant.
Four new additions to our neighborhood show promise and I'd like to introduce to our guests:
1. La Strada - sister cafe of Amokka on Anfu Rd and serves excellent Italian-style thin crust pizzas. You can also order their pizzas from Amokka, which has a nice upstairs dining lounge.
2. Pho Real - deserves a mention even though it replaced our favorite hole-in-the-wall Xinjiang restaurant. They serve a set menu which includes light appetizers like spring rolls followed by a bowl of Vietnamese beef noodle soup.
3. Bistro Burger - promises gourmet burgers and fancy milkshakes. Putting a plug in for our Closed Cafe partner Eduardo and tried out the food at the soft opening. Reasonable priced and tasty burgers are always welcomed by all ;-)
4. Lapis Thai on Hunan Rd - housed in an ambient villa on Hunan Rd and serving consistent quality food with nice presentation. I personally think the setting is more beautiful than Coconut Paradise. Lapis also has another location in Taiking Rd's Tianzifang.
Judging from the mix, we can use more tasty and stylish Chinese restaurants too~
See more neighborhood restaurants on our Neighborhood Map here.
This is not to say that new shops are always better than old, but it does speak to the unprecedented number of entrepreneurs who are seizing the opportunity to make it out here in Shanghai. These aren't the big corporate restaurant chains you see in more matured markets; these are the small guys who started with one concept/location. As the capital to start something in China is still relatively lower than in western countries, many foreigners also jump into the fray. As a result, we witnessed many experiments -- some succeeded with flying colors and some crashed and burned. The consumers are (more?) fickle in Shanghai so the businesses have to work extra hard to stay relevant.
Four new additions to our neighborhood show promise and I'd like to introduce to our guests:
1. La Strada - sister cafe of Amokka on Anfu Rd and serves excellent Italian-style thin crust pizzas. You can also order their pizzas from Amokka, which has a nice upstairs dining lounge.
2. Pho Real - deserves a mention even though it replaced our favorite hole-in-the-wall Xinjiang restaurant. They serve a set menu which includes light appetizers like spring rolls followed by a bowl of Vietnamese beef noodle soup.
3. Bistro Burger - promises gourmet burgers and fancy milkshakes. Putting a plug in for our Closed Cafe partner Eduardo and tried out the food at the soft opening. Reasonable priced and tasty burgers are always welcomed by all ;-)
4. Lapis Thai on Hunan Rd - housed in an ambient villa on Hunan Rd and serving consistent quality food with nice presentation. I personally think the setting is more beautiful than Coconut Paradise. Lapis also has another location in Taiking Rd's Tianzifang.
Judging from the mix, we can use more tasty and stylish Chinese restaurants too~
See more neighborhood restaurants on our Neighborhood Map here.
2009年9月10日 星期四
Beware of pickpockets!
Yesterday, a friend who's visiting Shanghai showed up at the B&B and told me that her cell phone has just been stolen at the Shanghai Train Station. This is one of the several theft incidences that have happened to people I know in the last month in Shanghai -- including myself.
I got my wallet stolen on our very own ChangLe Rd two weekends ago while talking on the phone. Only the week before that, a guy tried to open my backpack but I found out before he was able to take anything. Sadly, this ill attempt didn't make me more cautious so I ended up paying the price. The shocking thing is that I've been living in the neighborhood for almost 4 years and I can say it's been one of the safest neighborhoods in Shanghai.
Another guest of the B&B told me that she had "lost" her camera at the subway station on the last day of their stay. I gently told her that she probably didn't lose the camera - it was probably stolen. Photos of her entire trip were on the camera so needless to say, it was a big loss for her.
We're not sure if the theft figures have gone up for Shanghai in recent weeks, but would like to warn everyone coming here to really be careful with their bags etc when they're out and about. It's wise to not put valuables in front pockets of your backpack or leave bags unbuttons or unzipped. keep bags in front of your body at all times. If you feel that someone is walking too close to you, beware. A lot of times they also travel in a group, and can be mom/babe, teenager, etc.
Petty theft is a problem that plagues most big cities around the world, and I guess Shanghai is not an exception. My bet is that things will get under control for the Expo next year ;-p
I got my wallet stolen on our very own ChangLe Rd two weekends ago while talking on the phone. Only the week before that, a guy tried to open my backpack but I found out before he was able to take anything. Sadly, this ill attempt didn't make me more cautious so I ended up paying the price. The shocking thing is that I've been living in the neighborhood for almost 4 years and I can say it's been one of the safest neighborhoods in Shanghai.
Another guest of the B&B told me that she had "lost" her camera at the subway station on the last day of their stay. I gently told her that she probably didn't lose the camera - it was probably stolen. Photos of her entire trip were on the camera so needless to say, it was a big loss for her.
We're not sure if the theft figures have gone up for Shanghai in recent weeks, but would like to warn everyone coming here to really be careful with their bags etc when they're out and about. It's wise to not put valuables in front pockets of your backpack or leave bags unbuttons or unzipped. keep bags in front of your body at all times. If you feel that someone is walking too close to you, beware. A lot of times they also travel in a group, and can be mom/babe, teenager, etc.
Petty theft is a problem that plagues most big cities around the world, and I guess Shanghai is not an exception. My bet is that things will get under control for the Expo next year ;-p
2009年9月2日 星期三
Quintet is one year old!
Our B&B is turning 1 on September 6! In the last week or so, I have been reflecting on how the first year went and thought I should write about it to remember--
Good friends from all over the world
Last year at this time, we had just put up our website and listed Quintet on several websites, but weren't sure who was going to find out about our place. Luckily, we soon got our first guest Patrick, a Shanghai expat who booked our entire house to celebrate his 40th birthday. As guests began to roll in, we got busy tuning the rooms, service, etc. and there hasn't been a boring day since!
We have received 300 groups of guests over the year. Pouring over our booking records, I can still remember a lot of the faces and conversations. We have about a third of the guests coming from Europe, a third from the US and Canada, and the remaining third from Australia and New Zealand. We also have occasional guests from Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Japan. Our guests for the most part are very cool and laid back. They understand the B&B environment and really appreciate the casualness and coziness that they don't get at big, fancy hotels. Many are working in the design or fashion industries (yes, we get quite a few attractive gay men coming through, sigh). There also many couples on their romantic getaway (or rendezvous) for whom we arranged for in-room massages, bubble baths... But what we enjoyed the most were the chats with guests. Always curious about what they experienced in Shanghai/China, what do they do back home -- we treasure the "yuan" of meeting everyone in our little house.
Learn to deal with challenges
The year was also spent in fixing things. Given the house is 70 years old and has its limitations, we knew from the beginning that it needed a lot of maintanence. We also put in a lot of equipment for the first time and weren't sure how well they'd work. So in the last year, we have had pretty much everything breaking at least once.. AC, Satellite TV, phone PBX, water leaks, plugged toilets, cracked walls... I'm the inquisitive type who likes to get to the root causes, and I really learned a lot (I feel like I'm ready to build a house from scratch) Ultimately, I also learned to accept imperfections-- this is not an excuse or cop out and I hope our guests will understand!
Future plans
In the coming year, we're looking to beef up on staffing so we can provide longer office hours and more services (tours and activities referrals and organization). We are also looking into a second location so you might see a Quintet II sometime down the road~
Good friends from all over the world
Last year at this time, we had just put up our website and listed Quintet on several websites, but weren't sure who was going to find out about our place. Luckily, we soon got our first guest Patrick, a Shanghai expat who booked our entire house to celebrate his 40th birthday. As guests began to roll in, we got busy tuning the rooms, service, etc. and there hasn't been a boring day since!
We have received 300 groups of guests over the year. Pouring over our booking records, I can still remember a lot of the faces and conversations. We have about a third of the guests coming from Europe, a third from the US and Canada, and the remaining third from Australia and New Zealand. We also have occasional guests from Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Japan. Our guests for the most part are very cool and laid back. They understand the B&B environment and really appreciate the casualness and coziness that they don't get at big, fancy hotels. Many are working in the design or fashion industries (yes, we get quite a few attractive gay men coming through, sigh). There also many couples on their romantic getaway (or rendezvous) for whom we arranged for in-room massages, bubble baths... But what we enjoyed the most were the chats with guests. Always curious about what they experienced in Shanghai/China, what do they do back home -- we treasure the "yuan" of meeting everyone in our little house.
Learn to deal with challenges
The year was also spent in fixing things. Given the house is 70 years old and has its limitations, we knew from the beginning that it needed a lot of maintanence. We also put in a lot of equipment for the first time and weren't sure how well they'd work. So in the last year, we have had pretty much everything breaking at least once.. AC, Satellite TV, phone PBX, water leaks, plugged toilets, cracked walls... I'm the inquisitive type who likes to get to the root causes, and I really learned a lot (I feel like I'm ready to build a house from scratch) Ultimately, I also learned to accept imperfections-- this is not an excuse or cop out and I hope our guests will understand!
Future plans
In the coming year, we're looking to beef up on staffing so we can provide longer office hours and more services (tours and activities referrals and organization). We are also looking into a second location so you might see a Quintet II sometime down the road~
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