A Rainy Night in Shanghai

Another thing crossed off the bucket list! I finally got to see my favorite Korean pop/R&B singer in concert (he is like the Usher of Asia...but better!). He came to Shanghai, so I worked it into my 3 day Shanghai vacation.

Interesting things about concerts in China:

• the environment didn't seem quite as crazy as a concert would be in the States...this might also be that Rain's fans seem to be pretty great...seriously, they were so friendly! They were so excited to meet an American fan! And they clearly do a lot to support his career...he is a lucky guy!
  

• Plain clothes security made people stop filming on the racier songs (I know, crazy right?). And by racy...I mean songs where people moved their hips. ha
  


• They did not have a fan go up onstage like they do at many Rain concerts...so I didn't get to meet him. And I was too tired when it ended to hang out and try to meet him....lame. haha
  

Overall, it was a really fun concert.....I was actually really, really impressed by how good he sounded live....even better than the cds, and this while dancing around quite a bit.....the guy has got stamina, that's for sure. My favorite things:

• Listening to him speak a little Chinese....funny. He is working on learning it, but spoke mostly in English or Korean with a translator.
  


• The fact that, unlike some performers, he is still totally in love with his job....and it shows.



• The ending! As an encore, he and his dancers came out and started a huge dance party....to Kriss Kross "Jump". Awesome. I also like that he has worked with many of the same dancers for years, and he is really gracious about spotlighting them. As a dance enthusiast, I loved that!
  

I am still quite sad that he will be enlisting at the end of the year (required military service for all Korean men), but if I have a chance to see him again, I definitely would!

Sharks in Shanghai

If you are looking for something unique to do in China, I have a recommendation!

I recently had the opportunity to travel to Shanghai, and as part of my whole "conquering my fears" quest, I decided to sign up for an aquarium dive...in a shark tank. The dive is run by "Big Blue" company in Shanghai (see their website http://big-blue.cn/trips/shanghai.php).

One interesting part of the experience is that non-certified divers (or, as was the case with me, first-time divers) are allowed. There wasn't really any instruction, they just strap you into the gear and say go (but not before the aquarium manager gave a statement that did not help ease my fears of sharks.. "The sharks are very aggressive today, so please stay with your dive guide...stay in a group." Uhm, thanks).

Once I got into the water and figured out how to breathe (and worked on slowing down my breathing), it was actually a really relaxing, incredible experience. Although I preferred to hang out near the sea turtles that they have in the tank, I did accidentally kick a shark in the head at one point (I wanted to yell "sorry, please don't bite me.").

(I am the one in the blue flippers hidden partially by the shark in the first pic, and facing the camera in the one below it)

You stay in the water for about 30 minutes, and it was the perfect amount of time. If you get a chance to visit Shanghai and would like a more controlled environment for your first shark encounter, I recommend this experience! It was worth every 毛！

Hosteling in Shanghai

(View from the Captain Hostel in Shanghai)

So, as a lowly language student, one of my traveling tricks for saving money is hostels. To be honest...aspects of hostel life are not ideal, but in my book it is worth it for the money saved.

Hosteling is for you if:

• You are planning to be active in the city you are staying in, and not hanging around your room all the time.


• You can travel light (your luggage should fit into the lockers they provide).


• You can sleep anywhere/through anything


• You enjoy meeting people from all over the world/people-watching (like me)
  

Hosteling may not be for you if:

• You are a light sleeper


• You are really shy/need privacy (note: some hostels do single-sex rooms, some are mixed)


• You need a spotless bathroom (normally hostel bathrooms are relatively clean...but they are not spotless)
  

Unfortunately, people you will always encounter when hosteling:

• Loud partiers


• The person who can't seem to turn their cell phone off, and answers/talks loudly in the middle of the night


• People who are not concerned about their stuff at all and leave it strewn everywhere/take up the communal table space


• People who take all the sink space/mirror space in the bathroom....for a lonnng time.

Special things to take that make hosteling easier:

• Towel/washcloth (this isn't a hotel, they usually aren't provided!)


• Shower shoes (you do not want your feet touching the ground!)


• Earplurs or an ipod that you can fall asleep to
  

Some hostel recommendations for Shanghai (where I most recently stayed in a hostel):

-Hidden Garden Hostel. Cool environment. It definitely attracts a younger crowd and was really, really loud and crowded...there is a courtyard that is ideal for all-night jam sessions, so for those hoping to get a lot of peaceful sleep, this place may not be ideal.....but for those more concerned with a fun, artsy environment, this was a good choice. Relatively clean and the staff were very helpful. The location is in a dark, scary (at night) alleyway, but once you actually get there, it is a cute place!

-Captain Hostel. Environment-wise, it's not super nice, but the bunk beds were spacious and nice (you have your own little "nook") and the location is superb (a two-minute walk to the Bund, close to Nanjing Road.....not too far from the subway...it was ideal). The staff were not super-friendly, but they weren't terrible either. There is also a really cool postcard-sending station. It's also famous for "The Captain Bar" on the 6th floor, that has great views!

What about you? Any hostel recommendations?

Photo Fun

I must say, Chinese photo booths definitely one-up Western photo booth fun.

For a cheap price, you can pose in front of every background imaginable.

You can add text to your photos, and plenty of cheesy details and frames.

You can even pose with a favorite celebrity:

Seriously, what's not to love?

So, interesting fact: China doesn't really use the word "no" much. The phrase used in place of that most often is "不是”(not so or not yes) .

Coincidentally (or not so coincidentally) I have found that when I say no to a request....people do not always take it for an answer. Here is a conversation that I had twice TODAY alone:



Person: I think you can take this part-time job teaching English/tutoring kids.
Me: Actually, I can't, because I am on a student visa and it is against the law.
Person: But no one will know.
Me: But I will know.
Person: But it is ok.
Me (trying different tactic): I am a white foreigner. They watch everything I do. They will know. And I have promised my visa officer that I will follow the rules.
Person: But I think there will be no problem.
Me (moving on to third tactic): Well, I am very busy.
Person: But I think just on the weekends.
Me (thinking to self): I am a white foreigner. Do you know how many stinkin requests I get EVERY DAY to a) teach people English b)tutor English c)make publicity apperances. Also, I do not like children much, and have no desire to teach them. Maybe I should tell them that I hate children.
Me (out loud): Well, because I have classes and teach English corner and am a foreigner, I am very busy.
*insert desperate attempt to change the subject*

On the upside, I am growing a lot in my ability to give firm "no" answers. :-)

Organic Food Lovers...come to China!

While bicycling out to a historical site, I came across a place where you can pick your own produce! So, I picked some fresh strawberries. Definitely organic...perhaps too much so, as I saw a family let their child pee on some strawberries (I didn't pick any near them).

A Chinese Bicycle Excursion!

I spent my Saturday bicycling to a prehistoric site outside of our city (33 km outside the city!).

It was an adventure for me and my puny muscles, and for my Chinese street bike (I have almost decided that it's time to invest in a mountain bike). While my last bicycle excursion ended in injury, this one was relatively uneventful, and enjoyable (if exhausting).

Things I was reminded of during my bike excursion:

• That I live in a desert environment (my lips were so chapped). Also, that wind is not my friend.
  


• That it is possible to sunburn your hands



• That visiting villages in China is like stepping back in time. Really.
  


• That the local dialect is almost impossible for me to understand (SO different from standard Mandarin)
  


• How much I love the countryside of China (bathrooms excluded)

While there wasn't a lot to see at the prehistoric site (they are in the process of building a museum, but it is doubtful that they will have the ability to prove that anything they have found in the area is in fact prehistoric), the village itself is OLD. The ground was littered with old grinding and mill stones, and the houses were charmingly quaint (and falling apart). These areas are water to my adventure-thirsting soul! :-)



While at the end of the day, my muscles prompted me to swear I would never do 40 miles of biking in one day again (especially with wind against me), I think I will return when the museum out there opens next year. In spite of the sunburns and aches, being outdoors and out of the craziness of a larger Chinese city was good for my spirit!