I'm back from China, ask me anything

[NewJeffCT]

No pictures yet - my wife & daughter are staying a few extra days and have the camera. We also forgot to bring the USB cable to download pictures to my wife's laptop.

Yesterday, I took a 2 hour high speed train from Nanjing to Shanghai (170 miles in 2 hours flat, with 5 stops in between); then had a nearly 90 minute car ride from the train station to PuDong airport in Shanghai, then a 13 hour flight to Chicago, then a 2 hour flight to Hartford and then a 40 minute ride home.

[billyoc]

1. Why did you have to go to China? n/t

[NewJeffCT]

2. my wife's family lives there

and we haven't visited them in 3 years.

[zanne]

3. I'm jealous.

I'd love to go to China. Can't wait to see some pictures!

[NewJeffCT]

4. Not too much sightseeing this time, sorry to say

it was very hot and brutally humid there. Shanghai was 40.5 Celsius yesterday, and also very humid.

[Haole Girl]

5. Do you have jet lag? Did you get sick?

What did you eat?

(ok... you didn't say just one question)

:hi:

[NewJeffCT]

6. no jet lag yet

neither my daughter nor myself got sick.

I ate mostly Chinese food, but our hotel had a breakfast buffet that featured western & chinese style food.

[Haole Girl]

7. Did you stay in a hotel the whole time? n/t

[NewJeffCT]

8. I did yes

my wife & daughter are now staying at my in-laws' apartment.

[Haole Girl]

9. I'm just curious... too...

Did you noticed a lot of population growth since the last time you were there?

And, a lot more automobiles on the road, like I've been hearing about?

[NewJeffCT]

10. hard to tell

it was a lot of people before, and a lot of people this time, too.

[sir_captain]

27. I believe that

China actually has negative population growth, at least officially.

[Gormy Cuss]

11. How're ya doing knocking around that big empty house?

What was the best food you had?

[NewJeffCT]

12. Hard to say what was the best

because a typical Chinese dinner involves putting a bunch of dishes in the middle of the table and everybody taking a bit of each.

There was some sort of fish that I had that was really good.

[NewJeffCT]

13. ugh

last night and today, I think the jet lag is catching up to me. I fell asleep yesterday afternoon around 3pm, then woke up around 8 or 8:30pm and couldn't get back to sleep until after 2:00am.

And, I'm dragging at work today.

[NoodleBoy]

14. What's my middle name?

You said ask anything...

[NewJeffCT]

15. the answer to that question

is "I don't know"

[Deep13]

16. Did you smuggle some Chinese goods back to the USA?

Ther are so hard to get here.

[NewJeffCT]

20. nah

most of the DVDs for sale over there wouldn't work on most DVD players sold in the US because of the region coding and also the PAL vs NTSC issue.

[YankeyMCC]

17. How was the air?

Lots of attention being given to the environmental struggles China is facing brought on by the rapid industrial growth.

More here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=110067&mesg_id=110077

[NewJeffCT]

21. I had no problems

and neither did my daughter.

However, it was brutally hot & humid. When I got off the train in Shanghai on Saturday, it said the outside temp was 40.5 centigrade, which I believe is a bit over 100.

[skygazer]

18. Did you bring home any lead paint?

Or wheat gluten?

[NewJeffCT]

22. nah

just some clothes for my wife & daughter.

[cynatnite]

19. How is the food? n/t

[NewJeffCT]

24. If you find a good restaurant

the food is excellent. And, most hotels have a breakfast buffet that features both Chinese cuisine and some western breakfast staples like muffins, bread, butter, as well as coffee & tea and juice.

Odd thing - it seems like China imports their butter, as I saw Anchor Butter from New Zealand all over the place there.

[sir_captain]

26. Dairy

is generally not eaten in China, from a historical perspective, so that explains the butter.

[NewJeffCT]

28. well, the hotel restaurant

that had the breakfast buffet served both hot & cold milk. A lot of places will also serve you warm or hot water to drink, where cold or ice water is the standard here.

[sir_captain]

29. Yeah

the hotels, particularly in Shanghai, since it is the most westernized city, are going to cater to western tastes. But you're not going to catch too many native Chinese eating, say, cheese.

[NewJeffCT]

30. there are a lot of pizza huts in Shanghai, though

and, Papa John's is growing there as well.

And, they're pretty popular, though not as popular as KFC.

Haagen Dazs is pretty popular there, too, though it's very expensive (about $6.50 US for two scoops of ice cream in a cup)

I also saw a Dairy Queen that offered broccoli mixed in with the soft-serve ice cream, and a box of lay's potato chips in 'Braised Pork" flavor.

[sir_captain]

46. It's interesting

how many Chinese are being westernized in that way. And I also do enjoy some of the seemingly odd concoctions at the fast food places. It's even weird seeing KFC, which is by far the most popular chain in China for whatever reason, selling burgers and fries.

[NewJeffCT]

47. since it seems you're in China now

Do you notice when you go out to restaurants, or other public places (department stores, etc) that the kids run around like maniacs? People on DU get upset if a child burps in a restaurant here in the US - but, I felt that some Chinese restaurants make your typical Chuck E Cheese here seem like boot camp in comparison. I was told that since the one child policy went into effect, the parents and grandparents basically give their one child (or grandchild) free rein to do anything, which includes running around anywhere.

[sir_captain]

48. I'm actually in Philly at the moment

but I've spent a fair amount of time in China, and Shanghai in particular.

But yeah, I know exactly what you mean. First off, in Chinese culture, there's just a completely different standard of what is considered rude. It's far more accepted to yell and shout and push people out of the way. You can see this even in big chinatowns in this country like in NY or SF. And children, particularly boys, are practically worshiped by their parents and grandparents so they'll let them do whatever they want. Heh...I can say this partially since I am half-Chinese myself and was the recipient of some of this hardcore spoilage. ;-)

[NewJeffCT]

50. In one department store

I was walking down a main row when a young boy (maybe 7 or 8 years old) plowed into me out of nowhere, running at full speed. I got hurt a bit, but the boy got a bit banged up - he started rubbing his jaw and was fighting to hold back tears... I can only imagine what would have happened if it was a metal shopping cart that he had run into instead of my leg and my side.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

23. i am so envious

[NewJeffCT]

25. You would have really stood out in China

When I went in September of 2004, I turned a lot of heads because a lot of Chinese were still not used to seeing foreigners. However, things have changed a bit in only 3 years. I still turned some heads, but it was not nearly as noticeable as last time. I still had some young women say "hello" to me in English, but not as many as last time.

However, I think somebody originally from India like you would probably stand out more than me with my white skin. How did you handle the heat & humidity in India last time you went? Did you feel like an outsider at all? (My wife got complimented on her Chinese by a waitress in a restaurant!)

[meow2u3]

31. What was on the menu?

Cat chow mein? :puke:

[NewJeffCT]

32. lots of chicken & pork

though, we did get pizza one time at an Italian place.

[dolo amber]

33. Is it true that in China they just call it "food"?

:shrug:

[NewJeffCT]

34. call what food?

:shrug:

[dolo amber]

35. Chinese food

:patriot:

[NewJeffCT]

36. I guess

I never really asked, but I assume you're right. KFC and McDonald's is American food...

[spinbaby]

37. Do you speak Chinese?

How easy is it for an English speaker to get around? I'd love to vist China, but learning Mandarin seems overwhelming right now. My brain is too full of German and Japanese.

[NewJeffCT]

40. Very little

If you stick to the major cities - and even some small ones - you'll find most roads and street signs labeled in English (well, sometimes Chinglish - we went by a place that was a "Famous Experts Consultation Center" and my wife told me it was a doctor's office).

I managed to take the train by myself from Nanjing to Shanghai - the train has a running sign in both English and Chinese that informs you of the train speed, the next stop and the outside temperature, and that the Special Olympics were coming as well. And, then I had no problems in the airport, which was even better - the announcements were in English and Chinese and everything was very clearly labeled.

A lot of the restaurants will have menus labeled in English, though it's not always 100% accurate or complete.

I would recommend going on a tour, as you can save a lot of money on food & hotels and also take in the major sights. You can always stay a few extra days if you want time to do your own thing as well.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

38. Does Shanghai still have those neighborhoods with European architecture?

Or have they all been torn down and replaced by high-rises?

When I was there in 1990, there was a street near the big museum that looked like what Paris might look like if all the French people were replaced by Chinese people: French-style buildings with Chinese signs.

[NewJeffCT]

41. It's still there

The Shanghai Bund. Most of the newer high rises are on the other side of the river (PuDong, vs Puxi on the side where the Bund is) - that is literally where they've built the equivalent of Manhattan on steroids in the last 15 years from what was open space and empty fields.

The Bund also reminds me a lot of NYC buildings from the 1920s and 1930s.




This is the PuDong skyline now - the building on the right is the Jin Mao tower and is somewhat like the Empire State Bldg in NYC, only it's taller... and, a building is going up near the Jin Mao tower that is still taller.

[NewJeffCT]

45. I should also add

that when we went to Shanghai in 2004, we stayed at the Shanghai Moeller Villa hotel for one night... it used to belong to a wealthy banker before World War 2, but has since been converted into a hotel.

However, while it's huge for a mansion of that era, it kind of looked puny in comparison to all the high rises surrounding it.

[CGowen]

39. Did you see the MagLev ? n/t

[NewJeffCT]

42. Nope - only the entrance to it

But, I know why they need it there - it was a good 90 minute drive from the train station to the airport, and it was with "only" Saturday traffic and not a busy rush hour.

[Squatch]

43. Do they have a 4th of July in China?

[NewJeffCT]

44. of course

the same day they have it here in the US! It's right before July 5th.

[qnr]

49. How long does the train take to accelerate/decelerate? n/t

[NewJeffCT]

51. I didn't time it exactly

but, it's fairly quick and pretty seamless overall... people had open cups and containers on their seat trays and even on the little ledge next to the window and they didn't spill at all that I saw.

[qnr]

52. Ah, interesting. Need to try one of those things some day. n/t

[NewJeffCT]

53. It was definitely

a big step up from Metro North and Amtrak here in Connecticut.