Pampering and Shopping in Shanghai

01 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China, Shanghai

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Asia, China, Dry Wash, Fake Eyelashes, Fake Market, Massage, Pampering, Qipu Lu, Selfish Years, Shampoo Wash, Shanghai, Shopping

When I was in Shanghai in 2002, I indulged in quite a few dry washes. A dry wash is when a hair dresser washes your hair by squirting water on your head with a little water bottle and slowly massages the shampoo into your hair. It should be a slow and lingering experience. I remembered getting massaged for 30-45 minutes and it costing hardly anything. I had told Mr. Selfish about these infamous dry washes on several occasions, so I wanted to introduce him to it while we were in Shanghai.

My dry wash cost 30 yuan and was a little shorter than I had remembered at about 20 minutes. By the time I was done, Mr. Selfish was already waiting for me. Apparently, his dry wash hadn’t been nearly as long as mine and was hardly slow or lingering. Oh well, I still enjoyed myself.

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Hot Dogs and Beer in Shanghai

30 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China, Food & Drinks, Shanghai

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Asia, Bikini, Boxing Cat Brewery, China, Hot Dogs and Beer, Selfish Years, Shanghai

Although Mr. Selfish and I enjoyed the Shanghainese food in Shanghai, we had a hankering for some good ol’ American fare. Fortunately for us, within walking distance of our apartment in the French Concession, there was a hot dog place and a brewery.

The hot dog place is named Bikini (47号 Yongfu Road). We walked there late one night after we had a minor cooking fiasco with short-grain rice in our apartment. The hot dogs were gourmet and quite delicious.

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Day Trip from Shanghai to Beautiful Suzhou

29 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China, Shanghai

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Asia, Beisi Pagoda, China, Day Trip, Humble Administrator's Garden, North Temple Pagoda, Selfish Years, Shanghai, Suzhou

Mr. Selfish and I decided to take a couple of day trips from Shanghai. While on my study abroad program in 2002, we took a day trip to Suzhou, which I remembered to be stunningly beautiful, so we decided to venture there again.

The train ride from Shanghai to Suzhou took less than half an hour. We walked from the train station to the North Temple Pagoda, also known as the Beisi Pagoda. Admission was 25 yuan per person and completely worth it.

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People Watching in Fu Xing Park and the People’s Park in Shanghai

28 Sunday Apr 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China, Shanghai

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Asia, China, Fu Xing Park, Fuxing Park, People's Park, Selfish Years, Shanghai

Mr. Selfish and I enjoyed people watching in the People’s Park in Chengdu so much that we decided to visit two of the parks in Shanghai.

First, we went to Fu Xing Park, which was within walking distance of our French Concession apartment. The park is designed in the French style, with a center lake, fountains, covered pavilions, and flowerbeds. We watched the children learning how to rollerblade and the old ladies practicing their ballroom dancing.

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Enjoying Shanghainese Food

27 Saturday Apr 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China, Food & Drinks, Shanghai

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Asia, China, Food & Drinks, Fu 1039, Jingang Food and Drink Shop, scallion pancake, Selfish Years, Shanghai, Shanghainese Food

While in Shanghai, Mr. Selfish and I enjoyed the Shanghainese cuisine, which is also known as Hu cuisine. In particular, we loved all of the soup dumplings in Shanghai, which I’ll go over in another post.

Aside from the soup dumplings, my favorite meal was at Fu 1039 restaurant (1039号 Yuyuan Road), which specializes in Shanghainese food. The restaurant is located in a refurbished old villa and is a part of a fancy chain of restaurants starting with the name “Fu.” We tasted two quintessential dishes there – stewed pork in sweet soy sauce and hairy crab with greens.

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Nostalgic for Shanghai

26 Friday Apr 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China, Shanghai

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Asia, Bund, China, Nanjing Road, Selfish Years, Shanghai

During the summer of 2002, I did a law study abroad program focusing on Chinese law in Shanghai at the East China University of Politics and Law. I have very fond memories of tasting soup dumplings, watching tai chi in the park, bargaining at the market for souvenirs, and walking on the Bund.

This time around, Mr. Selfish and I spent two weeks in Shanghai. Admittedly, that is a long time to stay in Shanghai. But I was nostalgic when planning this leg of the trip, and I don’t regret it.

Here are some photos of the Bund and Nanjing Road at night to kick off our series of Shanghai posts:

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The Delicious Food of the Hui Muslim Quarter

24 Wednesday Apr 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China, Food & Drinks

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Asia, China, Food & Drinks, Hui Muslim Quarter, Huimin Street, Muslim Street, Xi'an

Mr. Selfish and I were surprised to find that Xi’an has a large Muslim population. We decided to wander around the Hui Muslim Quarter, which is primarily off of Huimin Street, and sample different types of Chinese Muslim food. The quarter is quite near the drum and bell towers, which are very scenic at night.

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The Lesser Known Tomb of Emperor Jingdi in Xi’an

23 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China

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Asia, China, Hanyangling, Selfish Years, Tomb of Emperor Jingdi, Xi'an

Mr. Selfish and I traveled to Xi’an, China primarily to see the Terracotta Warriors Museum. In doing my research, I learned that there was a lesser known tomb in Xi’an for Emperor Jingdi, which is also known as Hanyangling. We decided to visit this tomb first and save the Terracotta Soldiers for later.

In hindsight, I found the Tomb of Emperor Jingdi to be a more well-done attraction than the Terracotta Warriors Museum. The Chinese government recently renovated the Tomb of Emperor Jingdi, and as a result, the Tomb is better designed and allows you closer access to the excavation pieces. Most of the pits had a glass walkway over which you can walk to see the thousands of excavated pieces.

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A Little Underwhelmed in Xi’an: The Terracotta Warriors Museum

22 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China

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Asia, China, Selfish Years, Terracotta Warriors Museum, The Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, Xi'an

Mr. Selfish and I couldn’t go to China for more than a month and not visit the Terracotta Warriors Museum (officially the Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses) in Xi’an. Unfortunately, we were a little underwhelmed by the experience.

The first building we entered had two large painted bronze chariots. They seemed pretty well-preserved but were swarmed by Chinese tourists. Even though the chariots were behind glass, the throngs of supposed photographers kept utilizing their flash to take photos, which completely defeats the purpose of the photo.

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Succumbing to Western Food in Chengdu

21 Sunday Apr 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China, Food & Drinks

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Asia, Chengdu, China, Food & Drinks, Mike's Pizza Kitchen, Peter's Tex Mex Grill, Selfish Years, Tex Mex

Mr. Selfish and I enjoyed the Sichuan cuisine in Chengdu but after a while, we started craving Western food. When I discovered that there was supposedly good Tex Mex and pizza in Chengdu, we couldn’t resist.

First, we went to Peter’s Tex-Mex Grill, which is a mini chain in China. Apparently, the first restaurant was opened in Chengdu by a Chengdu native. Mr. Selfish has been craving authentic nachos since we left the States. We’ve ordered it twice while in Thailand and both experiences left much to be desired.

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Marveling at the Chinese Opera in Chengdu

20 Saturday Apr 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China

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Asia, Chengdu, China, Chinese Opera, Opera House, Selfish Years, Sichuan Opera

I adore the film “Farewell My Concubine,” which is about two Chinese opera actors prior to the victory of the Communists in 1949. Mr. Selfish didn’t watch the entire movie because he couldn’t stand the Chinese opera singing. Although I initially didn’t like it, the singing grew on me as the film progressed, and it was 171 minutes long.

When I learned that there was a highly recommended Chinese opera performance in Chengdu, I wanted to go. The Shu Feng Ya Yun Sichuan Opera in Chengdu is highly recommended. The performance starts at 8pm every night. If you arrive early, you can watch the actors and actresses putting on their makeup and costumes. Mr. Selfish and I were the only ones watching them during this process but they didn’t seem to mind.

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My Mouth is on Fire (aka Tasting Sichuan Food)

17 Wednesday Apr 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China, Food & Drinks

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Asia, Chengdu, China, ChuanBei Famous Snacks, Hot Pot, Numbness, Selfish Years, Shujiuxiang Hot Pot Restaurant, Sichuan, Sichuan Food, Sichuan Peppercorns, Wonton

Mr. Selfish and I held a belief that we could handle spicy food. Yes, I deliberately used the past tense in that last sentence. After experiencing the Sichuan (aka Szechuan) food, I seriously doubt our ability to handle spicy food.

Sichuan food originates from the southwest of China. It is known for its bold and spicy flavor due to the liberal use of garlic, chili peppers, and the Sichuan peppercorn. This peppercorn is unlike any other peppercorn I’ve ever encountered. In fact, it is not traditionally spicy but actually causes a numbness in your mouth that sets the stage for the other hot spices used.

We decided to try Sichuan hot pot at Shujiuxiang Hot Pot Restaurant. There was a long line out front so we figured it would be good. The queue was based on a number system. Luckily, the staff figured out that we didn’t speak Chinese and tracked us down when our number was up. At that point, we didn’t know how we were going to order since nothing was in English. The staff found a huge menu with lots of photos, and we just pointed to what we wanted. We chose the spicy red hot pot and then randomly pointed at meats and veggies to cook in it.

The hot pot is made of metal with a metal separator. Chili oil, chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns are heated until they come to a slow boil.

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Exploring Charming Chengdu

16 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China

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Asia, Chengdu, China, Green Ram Temple, People's Park, Qingyang Palace, Selfish Years, Wenshu Temple

In planning our trip to China, Mr. Selfish and I chose to spend a few days in Chengdu primarily to visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. We also found the city of Chengdu itself to be quite charming.

First, we visited Wenshu Temple, which is dedicated to the Buddhist representation of wisdom, the Manjusri Bodhisatva. The temple contains more than 450 Buddha statues and other relics. Mr. Selfish and I just walked around and enjoyed the scenery.

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How to Cuddle with a Panda in Chengdu

15 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Asia, China

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Asia, Chengdu, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda, China, how panda chengdu, how to cuddle with a panda in chengdu, Panda, panda chengdu

In planning our 33 days in China, I chose to go to Chengdu for four days. We stayed in the downtown area of Chengdu, which is surprisingly the fifth largest city in China with a population of over 12 million people. But there’s really only one reason to visit Chengdu – the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda, where you can hold a baby panda.

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The 1.34 Billion Oddities of China

14 Sunday Apr 2013

Posted by misterselfish in Asia, China, Rant

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China, Selfish Years

Prior to our Selfish Year of travels, I had never been to China, so wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I guess I was thinking traveling in China would be similar to wandering around Chinatown in San Francisco – dirty, pungent, and delicious. Everything in a mixture of Chinese and English (well, maybe less English), and everything at dirt cheap prices.

The reality, of course, is that things are much, much different from what I was expecting. If you’re thinking of planning a trip to China, here’s what you can expect.

1. Air pollution is everywhere.

Although Beijing is the most dramatic example, every city in China is much more polluted than Western cities. The air quality index in Shanghai as I write is 165 (Beijing can get as high as 750). For reference, the air quality index back in Orlando is an average of 38, and in San Francisco is a whopping 30. What this means is that even on clear days, the sky is more of a white-blue, than a blue-blue. It also means that we’ve breathed in the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes a day – if we’re lucky.

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