As promised i feel that I should let you in on a few interesting experiences that I have had since my arrival here in China.
The first is to do with money, Shanghai is a massive international city, and it is quite possible to live here with the same outgoings as say London or New York. When I first looked at flats I was shocked to find that a simple 2 bed apartment in a reasonable area could set you back as much as 3000 pounds per month, unfortunately my budget did not stretch that far but I did manage to find one that was considerably cheaper, thank god! What amused me most was my first electricity bill, a whopping 2 quid!!! makes a change from the exorbitant Scottish Hydro bills! So I was feeling pretty good about things, then my back had a slight relapse and I went to visit a Chiropractor, for any of you reading this who complain about the 30 quid bills to see one of these guys, sshhhhhhh, I am paying about 120 quid a time so suck it up!
The next once concerns hygiene, now i think that I am pretty open minded and can deal with the constant spitting on the streets, the guys in the gym who feel the need to spit in the recesses of the pool but one recent incident tipped me right over the edge. Picture the scene, its a staggeringly warm day (as usual), the garden is packed with guests and its about 11.30am. Next thing i know a woman takes her daughter to the edge of the veranda (where the wrap around raised area meets the garden area), pulls down her daughters pants and allows the daughter to defecate right there on the steps, one woman shrieked, another had to be given the heimlick manouver as he choked on his all day breakfast! Once the shock was over I asked the supervisor what she was going to do about it, her reply was a stoic, tell her we have toilets and then hose down the area!! Only in China!!!
One thing I can't get used to is the fact that some people (westerners) come here and think its ok to behave like complete idiots, in a way they certainly wouldn't do anywhere else in the world. Two weeks ago a woman decided that she was so upset by the service she decided to pick up her plate and throw it on the floor!!! Really, is that acceptable behaviour, the complaint was that we forgot beans on her daughters toast.
Last week a woman shouted at me because my staff did not speak good enough English, I casually suggested she should take a look at her passport and check the visa, specifically checking which country it was valid for!
The last is a warning for anyone traveling here and thinking about getting a taxi, I am by no means an adrenaline junky but at the same time I don't mind driving fast, that was until the guy who brought me back from the airport last week hit 130mph whilst on the phone and weaving in and out of traffic, I am fairly sure I let out an audible scream before I passed out!
Anyway, thats it for now, this place is pretty cool, if a little strange but well worth a visit!
Peace
T
The first is to do with money, Shanghai is a massive international city, and it is quite possible to live here with the same outgoings as say London or New York. When I first looked at flats I was shocked to find that a simple 2 bed apartment in a reasonable area could set you back as much as 3000 pounds per month, unfortunately my budget did not stretch that far but I did manage to find one that was considerably cheaper, thank god! What amused me most was my first electricity bill, a whopping 2 quid!!! makes a change from the exorbitant Scottish Hydro bills! So I was feeling pretty good about things, then my back had a slight relapse and I went to visit a Chiropractor, for any of you reading this who complain about the 30 quid bills to see one of these guys, sshhhhhhh, I am paying about 120 quid a time so suck it up!
The next once concerns hygiene, now i think that I am pretty open minded and can deal with the constant spitting on the streets, the guys in the gym who feel the need to spit in the recesses of the pool but one recent incident tipped me right over the edge. Picture the scene, its a staggeringly warm day (as usual), the garden is packed with guests and its about 11.30am. Next thing i know a woman takes her daughter to the edge of the veranda (where the wrap around raised area meets the garden area), pulls down her daughters pants and allows the daughter to defecate right there on the steps, one woman shrieked, another had to be given the heimlick manouver as he choked on his all day breakfast! Once the shock was over I asked the supervisor what she was going to do about it, her reply was a stoic, tell her we have toilets and then hose down the area!! Only in China!!!
One thing I can't get used to is the fact that some people (westerners) come here and think its ok to behave like complete idiots, in a way they certainly wouldn't do anywhere else in the world. Two weeks ago a woman decided that she was so upset by the service she decided to pick up her plate and throw it on the floor!!! Really, is that acceptable behaviour, the complaint was that we forgot beans on her daughters toast.
Last week a woman shouted at me because my staff did not speak good enough English, I casually suggested she should take a look at her passport and check the visa, specifically checking which country it was valid for!
The last is a warning for anyone traveling here and thinking about getting a taxi, I am by no means an adrenaline junky but at the same time I don't mind driving fast, that was until the guy who brought me back from the airport last week hit 130mph whilst on the phone and weaving in and out of traffic, I am fairly sure I let out an audible scream before I passed out!
Anyway, thats it for now, this place is pretty cool, if a little strange but well worth a visit!
Peace
T
