During the New Years countdown as the clocked ticked the final few seconds, I could more or less summarize 2010 with three words that came to mind:
GOING
GOING
GONE
And then a great sense of joy that the last year had been put into the dustbin, figuratively speaking, and a fresh start was about to begin.
To say that 2010 was a difficult year is an understatement indeed. It ranks up there with 2008, another real tough year in terms of personal struggles and stress. But this past year was also a lot more comparatively stable in terms of global current events, and also with job security.
So I'd say that the difficulties in 2010 were of a much different nature than that of 2008, and it's like comparing apples and oranges. However, difficulties are still difficulties, and I'm very glad to have gotten this year out of the way.
To summarize, the real problem this year was that of burnout and busy-ness. Things got to a point where I felt like I was out of control, and the pace of life and unfolding events was spiraling to a level way beyond what I could comprehend or grasp. Just when one demand was tackled, another would crop up, and it was a never-ending series of fires to fight, and all this energy spent dealing with things without nary a break in sight.
Because of that, I'm revising my upcoming winter holiday plans to chill out in Thailand, and seriously have a break.
This past year was a record in terms of travel, which in China, is always stressful. The analogy is like when riding a motorcycle on the streets, you are constantly dodging things thrown your way left, right, and center. Riding in a straight line is the ideal fall-back situation, but most of the time you are making course corrections, and dealing with the car that just cut you off, the truck that did a U-turn in front of you and blocked the road, or the pedestrians that cross in front of you willy-nilly.
So the short end of it is that trips in China never go smoothly, and there is always some kind of hassle, inconvenience or delay to deal with, regardless of which mode of transport you pick or how modern the system gets. Trips then, should be kept to a minimum, and only made when you are sure it's worth it. Problem is, last year, there were just too many trips made and they all seemed urgent at the time. It eventually got to the point where I wasn't sure if a trip was really worth it or not, even if it was worth it.
Combine that with the demands of teaching and many other demands, and well, burnout quickly set in. The cure is relatively simple, and it has always worked in the past -- a winter vacation away from the melee in a country that is more laid-back and tropical. No wonder Thailand ends up being the default holiday choice for millions around the globe.
The game plan for 2011 is that I'm aiming to be a lot more organized, better with time management, and in better physical shape. The basic idea is going to be learning to say no to the supposedly urgent demands of others. Not an easy thing to do in China, but well worth it in the long-run
Friday, 31 December 2010
Happy New Year!
Today's weather: High = 1 Low = -5
Sunny and freezing
My favorite day of the year is New Years Eve. As always, it's a great time to go out and celebrate, regardless of what the weather might throw my way. This year, it promised to be super chilly with gale-force winds, and a survey from the newspaper showed that 60% of people planned to opt out and stay at home this time due to the cold weather.
This was good news, as taxis are always scarce in Shanghai on New Years Eve. The public transport extends for just a wee while longer into the night, but it still shuts down around midnight so this is harldy an option. It's not like in my hometown Vancouver, where the buses run all night and are free. Because of all that, the original plan was to shuttle around on the motorcycle from venue to venue, and brave the sub-zero temperatures while doing so -- in the hopes that I could be guaranteed a ride home at 1am or 2am. Thankfully that plan was no longer needed, as I unexpectedly saw all kinds of empty taxis plying the streets while shuttling between parties on the bike. So I happened to be near the school while on a run between parties. Thus I stashed the bike underground in the warm shelter, and took a taxi the rest of the way. It will more or less remain there in hibernation until the end of February when we get back from the winter holiday break. The weather is just too cold here to be riding bikes anymore.
Actually I'm more concerned about the bike than myself -- I can survive the chilling winds while riding, but if the bike stays outside for long periods of time, then the engine gets cold, the battery loses its potential, and it's really hard to start it up again. Let's face it, motocycles were made for Thailand weather, not this.
Having to work on New Years Eve wasn't the most fun thing, but I showed movies in one class and the other had their test delayed to this day, so it went relatively smoothly. After that, a nap, then getting ready in the cold for two parties. First one was clear across the city to watch a student sing in a band. It was mostly Korean and Japanese young people playing grunge music, and cover versions of the likes of Simple Plan, Green Day, etc... Korean teens are famous for joining high school bands, as we saw dozens of performances like this at the former school I taught at in Dalian. Every day after schoool, for example, you could hear them rehearshing. The performance by my student's band, however, pretty much rocked them all, and it was very well done -- albeit the noise level was crazy loud!
After that, another sub-zero motorcycle ride across the city, by now it was about 9pm. This time I gave up halfway through, as mentioned above. I caught a taxi the rest of the way to the hotel, where there was a party held by the Alpha Course I was a leader for in the past 3 months. After that, a church event downstairs to welcome in the New Year, more or less. We had to clear out by 12:30, as there was another event scheduled to use that room after us. By that time I was exhausted and had to turn down another party invitation. Then it was a surprisingly easy case of finding a taxi and getting a ride home.
Exactly two years ago this day it was a similar scenario for New Years Eve -- but I was living way out in the suburbs at the time, and it was an absolute nightmare to get a taxi to where I wanted. To make a long story short, I made several mistakes and went to after-party invitations that I shouldn't have gone to. That ended up having me stay the entire night up in a club, drink too much, and then fall asleep on the metro station bench like a bum, waiting for the first train that would get me to Songjiang at around 5:30am. When I finally got there around 7am, the local taxis there still wouldn't pick me up, and I walked the final 3km home in the freezing cold, cursing under my breath. Like I said, that was a nightmare. Comparing this New Years to 2 years ago I'm amazed at all the positive changes taking place, and very thankful that I wouldn't have the desire or inclination to do anymore of these after-parties again.
So let's just say that 2011 is off to a great start by waltzing into a cab at 12:36, getting home at 12:48 to a nice warm place, and paying a very reasonable 25RMB for that 5km journey and having no fuss and hassles along the way.
Sunny and freezing
My favorite day of the year is New Years Eve. As always, it's a great time to go out and celebrate, regardless of what the weather might throw my way. This year, it promised to be super chilly with gale-force winds, and a survey from the newspaper showed that 60% of people planned to opt out and stay at home this time due to the cold weather.
This was good news, as taxis are always scarce in Shanghai on New Years Eve. The public transport extends for just a wee while longer into the night, but it still shuts down around midnight so this is harldy an option. It's not like in my hometown Vancouver, where the buses run all night and are free. Because of all that, the original plan was to shuttle around on the motorcycle from venue to venue, and brave the sub-zero temperatures while doing so -- in the hopes that I could be guaranteed a ride home at 1am or 2am. Thankfully that plan was no longer needed, as I unexpectedly saw all kinds of empty taxis plying the streets while shuttling between parties on the bike. So I happened to be near the school while on a run between parties. Thus I stashed the bike underground in the warm shelter, and took a taxi the rest of the way. It will more or less remain there in hibernation until the end of February when we get back from the winter holiday break. The weather is just too cold here to be riding bikes anymore.
Actually I'm more concerned about the bike than myself -- I can survive the chilling winds while riding, but if the bike stays outside for long periods of time, then the engine gets cold, the battery loses its potential, and it's really hard to start it up again. Let's face it, motocycles were made for Thailand weather, not this.
Having to work on New Years Eve wasn't the most fun thing, but I showed movies in one class and the other had their test delayed to this day, so it went relatively smoothly. After that, a nap, then getting ready in the cold for two parties. First one was clear across the city to watch a student sing in a band. It was mostly Korean and Japanese young people playing grunge music, and cover versions of the likes of Simple Plan, Green Day, etc... Korean teens are famous for joining high school bands, as we saw dozens of performances like this at the former school I taught at in Dalian. Every day after schoool, for example, you could hear them rehearshing. The performance by my student's band, however, pretty much rocked them all, and it was very well done -- albeit the noise level was crazy loud!
After that, another sub-zero motorcycle ride across the city, by now it was about 9pm. This time I gave up halfway through, as mentioned above. I caught a taxi the rest of the way to the hotel, where there was a party held by the Alpha Course I was a leader for in the past 3 months. After that, a church event downstairs to welcome in the New Year, more or less. We had to clear out by 12:30, as there was another event scheduled to use that room after us. By that time I was exhausted and had to turn down another party invitation. Then it was a surprisingly easy case of finding a taxi and getting a ride home.
Exactly two years ago this day it was a similar scenario for New Years Eve -- but I was living way out in the suburbs at the time, and it was an absolute nightmare to get a taxi to where I wanted. To make a long story short, I made several mistakes and went to after-party invitations that I shouldn't have gone to. That ended up having me stay the entire night up in a club, drink too much, and then fall asleep on the metro station bench like a bum, waiting for the first train that would get me to Songjiang at around 5:30am. When I finally got there around 7am, the local taxis there still wouldn't pick me up, and I walked the final 3km home in the freezing cold, cursing under my breath. Like I said, that was a nightmare. Comparing this New Years to 2 years ago I'm amazed at all the positive changes taking place, and very thankful that I wouldn't have the desire or inclination to do anymore of these after-parties again.
So let's just say that 2011 is off to a great start by waltzing into a cab at 12:36, getting home at 12:48 to a nice warm place, and paying a very reasonable 25RMB for that 5km journey and having no fuss and hassles along the way.
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
A Short and Relaxing Week
Today's weather: High = 10 Low = 4
Sunny against a deep blue sky
Thanks to the nice Christmas break, we're all feeling pretty relaxed this week. School still goes on, of course, as it will until mid-January before the Chinese New Year break.
Meanwhile, I'll keep this blog up and running with more of the details of what I'm up to, whereas the travel blog I kickstarted earlier is more for the highlights. I figure it's a reasonable compromise.
Next up, the Jan 1 New Year break coming up, and a good reflection on 2010 overall. Let's hope that 2011 isn't so busy, and it has a lot less traveling around.
Sunny against a deep blue sky
Thanks to the nice Christmas break, we're all feeling pretty relaxed this week. School still goes on, of course, as it will until mid-January before the Chinese New Year break.
Meanwhile, I'll keep this blog up and running with more of the details of what I'm up to, whereas the travel blog I kickstarted earlier is more for the highlights. I figure it's a reasonable compromise.
Next up, the Jan 1 New Year break coming up, and a good reflection on 2010 overall. Let's hope that 2011 isn't so busy, and it has a lot less traveling around.
Sunday, 26 December 2010
Switching Blog Platforms
Today's weather: High = 5 Low = 0
Sunny
Taking a tip from my Wuhan colleagues, I'm going to be switching to the travelblog.org host platform. Basically, that allows me to post more pictures and videos to make the blog more snazzy looking, attract more readership, and have the combined effect of text and photos to tell more of a story. Plus it's easier to access.
While blogspot can also do pictures and video, the ongoing problem has been net censorship and limitations on what I can do with this host platform by always using a proxy server to access it. Consistent blocking of many key websites has been going on for at least two years now in China, and shows no signs of letting up. The common blocked sites are facebook, twitter, youtube, and of course the blogger (blogspot) platform.
The most popular way around this is accessing a VPN (virtual private network) but that requires money, and there is still no guarantee that the VPN will actually be reliable. It also happens to be a very slow and painstaking way to access facebook and youtube, based on friends who go for the VPN. I'd rather just do without, and then wait for the winter and summer holidays when I'm outside of China to do semi-annual facebook maintenance.
Meanwhile, the travelblog forum is quite user friendly. It's also the most popular forum for foreign travelers (hence the name) and unlikely to be blocked. Expats in various Chinese cities have caught on to blogging with a travel blog, and I may as well join the bandwagon.
For starters, you can highlight this link and click here:
http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shanghai/Xujiahui/blog-555712.html
Once that blog is up and running, this one will be more or less saved and archived onto my hard drive. Then I'll be putting this blog into the dustbin, figuratively speaking, and going with travelblog as the main platform.
Sunny
Taking a tip from my Wuhan colleagues, I'm going to be switching to the travelblog.org host platform. Basically, that allows me to post more pictures and videos to make the blog more snazzy looking, attract more readership, and have the combined effect of text and photos to tell more of a story. Plus it's easier to access.
While blogspot can also do pictures and video, the ongoing problem has been net censorship and limitations on what I can do with this host platform by always using a proxy server to access it. Consistent blocking of many key websites has been going on for at least two years now in China, and shows no signs of letting up. The common blocked sites are facebook, twitter, youtube, and of course the blogger (blogspot) platform.
The most popular way around this is accessing a VPN (virtual private network) but that requires money, and there is still no guarantee that the VPN will actually be reliable. It also happens to be a very slow and painstaking way to access facebook and youtube, based on friends who go for the VPN. I'd rather just do without, and then wait for the winter and summer holidays when I'm outside of China to do semi-annual facebook maintenance.
Meanwhile, the travelblog forum is quite user friendly. It's also the most popular forum for foreign travelers (hence the name) and unlikely to be blocked. Expats in various Chinese cities have caught on to blogging with a travel blog, and I may as well join the bandwagon.
For starters, you can highlight this link and click here:
http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shanghai/Xujiahui/blog-555712.html
Once that blog is up and running, this one will be more or less saved and archived onto my hard drive. Then I'll be putting this blog into the dustbin, figuratively speaking, and going with travelblog as the main platform.
Saturday, 25 December 2010
Best Christmas By A Long Shot
I knew that returning to the *downtown* part of Shanghai was the goal worth pursuing, and that life would improve after doing so -- but the tail end of 2010 has actually exceeded those expectations. This Christmas was a great example of it. The social life situation has now improved to the point where I'm finding myself double-booked for lunches and parties, and in need of an organizer to sort all the details out. In other words, it's the opposite problem of last year and the year before. Now there's too much going on, with imminent burnout approaching, and a need to cut back on activities. Of course, I'd rather have this problem than the other situation of cabin fever and loneliness. It seems that the last 3 months of re-settling in the city have made up for the last few years of difficult work situations and a lack of social situations, to the point that I'm rapidly catching up and getting back into the swing of what life in Shanghai is all about. Life in the city now is the same as what I enjoyed back in 2001-04. If it keeps up for next year like this, then the life will be even better.
All this being said, it helps to have the contrast of having lived in other Chinese cities for the past few years. I was rather keen and eager to try living in other Chinese cities just to get a sense of comparison, and for the sake of curiosity. Well, I got that, by living in Dalian and Wuhan, and then returned full-circle to Shanghers. So I can make some conclusions.
People often say that the big city of Shanghai is a lonely place. That may be so depending on how you look at it, but my conclusion is that life is *truly* lonely in the smaller cities of China (5 million considered small), and even moreso for the countryside existence.
People need community, we're talking friends, social networks, connections, parties, and just others to hang out with and share life together with. Christmas is a good reminder of having that time and community with people in a foreign land away from our home countries. In fact, I've been very blessed to find that sense of community here in Shanghai, and to enjoy a family away from family, in the sense that I feel more home here than I ever have in my home country. And so the cliche goes, as it is certainly true, of finding a home away from home.
The majority of my social life takes place in SCF which is basically a community church fellowship of expats who live in this city. To give you a sense of the numbers, there are about 300,000 expats who live in Shanghai (and 1/3 of those made a beeline for the airport this Christmas, as the customs authorities reported). Of those, the estimate is perhaps 10,000 expats in Shanghai who attend a regular church fellowship, this is perhaps 3% of the total, scattered in about a half-dozen community churches in various parts of the city. This isn't very much in relative terms, but there are a sizable number of people in absolute terms, which more or less forms the basis of social and spiritual life, and frankly, survival.
In second tier cities in China, even in the so-called larger places like Dalian and Wuhan where I lived, the numbers are all much, much smaller. I'm still scratching my head as to how I survived, especially in Wuhan, where the situation is very grim indeed. Life over there consisted mainly of working, sleeping, and fighting traffic jams. Others would go into bars and clubs for their free time which didn't interest me, and so I was voluntarily out of the loop and suffering from a lack of social life. Actually it got to the point where I traveled outside of Wuhan nearly every 2nd weekend, mainly to places like Shanghai and Nanjing for exactly the above. So that was basically how I survived.
While there are many positive things to say about these 2nd tier cities (related to my other posts), the actual life quality *all around* is far better in the larger cities.
This Christmas was really relaxed, low-key, and lots of *fun* laughing, telling jokes, and sharing stories. It was also quite funny in that at the potluck dinner I attended, my friends interrogated me about this girl who is visiting for the holidays. Long story on that, it'll have to be another post.
This Christmas reminded me of the 2003-04 spent in Shanghai with similar fun parties and relaxing, and also the one two years ago. Sure beats the Christmas last year in Wuhan.
In fact, while telling more stories of my life in the last two years at a lunch gathering yesterday, my former boss (long story) suggested I put these details into a book. It's a great idea, and I've long since had this pipedream idea of writing all my China experiences into a book. This kind of thing has been done before, thanks to a teacher in Dalian who spent 10 years in China and has now finished the book on his experiences. Obviously these blogs would be the best material to work with to put together a book.
Now with 10 years in China rapidly approaching, the question on my mind is what to do next. There are basically 2 more years to go before reaching that, and the goal of a decade in China is certainly achievable at this point. It's really hard to say what'll happen next, but I'm slowly learning to stop beating myself up for living life this way, and for not always knowing what's going to happen next.
At any rate, this was a superb Christmas celebrated, and New Years is just around the corner.
All this being said, it helps to have the contrast of having lived in other Chinese cities for the past few years. I was rather keen and eager to try living in other Chinese cities just to get a sense of comparison, and for the sake of curiosity. Well, I got that, by living in Dalian and Wuhan, and then returned full-circle to Shanghers. So I can make some conclusions.
People often say that the big city of Shanghai is a lonely place. That may be so depending on how you look at it, but my conclusion is that life is *truly* lonely in the smaller cities of China (5 million considered small), and even moreso for the countryside existence.
People need community, we're talking friends, social networks, connections, parties, and just others to hang out with and share life together with. Christmas is a good reminder of having that time and community with people in a foreign land away from our home countries. In fact, I've been very blessed to find that sense of community here in Shanghai, and to enjoy a family away from family, in the sense that I feel more home here than I ever have in my home country. And so the cliche goes, as it is certainly true, of finding a home away from home.
The majority of my social life takes place in SCF which is basically a community church fellowship of expats who live in this city. To give you a sense of the numbers, there are about 300,000 expats who live in Shanghai (and 1/3 of those made a beeline for the airport this Christmas, as the customs authorities reported). Of those, the estimate is perhaps 10,000 expats in Shanghai who attend a regular church fellowship, this is perhaps 3% of the total, scattered in about a half-dozen community churches in various parts of the city. This isn't very much in relative terms, but there are a sizable number of people in absolute terms, which more or less forms the basis of social and spiritual life, and frankly, survival.
In second tier cities in China, even in the so-called larger places like Dalian and Wuhan where I lived, the numbers are all much, much smaller. I'm still scratching my head as to how I survived, especially in Wuhan, where the situation is very grim indeed. Life over there consisted mainly of working, sleeping, and fighting traffic jams. Others would go into bars and clubs for their free time which didn't interest me, and so I was voluntarily out of the loop and suffering from a lack of social life. Actually it got to the point where I traveled outside of Wuhan nearly every 2nd weekend, mainly to places like Shanghai and Nanjing for exactly the above. So that was basically how I survived.
While there are many positive things to say about these 2nd tier cities (related to my other posts), the actual life quality *all around* is far better in the larger cities.
This Christmas was really relaxed, low-key, and lots of *fun* laughing, telling jokes, and sharing stories. It was also quite funny in that at the potluck dinner I attended, my friends interrogated me about this girl who is visiting for the holidays. Long story on that, it'll have to be another post.
This Christmas reminded me of the 2003-04 spent in Shanghai with similar fun parties and relaxing, and also the one two years ago. Sure beats the Christmas last year in Wuhan.
In fact, while telling more stories of my life in the last two years at a lunch gathering yesterday, my former boss (long story) suggested I put these details into a book. It's a great idea, and I've long since had this pipedream idea of writing all my China experiences into a book. This kind of thing has been done before, thanks to a teacher in Dalian who spent 10 years in China and has now finished the book on his experiences. Obviously these blogs would be the best material to work with to put together a book.
Now with 10 years in China rapidly approaching, the question on my mind is what to do next. There are basically 2 more years to go before reaching that, and the goal of a decade in China is certainly achievable at this point. It's really hard to say what'll happen next, but I'm slowly learning to stop beating myself up for living life this way, and for not always knowing what's going to happen next.
At any rate, this was a superb Christmas celebrated, and New Years is just around the corner.
Merry Christmas from the Metropolis
Today's weather: High = 4 Low = -1
Sunny and clear
Another Christmas celebrated in Shanghai! This now makes it #3. Other Christmases were celebrated in Dalian and Wuhan. I'm coming to grips with the fact that I've almost lived a decade in China now. If I can try to recall the sequence of Christmas/New Year celebrations:
2001/02: Vancouver (flew out of Shanghai)
2002/03: Vancouver (flew out of Shanghai)
2003/04: Shanghai
2004/05: Vancouver (flew out of Shanghai)
2005/06: Laos
2006/07: Dalian
2007/08: Dalian
2008/09: Shanghai
2009/09: Wuhan
2010/11: Shanghai
So it looks like this is the 6th year in a row of the holiday celebrated in Asia. Today's Christmas was much better than last years, and a good reminder of the festivities of two years ago. More details to come.
Sunny and clear
Another Christmas celebrated in Shanghai! This now makes it #3. Other Christmases were celebrated in Dalian and Wuhan. I'm coming to grips with the fact that I've almost lived a decade in China now. If I can try to recall the sequence of Christmas/New Year celebrations:
2001/02: Vancouver (flew out of Shanghai)
2002/03: Vancouver (flew out of Shanghai)
2003/04: Shanghai
2004/05: Vancouver (flew out of Shanghai)
2005/06: Laos
2006/07: Dalian
2007/08: Dalian
2008/09: Shanghai
2009/09: Wuhan
2010/11: Shanghai
So it looks like this is the 6th year in a row of the holiday celebrated in Asia. Today's Christmas was much better than last years, and a good reminder of the festivities of two years ago. More details to come.
Tuesday, 21 December 2010
Burning Out
Today's weather: High = 16 Low = 6
Sunny
Thank goodness a holiday is approaching, or for that matter, a series of them.
This time of year is always classic burnout time. The long stretch of the school year is about to wrap up, but in actuality, we still have a month to go before the big break.
With all the other stuff that happened in 2010 altogether, it was more or less the busiest year of my life -- I'm not exactly thrilled to have been living life at the pace I have this year, and to sense and feel that things are going too fast to handle. So the cure is rather simple, an extended winter break in the tropics of doing nothing.
Looks like it'll be Thailand once again, folks. It's the number one default holiday plan.
Sunny
Thank goodness a holiday is approaching, or for that matter, a series of them.
This time of year is always classic burnout time. The long stretch of the school year is about to wrap up, but in actuality, we still have a month to go before the big break.
With all the other stuff that happened in 2010 altogether, it was more or less the busiest year of my life -- I'm not exactly thrilled to have been living life at the pace I have this year, and to sense and feel that things are going too fast to handle. So the cure is rather simple, an extended winter break in the tropics of doing nothing.
Looks like it'll be Thailand once again, folks. It's the number one default holiday plan.
Maybe a White Christmas
Today's weather: High = 13 Low = 5
Haze
From today's paper. The temperatures have rebounded from the last cold snap but are going down again this weekend sharply as the next cold wave approaches. It might even bring snow for Christmas.
At any rate, we're definitely in holiday mood as the courses have all wound down now and it's gearing up for the usual exam scene. We get a 4-day weekend for Christmas, followed by a 3-day Western New Years, then not long after that, the Chinese New Year.
There is lots going on for those holidays, and rest assured, enough dinners, celebrations, dates, and get-togethers to make myself feel just like at home. In many ways, referring to a previous post, Christmas celebrated in Shanghai has become somewhat of a new tradition.
With all that mind, the dust has settled, as it were, on last weekend's Wuhan visit. To be perfectly honest, despite all the complaints, there were some things I missed about the life last year and some small regrest about leaving. But as we all know, that sort of thing is normal in life, and the pros of moving forward to this current job here in Shanghai have still far outweighed any potential pros of staying behind.
Actually a Chinese friend put it very well when we discussed this recently. Basically they have a saying about exactly this sort of thing, that the beauty of a situation or a life is best viewed from a distance. In other words, now that I've distanced myself from Wuhan I can see the good things, whereas actually going back there would inspire all the complaints.
As always, the Chinese get it spot on with their myriad of sayings.
------------------------
ENJOY the good weather while it lasts - because rain and snow are on the way, with the possibility of a white Christmas, according to city weather forecasters.
It will be warm and sunny from today until Friday, with high temperatures of 12 to 14 degrees Celsius, said the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau. But on Saturday the mercury will plummet, with minimum temperatures down to below 3 degrees on Saturday and freezing point on Sunday.
There will be sunny and cloudy spells before Saturday, and snow is expected to arrive late Saturday or early Sunday, forecasters said.
Yesterday, the city air was slightly polluted, the third level of a five-scale air quality assessment system.
Environment authorities said the inhalable particulate index was rather high. The wether bureau said that with temperatures rising, the city was affected by hazy conditions yesterday, contributing to air pollution. Air quality is expected to improve when the cold front hits.
Read more: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2010/201012/20101221/article_457861.htm#ixzz18k8S0OL5
Haze
From today's paper. The temperatures have rebounded from the last cold snap but are going down again this weekend sharply as the next cold wave approaches. It might even bring snow for Christmas.
At any rate, we're definitely in holiday mood as the courses have all wound down now and it's gearing up for the usual exam scene. We get a 4-day weekend for Christmas, followed by a 3-day Western New Years, then not long after that, the Chinese New Year.
There is lots going on for those holidays, and rest assured, enough dinners, celebrations, dates, and get-togethers to make myself feel just like at home. In many ways, referring to a previous post, Christmas celebrated in Shanghai has become somewhat of a new tradition.
With all that mind, the dust has settled, as it were, on last weekend's Wuhan visit. To be perfectly honest, despite all the complaints, there were some things I missed about the life last year and some small regrest about leaving. But as we all know, that sort of thing is normal in life, and the pros of moving forward to this current job here in Shanghai have still far outweighed any potential pros of staying behind.
Actually a Chinese friend put it very well when we discussed this recently. Basically they have a saying about exactly this sort of thing, that the beauty of a situation or a life is best viewed from a distance. In other words, now that I've distanced myself from Wuhan I can see the good things, whereas actually going back there would inspire all the complaints.
As always, the Chinese get it spot on with their myriad of sayings.
------------------------
ENJOY the good weather while it lasts - because rain and snow are on the way, with the possibility of a white Christmas, according to city weather forecasters.
It will be warm and sunny from today until Friday, with high temperatures of 12 to 14 degrees Celsius, said the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau. But on Saturday the mercury will plummet, with minimum temperatures down to below 3 degrees on Saturday and freezing point on Sunday.
There will be sunny and cloudy spells before Saturday, and snow is expected to arrive late Saturday or early Sunday, forecasters said.
Yesterday, the city air was slightly polluted, the third level of a five-scale air quality assessment system.
Environment authorities said the inhalable particulate index was rather high. The wether bureau said that with temperatures rising, the city was affected by hazy conditions yesterday, contributing to air pollution. Air quality is expected to improve when the cold front hits.
Read more: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2010/201012/20101221/article_457861.htm#ixzz18k8S0OL5
Saturday, 18 December 2010
Wuhan: The Ultimate Yin-Yang
Today's weather: High = 14 Low = 3
Sunny and clear
With about an hour to kill in the airport waiting for my flight back to Shanghai, let's recap this weekend trip to Wuhan --- the first such trip all school year actually, as my weekends are ordinarly quite busy with stuff and trips are not often anymore.
In the last post I was excessively hard on Wuhan, so you got the 'yin' part of it. That would mean the terrible traffic, crowds, noise, and general chaos. Now let's go for the 'yang', the other side of the coin, as it were. The cheap and delicious food, friendly locals, great relationships, excellent job opportunities, stories around every corner, and an overall sense of adventure that you're truly living in the wild west. I mean seriously, if adventure and gaudiness is what you're after, it really doesn't get much better than Wuhan. This place will floor you. Even a 6km trip down hopelessly congested roads across a river becomes an adventure. You never know if it will take an hour or 2 hours. If you lack the patience but are brave enough, you'll get on a motorcycle and weave in and out of the most chaotic mess of cars you can imagine. Whether we're talking about the ying or the yang, my last post still stands: you have to be superman to hack Wuhan.
I was finishing off my 'hot dry noodles' and catching a cab to head off to the airport, early of course, because I was afraid of the traffic. Even though it's 8am on a Sunday morning and my flight leaves at 12, I take no chances with this.
Anyways I stumbled upon some sort of Chinglish sign on a piece of furniture board that read like this:
-----------
I AM LEAVING THIS TOWN
I AM LEAVING THIS TOWN
MY LOVE
WHERE THERE IS GREAT LOVE
THERE ARE ALSO MIRACLES
------------
I nearly choked on my noodles after seeing that sign as it basically sums up the whole year I experienced last year while in Wuhan and how I felt right down to the letter. I'll be thinking of the interpretation of that during the plane ride over, but this would surely be a good thing to put in my book -- a pipedream project basically, one that will likely never happen, but makes for fun dinner conversation.
This weekend really got me thinking about the whole last year I was working in Wuhan, and also the year prior to that in the boonies on the outskirts of Shanghai. Both jobs were incredibly tough and needed a survival mentality to hack it through, but they were also full of adventure, daily challenges, and stories that would make for perfect book material. Maybe it can be called 'The Tough 2 Years' or something like that, who knows. It's a real toss-up as to whether Wuhan or the outskirts of Suzhou made for a more difficult experience, but one thing is for sure: I could only have suvived those years by a miracle.
Rewind two days ago to last Friday night, I fell asleep in the posh hotel that was arranged thanks to a local friend Jessie. I met her last year on a salsa dancing course and we got along quite well. To make a long story short, she used a bit of guanxi (connections) to help book me into a business hotel for over a 70% discount.
The next day I successfully crossed the river and regained my bank card with all the former cash in it. Also, I was doing a special delivery of Christmas presents for a former colleague. Things happened quickly as I got the bag from their friend in Shanghai and transported it on the train. We then met at the Gianos (famous western restaurant) in Wuhan next door to the Mr Mai's coffee shop -- frequently hangouts from last year. We caught up on all the school gossip over a delicious lunch.
This is the first time I can remember in my life that I actually finished a trip with more money than when I started.
After that, chatting with the former motorcycle mechanic who used to fix all our bikes from school last year. His business is thriving, thanks to the recommendations he has from teachers at that school. But much to my shock and horror, he showed me the scooter I had sold to a colleague just before bamboozling to Shanghai in June. This scooter went through a serious crash and was rendered unusable -- the mechanic said so himself. What basically happened was that the guy driving the scooter was cut off by a car turning left in front of him, and he flew head over heels over the car. The scooter was compeltely crushed, and he ended up in hospital with a full-leg cast.
That's gotta hurt. Thankfully he was wearing a helmet.
Because of that, there was a big push for everyone to get helmets, and then an ensuing police crackdown on scooters in Wuhan. This was something that we all knew was coming. We had enjoyed a free ride for so long, when would it stop? The police got out in full force around the school and surrounding areas to nab unlicensed bikes. Another former colleague had his motorcyle impounded and later got it back, thanks to a bunch of groveling and procuring the needed documents.
The secretary of that former school undoutedly made the crackdown worse by calling up the PSB and complaining about why they were cracking down on all the teachers riding scooters. Predictably, the PSB replied with, "Foreigners should not be riding scooters" which more or less equated to the secretary informing the cops that we were doing exactly this, and indicating where they should be focusing their next crackdown. And sure enough, that's exactly what happened.
So the unthinkable irony has happened -- it's actually easier to ride scooters and motorbikes in Shanghai now, where the police have stopped cracking down.
Anyways, after that, I caught a bus back across the river for a Saturday night party at the 'Blue Sky'. It took over two hours, but it was worth it -- my local friend Jessie and a bunch of other foreign teachers at a school in Hankou District were there celebrating. It was lots of fun, great local food, great western food, and a salsa dance demonstration as they requested that we do.
There's a lot of other stuff to write about Wuhan actually, more than is possible in a post. But I have to wrap it up as they're calling my flight boarding.
Sunny and clear
With about an hour to kill in the airport waiting for my flight back to Shanghai, let's recap this weekend trip to Wuhan --- the first such trip all school year actually, as my weekends are ordinarly quite busy with stuff and trips are not often anymore.
In the last post I was excessively hard on Wuhan, so you got the 'yin' part of it. That would mean the terrible traffic, crowds, noise, and general chaos. Now let's go for the 'yang', the other side of the coin, as it were. The cheap and delicious food, friendly locals, great relationships, excellent job opportunities, stories around every corner, and an overall sense of adventure that you're truly living in the wild west. I mean seriously, if adventure and gaudiness is what you're after, it really doesn't get much better than Wuhan. This place will floor you. Even a 6km trip down hopelessly congested roads across a river becomes an adventure. You never know if it will take an hour or 2 hours. If you lack the patience but are brave enough, you'll get on a motorcycle and weave in and out of the most chaotic mess of cars you can imagine. Whether we're talking about the ying or the yang, my last post still stands: you have to be superman to hack Wuhan.
I was finishing off my 'hot dry noodles' and catching a cab to head off to the airport, early of course, because I was afraid of the traffic. Even though it's 8am on a Sunday morning and my flight leaves at 12, I take no chances with this.
Anyways I stumbled upon some sort of Chinglish sign on a piece of furniture board that read like this:
-----------
I AM LEAVING THIS TOWN
I AM LEAVING THIS TOWN
MY LOVE
WHERE THERE IS GREAT LOVE
THERE ARE ALSO MIRACLES
------------
I nearly choked on my noodles after seeing that sign as it basically sums up the whole year I experienced last year while in Wuhan and how I felt right down to the letter. I'll be thinking of the interpretation of that during the plane ride over, but this would surely be a good thing to put in my book -- a pipedream project basically, one that will likely never happen, but makes for fun dinner conversation.
This weekend really got me thinking about the whole last year I was working in Wuhan, and also the year prior to that in the boonies on the outskirts of Shanghai. Both jobs were incredibly tough and needed a survival mentality to hack it through, but they were also full of adventure, daily challenges, and stories that would make for perfect book material. Maybe it can be called 'The Tough 2 Years' or something like that, who knows. It's a real toss-up as to whether Wuhan or the outskirts of Suzhou made for a more difficult experience, but one thing is for sure: I could only have suvived those years by a miracle.
Rewind two days ago to last Friday night, I fell asleep in the posh hotel that was arranged thanks to a local friend Jessie. I met her last year on a salsa dancing course and we got along quite well. To make a long story short, she used a bit of guanxi (connections) to help book me into a business hotel for over a 70% discount.
The next day I successfully crossed the river and regained my bank card with all the former cash in it. Also, I was doing a special delivery of Christmas presents for a former colleague. Things happened quickly as I got the bag from their friend in Shanghai and transported it on the train. We then met at the Gianos (famous western restaurant) in Wuhan next door to the Mr Mai's coffee shop -- frequently hangouts from last year. We caught up on all the school gossip over a delicious lunch.
This is the first time I can remember in my life that I actually finished a trip with more money than when I started.
After that, chatting with the former motorcycle mechanic who used to fix all our bikes from school last year. His business is thriving, thanks to the recommendations he has from teachers at that school. But much to my shock and horror, he showed me the scooter I had sold to a colleague just before bamboozling to Shanghai in June. This scooter went through a serious crash and was rendered unusable -- the mechanic said so himself. What basically happened was that the guy driving the scooter was cut off by a car turning left in front of him, and he flew head over heels over the car. The scooter was compeltely crushed, and he ended up in hospital with a full-leg cast.
That's gotta hurt. Thankfully he was wearing a helmet.
Because of that, there was a big push for everyone to get helmets, and then an ensuing police crackdown on scooters in Wuhan. This was something that we all knew was coming. We had enjoyed a free ride for so long, when would it stop? The police got out in full force around the school and surrounding areas to nab unlicensed bikes. Another former colleague had his motorcyle impounded and later got it back, thanks to a bunch of groveling and procuring the needed documents.
The secretary of that former school undoutedly made the crackdown worse by calling up the PSB and complaining about why they were cracking down on all the teachers riding scooters. Predictably, the PSB replied with, "Foreigners should not be riding scooters" which more or less equated to the secretary informing the cops that we were doing exactly this, and indicating where they should be focusing their next crackdown. And sure enough, that's exactly what happened.
So the unthinkable irony has happened -- it's actually easier to ride scooters and motorbikes in Shanghai now, where the police have stopped cracking down.
Anyways, after that, I caught a bus back across the river for a Saturday night party at the 'Blue Sky'. It took over two hours, but it was worth it -- my local friend Jessie and a bunch of other foreign teachers at a school in Hankou District were there celebrating. It was lots of fun, great local food, great western food, and a salsa dance demonstration as they requested that we do.
There's a lot of other stuff to write about Wuhan actually, more than is possible in a post. But I have to wrap it up as they're calling my flight boarding.
Friday, 17 December 2010
Wuhan Banking Errand Successful
Today's weather: High = 8 Low = -1
Sunny and clear
Things are warming up a bit here ... and finally with some time off on a weekend, I figured it was high time to do this Wuhan banking errand and pick up my lost card. Thankfully it was a success and I now have access to about 10,000 RMB that was unclaimed from last year. I put in an application to replace the lost card on a previous trip through Wuhan with my new passport back in August. Since the application was going to take some time to approve, I would then be based in Shanghai later, and would not have time to make another trip back to Wuhan and pick it up.
Until now, that is 4 months later.
Obviously, sending the card to me in the mail or having a friend deliver it to me were not going to be options. In China, you must go back to the home branch of wherever it was that issues a document that you lost or had stolen, i.e. drivers license, bank card, ID card or what have you. No exceptions. This makes it all the more important that you never, ever, ever lose things or get things stolen in China. If you do, it's a royal hassle.
Recall back in July I lost my passport, two computers, bank cards, driver license, and many other things while in a black-market taxi on the way to the Wuhan airport that took 4 hours in despicable traffic jams. This was after leaving that awful city with the completion of my contract.
Because of that experience, I've never taken another black taxi again. But last night was a disgusting reminder of how prevalent they are in Wuhan. Because of the despicable traffic situation in that city, those taxis thrive, as all other means of transport are either congested or unavailable.
Did I tell you just how much I HATE the traffic in Wuhan? It was the primary reason I left.
What makes the situation worse is that, ironically, there are now high-speed trains between Shanghai and Wuhan that have improved big time. They now only take 4 hours, as the one I took last night was like this. They depart from the new Hongqiao station in Shanghai and use the new high-speed bullet train route to Nanjing that was recently completed. Because of that fact, I left at 2:30pm after classes and got there just before 7pm on Friday night.
The original plan was to head into my hotel, drop off my stuff, and then catch a party with some old colleagues from Maple Leaf later that night.
That plan totally went awry just after stepping out the train station. It was just a total mess. Noise and shouting everywhere, black cabs galore, throngs of people crossing the street in every disorderly maner possible, and the actual roads were clogged with traffic and all manner of vehicles breaking the rules. Obviously, nobody was going anywhere. Taxis were not stopping, even with the lights on to indicate they were "available". I was simply being ignored, and the only way to get anywhere was to hoof it on foot.
So I walked from the train station to my hotel, in the hopes of being able to catch a bus or a taxi along the way. The roads were all congested the entire way, even way past 9pm at night, and there were no options of being able to get a bus or taxi --- despite all the attempts to try.
Of course, zillions of black taxis, motorbiker, and even scooters offered me rides but I refused every last one of them. After last July's incident of losing my stuff on a ride like that, I vowed never, ever again.
Finally making it to the hotel I scratched the plan to catch a party and just fell asleep. The next day, Saturday, I was luckily able to find a taxi and took it way to the outskirts of the city by the #3 Ring Road bridge. Then I changed to another taxi, crossed the bridge, and made it to the bank near the Wanke area. This was to avoid all the jams along the #1 Yangzte Bridge, which is even worse now. After about an hour of waiting at the bank and explaining my case, I finally got the card with all the cash.
That money will be used for the upcoming winter break trip.
The ongoing thing about Wuhan is I simply don't know how the hell I managed to survive almost a year of this crap before. It boggles the mind how backwards and congested the place is --- maybe some people can hack it, but they've got to be super people. Living in Shanghai for the last 4 months shows just how much of a positive difference it is with everything you can think of, and I'm glad to have switched over.
Sunny and clear
Things are warming up a bit here ... and finally with some time off on a weekend, I figured it was high time to do this Wuhan banking errand and pick up my lost card. Thankfully it was a success and I now have access to about 10,000 RMB that was unclaimed from last year. I put in an application to replace the lost card on a previous trip through Wuhan with my new passport back in August. Since the application was going to take some time to approve, I would then be based in Shanghai later, and would not have time to make another trip back to Wuhan and pick it up.
Until now, that is 4 months later.
Obviously, sending the card to me in the mail or having a friend deliver it to me were not going to be options. In China, you must go back to the home branch of wherever it was that issues a document that you lost or had stolen, i.e. drivers license, bank card, ID card or what have you. No exceptions. This makes it all the more important that you never, ever, ever lose things or get things stolen in China. If you do, it's a royal hassle.
Recall back in July I lost my passport, two computers, bank cards, driver license, and many other things while in a black-market taxi on the way to the Wuhan airport that took 4 hours in despicable traffic jams. This was after leaving that awful city with the completion of my contract.
Because of that experience, I've never taken another black taxi again. But last night was a disgusting reminder of how prevalent they are in Wuhan. Because of the despicable traffic situation in that city, those taxis thrive, as all other means of transport are either congested or unavailable.
Did I tell you just how much I HATE the traffic in Wuhan? It was the primary reason I left.
What makes the situation worse is that, ironically, there are now high-speed trains between Shanghai and Wuhan that have improved big time. They now only take 4 hours, as the one I took last night was like this. They depart from the new Hongqiao station in Shanghai and use the new high-speed bullet train route to Nanjing that was recently completed. Because of that fact, I left at 2:30pm after classes and got there just before 7pm on Friday night.
The original plan was to head into my hotel, drop off my stuff, and then catch a party with some old colleagues from Maple Leaf later that night.
That plan totally went awry just after stepping out the train station. It was just a total mess. Noise and shouting everywhere, black cabs galore, throngs of people crossing the street in every disorderly maner possible, and the actual roads were clogged with traffic and all manner of vehicles breaking the rules. Obviously, nobody was going anywhere. Taxis were not stopping, even with the lights on to indicate they were "available". I was simply being ignored, and the only way to get anywhere was to hoof it on foot.
So I walked from the train station to my hotel, in the hopes of being able to catch a bus or a taxi along the way. The roads were all congested the entire way, even way past 9pm at night, and there were no options of being able to get a bus or taxi --- despite all the attempts to try.
Of course, zillions of black taxis, motorbiker, and even scooters offered me rides but I refused every last one of them. After last July's incident of losing my stuff on a ride like that, I vowed never, ever again.
Finally making it to the hotel I scratched the plan to catch a party and just fell asleep. The next day, Saturday, I was luckily able to find a taxi and took it way to the outskirts of the city by the #3 Ring Road bridge. Then I changed to another taxi, crossed the bridge, and made it to the bank near the Wanke area. This was to avoid all the jams along the #1 Yangzte Bridge, which is even worse now. After about an hour of waiting at the bank and explaining my case, I finally got the card with all the cash.
That money will be used for the upcoming winter break trip.
The ongoing thing about Wuhan is I simply don't know how the hell I managed to survive almost a year of this crap before. It boggles the mind how backwards and congested the place is --- maybe some people can hack it, but they've got to be super people. Living in Shanghai for the last 4 months shows just how much of a positive difference it is with everything you can think of, and I'm glad to have switched over.
Thursday, 16 December 2010
Cold Snaps are Tiring
Today's weather: High = 1 Low = -3
Sunny and cold
While the weather is expected to rebound eventually, it is going to take some time for that to happen as we get out of this cold front pattern and the winds start shifting from the south. Today was a real bone-chiller with heaters needed galore in all indoor places. These cold snaps are real tiring on the body as well, and I feel exhausted.
Sunny and cold
While the weather is expected to rebound eventually, it is going to take some time for that to happen as we get out of this cold front pattern and the winds start shifting from the south. Today was a real bone-chiller with heaters needed galore in all indoor places. These cold snaps are real tiring on the body as well, and I feel exhausted.
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
Snow Wonder It's Cold
From the paper, as usual
----------------------
Ice is expected to cover Shanghai's streets tomorrow morning with the continuing snow and low temperature, weathermen said, reminding drivers to be careful.
A yellow road-icing alert, lowest of the three-level system, was issued by the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau at 2:30pm today warning that ice would probably affect city traffic in the next 12 hours.
The snow is forecast to continue till midnight and the accumulation would reach three centimeters in part of the city, the bureau said.
The winter's first snow began to fall on the city this morning and the temperatures are plunging.
At about 10:26 am, snow first appeared in the city's suburban Jinshan District, then spread to Songjiang and Qingpu districts and reached downtown before noon.
The snowfall should continue this afternoon, the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau said. The bureau issued a blue cold-wave alert yesterday at 5am today.
The temperature recorded at 12:30 pm was 2.2 degrees Celsius and today's high is around 5 degrees Celsius.
The low tomorrow and Friday could reach minus 2 degree with ice and even lower in the suburbs, the bureau warned.
Gale winds at 38kph to 61kph should continue today. Urban residents are warned against falling objects.
Read more: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=457367&type=Metro#ixzz18BIbE8pL
----------------------
Ice is expected to cover Shanghai's streets tomorrow morning with the continuing snow and low temperature, weathermen said, reminding drivers to be careful.
A yellow road-icing alert, lowest of the three-level system, was issued by the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau at 2:30pm today warning that ice would probably affect city traffic in the next 12 hours.
The snow is forecast to continue till midnight and the accumulation would reach three centimeters in part of the city, the bureau said.
The winter's first snow began to fall on the city this morning and the temperatures are plunging.
At about 10:26 am, snow first appeared in the city's suburban Jinshan District, then spread to Songjiang and Qingpu districts and reached downtown before noon.
The snowfall should continue this afternoon, the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau said. The bureau issued a blue cold-wave alert yesterday at 5am today.
The temperature recorded at 12:30 pm was 2.2 degrees Celsius and today's high is around 5 degrees Celsius.
The low tomorrow and Friday could reach minus 2 degree with ice and even lower in the suburbs, the bureau warned.
Gale winds at 38kph to 61kph should continue today. Urban residents are warned against falling objects.
Read more: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=457367&type=Metro#ixzz18BIbE8pL
Skiing or Motorcycling in the Snow?
Today's weather: High = 2 Low = -5
Blizzard conditions
Not kidding you, we got ourselves a white out today. They forecasted it would be snow flurries and cold. It most certainly got cold, but they miscalculated the snow. Instead of flurries, we got ourselves a full-blown blizzard in the afternoon that's still going on right now.
It caused some major rush hour traffic snarlups like you wouldn't believe, and thankfully I was able to skedaddle out of school around 4pm before the worst of it came around.
Even so, the streets were like a ski run. Riding a motorcycle in those conditions reminded me of those fun times back in Vancouver when the family used to go night skiing on the local mountains. The helmet and gloves helped to keep the cold air out, and the speeds were low enough to keep the bike stable. Talk about a rush. Unfortunately I saw cyclists and others going down. One guy ahead of me crashed into a another cyclist, they were going slow enough that the impact caused only a wobble, and then, bam, they both lost balance and down they went into the slush.
The main intersection near my house was total gridlock and it was a constant sound of horns and a spaghetti-like tangled mess of cars. The police were doing all they could to keep order, but a day like today felt like just a total traffic mess.
Shanghai is simply not prepared for snow, and no wonder as it hardly comes here. The good news is that the temperatures are going to rebound over the next week, reversing this cooling trend of the last week.
If the long range is saying what I think it is, we'll be at 20 degrees again by Sunday.
Global weather is most certainly going wild. You see all the stuff happening in the States now as well? Floods in Washington State, record warmth in Arizona, and also record cold in Florida at the same time.
Blizzard conditions
Not kidding you, we got ourselves a white out today. They forecasted it would be snow flurries and cold. It most certainly got cold, but they miscalculated the snow. Instead of flurries, we got ourselves a full-blown blizzard in the afternoon that's still going on right now.
It caused some major rush hour traffic snarlups like you wouldn't believe, and thankfully I was able to skedaddle out of school around 4pm before the worst of it came around.
Even so, the streets were like a ski run. Riding a motorcycle in those conditions reminded me of those fun times back in Vancouver when the family used to go night skiing on the local mountains. The helmet and gloves helped to keep the cold air out, and the speeds were low enough to keep the bike stable. Talk about a rush. Unfortunately I saw cyclists and others going down. One guy ahead of me crashed into a another cyclist, they were going slow enough that the impact caused only a wobble, and then, bam, they both lost balance and down they went into the slush.
The main intersection near my house was total gridlock and it was a constant sound of horns and a spaghetti-like tangled mess of cars. The police were doing all they could to keep order, but a day like today felt like just a total traffic mess.
Shanghai is simply not prepared for snow, and no wonder as it hardly comes here. The good news is that the temperatures are going to rebound over the next week, reversing this cooling trend of the last week.
If the long range is saying what I think it is, we'll be at 20 degrees again by Sunday.
Global weather is most certainly going wild. You see all the stuff happening in the States now as well? Floods in Washington State, record warmth in Arizona, and also record cold in Florida at the same time.
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
Winter Holiday Approaching
Got some encouraging news at today's staff meeting. The exam schedule has already been posted. That means we're really wrapping up the term and the holiday break will be here sooner than expected.
This usually happens around Christmas which signals the end of the 'long stretch', basically the 3.5 month run from National Holiday until the Lunar New Year.
While China itself does not celebrate Christmas or offer this as a holiday -- most Chinese employers give at least a couple days off for their foreign teachers. So it becomes a sort of mini-break and it's greatly appreciated.
I actually enjoy the new tradition that Christmas has become while living in China. We lack all the commercialism and trappings that are found back in my home country around this time. Around this time of year, it's the sort of materialistic holiday that everyone complains about for various reasons, yet they still go through with it and nobody wants to challenge the "meaning" of what this holiday has become of. In a way it reminds me of a bunch of teachers complaining about how bad the cafeteria food is, yet they still eat there every day.
Here in China we're away from all that, well the materialistic trapping of Christmas that is, not the cafeteria food.
So what happens is the small number of expats who are "stuck" here for Christmas get together and it ends up being a better celebration all around. A great example of this is how the local SCF (Shanghai Community Fellowship) church organizes a Christmas service for expats and also dinners for the various smaller groups. Having gone to this for a number of years now, it's totally worth flying in from another city, or otherwise commuting long distances for. There are other great examples of Christmas in the city too, including events and dinners put on by various companies, and various hosts who do their own parties.
In other words, the expats who have found ourselves in exile become like a family away from their own families. The end result is a great Christmas celebration that focuses much more on the true meaning and much less of the trappings and obligations that would be found in one's home country. It basically becomes simpler, with more time to spend on people, and less money wasted. Of course, gifts and presents are exchanged, and there is great food, but it's all on an economy of managable scale.
Meanwhile, Christmas is the mini-holiday that tells us another mini-holiday is coming up, the Western New Year, which has similar meanings and fun. Then it tells us that only two weeks later, the big holiday is approaching, which is the Chinese New Year. This is excellent because it takes place in the dead of winter and it is the perfect time to head south to tropical countries on cheap flights.
This is what practically every teacher does around this time. They come out of hibernation from Dalian, Wuhan, Shanghai, Suzhou, and many others, and they converge in Thailand -- the preferred choice by a mile.
This usually happens around Christmas which signals the end of the 'long stretch', basically the 3.5 month run from National Holiday until the Lunar New Year.
While China itself does not celebrate Christmas or offer this as a holiday -- most Chinese employers give at least a couple days off for their foreign teachers. So it becomes a sort of mini-break and it's greatly appreciated.
I actually enjoy the new tradition that Christmas has become while living in China. We lack all the commercialism and trappings that are found back in my home country around this time. Around this time of year, it's the sort of materialistic holiday that everyone complains about for various reasons, yet they still go through with it and nobody wants to challenge the "meaning" of what this holiday has become of. In a way it reminds me of a bunch of teachers complaining about how bad the cafeteria food is, yet they still eat there every day.
Here in China we're away from all that, well the materialistic trapping of Christmas that is, not the cafeteria food.
So what happens is the small number of expats who are "stuck" here for Christmas get together and it ends up being a better celebration all around. A great example of this is how the local SCF (Shanghai Community Fellowship) church organizes a Christmas service for expats and also dinners for the various smaller groups. Having gone to this for a number of years now, it's totally worth flying in from another city, or otherwise commuting long distances for. There are other great examples of Christmas in the city too, including events and dinners put on by various companies, and various hosts who do their own parties.
In other words, the expats who have found ourselves in exile become like a family away from their own families. The end result is a great Christmas celebration that focuses much more on the true meaning and much less of the trappings and obligations that would be found in one's home country. It basically becomes simpler, with more time to spend on people, and less money wasted. Of course, gifts and presents are exchanged, and there is great food, but it's all on an economy of managable scale.
Meanwhile, Christmas is the mini-holiday that tells us another mini-holiday is coming up, the Western New Year, which has similar meanings and fun. Then it tells us that only two weeks later, the big holiday is approaching, which is the Chinese New Year. This is excellent because it takes place in the dead of winter and it is the perfect time to head south to tropical countries on cheap flights.
This is what practically every teacher does around this time. They come out of hibernation from Dalian, Wuhan, Shanghai, Suzhou, and many others, and they converge in Thailand -- the preferred choice by a mile.
Playing Host
Today's weather: High = 9 Low = 4
Cloudy and windy
A visitor from Vancouver came to see me over the last weekend. I've been receiving quite a few guests lately this year. Funny that nobody wanted to see me while living in Wuhan, and all of a sudden they do now that I'm in Shanghai. Not sure what to make of this, it has both good and bad points.
This recent flurry of hosting guests in the city has shown that there is much I need to learn about playing this role, and the last few times have left me exhausted. Hopefully the people have gone away with a good impression of the city, but simply put it's a hell of a lot of work to coordinate these kind of visits -- it becomes a job in and out of itself, it becomes more work than my actual day job, and there aren't many rewards.
Then again the two 'jobs' may be connected in more ways than one. Similar to what happens in the classroom, the solution to the problem of exhaustion is more of a matter of facilitating and delegating, instead of trying to orchestrate the whole thing by myself.
In other words, all visits from guests here have ended up in the same pattern. They show up, time is limited, we see a few sights, meet a few people, and then it's time to go. Who's to say I couldn't just outsource all this work to the well-established tourist market here or some of my own contacts in the travel business who specialize in giving tours for a living.
The counter-argument to this is that I could provide a unique spin on the city that a tour company would miss, and hence I should be doing the work for a more personal touch. But given the common fact here that the majority of visitors come on ultra-short trips, we end up doing the same things that a tour company would do anyway. You know, the stroll down Nanjing Road at night, walking the Bund, sipping tea at Yu Gardens, bargaining in the markets, and so forth. These are all totally worth doing in Shanghai, along with many more great tourist experiences, but the bottom line is that a business could do this better than I could.
As a teacher and a resident, I'm not the best person to be leading tours anyway. I find the whole tourist thing to be rather dull and boring, not to mention very exhausting while fielding the same questions over and over again. It's easy to lose patience in situations like this. Since most foreign guests share typical reactions to life in China and they all ask the same questions, it stands to reason that a tour company would be better qualified. Even basic things like how to cross the street, how to take a taxi, or how to bargain could be handled this way.
Meanwhile, the real reason I like to host, and hopefully why guests also come here to see me, is to get a glimpse of the kind of life I've got going in this great city --- I really appreciate that. With the whole 'show you around' thing out of my hair, it frees up more time and energy to line up activities where the guests can be a part of what I do in the city and see how it all fits together.
So in a nutshell, it makes more sense to keep going about my own business and find creative ways to involve guests in that, while delegating the tour business to others.
An example of how this might play out is that a tour is arranged for the morning, we all meet for lunch near my work, they come observe one of my afternoon classes, then a friend takes over and shows them the ropes on how to use the subway. After an afternoon of free exploring and me teaching, we then meet up with some other friends for dinner. While eating, we discuss what they might want to do in the evening, because I will surely be up all night marking papers.
Cloudy and windy
A visitor from Vancouver came to see me over the last weekend. I've been receiving quite a few guests lately this year. Funny that nobody wanted to see me while living in Wuhan, and all of a sudden they do now that I'm in Shanghai. Not sure what to make of this, it has both good and bad points.
This recent flurry of hosting guests in the city has shown that there is much I need to learn about playing this role, and the last few times have left me exhausted. Hopefully the people have gone away with a good impression of the city, but simply put it's a hell of a lot of work to coordinate these kind of visits -- it becomes a job in and out of itself, it becomes more work than my actual day job, and there aren't many rewards.
Then again the two 'jobs' may be connected in more ways than one. Similar to what happens in the classroom, the solution to the problem of exhaustion is more of a matter of facilitating and delegating, instead of trying to orchestrate the whole thing by myself.
In other words, all visits from guests here have ended up in the same pattern. They show up, time is limited, we see a few sights, meet a few people, and then it's time to go. Who's to say I couldn't just outsource all this work to the well-established tourist market here or some of my own contacts in the travel business who specialize in giving tours for a living.
The counter-argument to this is that I could provide a unique spin on the city that a tour company would miss, and hence I should be doing the work for a more personal touch. But given the common fact here that the majority of visitors come on ultra-short trips, we end up doing the same things that a tour company would do anyway. You know, the stroll down Nanjing Road at night, walking the Bund, sipping tea at Yu Gardens, bargaining in the markets, and so forth. These are all totally worth doing in Shanghai, along with many more great tourist experiences, but the bottom line is that a business could do this better than I could.
As a teacher and a resident, I'm not the best person to be leading tours anyway. I find the whole tourist thing to be rather dull and boring, not to mention very exhausting while fielding the same questions over and over again. It's easy to lose patience in situations like this. Since most foreign guests share typical reactions to life in China and they all ask the same questions, it stands to reason that a tour company would be better qualified. Even basic things like how to cross the street, how to take a taxi, or how to bargain could be handled this way.
Meanwhile, the real reason I like to host, and hopefully why guests also come here to see me, is to get a glimpse of the kind of life I've got going in this great city --- I really appreciate that. With the whole 'show you around' thing out of my hair, it frees up more time and energy to line up activities where the guests can be a part of what I do in the city and see how it all fits together.
So in a nutshell, it makes more sense to keep going about my own business and find creative ways to involve guests in that, while delegating the tour business to others.
An example of how this might play out is that a tour is arranged for the morning, we all meet for lunch near my work, they come observe one of my afternoon classes, then a friend takes over and shows them the ropes on how to use the subway. After an afternoon of free exploring and me teaching, we then meet up with some other friends for dinner. While eating, we discuss what they might want to do in the evening, because I will surely be up all night marking papers.
Thursday, 9 December 2010
Don't Miss That Train!
From today's paper
-------------------
IN an era of convenient air travel, missing a flight isn't a big problem since it's easy to catch another one without being charged twice.
Yet for many Chinese, the train is their only affordable transport for long-haul trips. Even a minute change in the pricing of train tickets may restrict many people's access.
Therefore, the Ministry of Railways (MOR) should tread cautiously when changing policy that will affect tens of millions of passengers.
It seldom does. In a fresh reminder of its arrogance and unaccountability, the ministry's latest regulation stirred up so much controversy that it was forced to scrap it only days after it went into effect.
The new rule came into force on December 1. It stipulated that passengers who are late for regular-speed trains would lose the money paid for their tickets.
Under the new rule, except for cases of illness or injury, they could not ask for a refund, nor could they transfer to other trains through ticket swaps within two hours of departure - a common practice that used to apply to high-speed and regular trains.
A migrant worker surnamed Li in Foshan, Guangdong Province, was embittered by this rigid new ticketing policy. Due to snarled traffic, he arrived at the station too late for ticket punching and was barred from boarding just five minutes before the train's departure for Hubei, his native province.
His attempt to swap the ticket, which cost 281 yuan (US$42), for the next train home ended in failure. He had been 10 minutes too late, the booking office told him. Dismayed at the loss of money - nearly one sixth an average migrant's monthly income - he burst into tears.
Li's ordeal is not unique. People similarly angered by the tightening of the ticketing rule have decided to take action to restore the status quo ante.
The Oriental Morning Post reported on Tuesday that Li Fangping, a pro bono lawyer in Beijing, on Monday had filed the first lawsuit against the railway authorities, demanding reinstatement of the ticket-swap mechanism.
Li had missed a train on December 5 by one hour and a half and was not allowed to transfer to another one that left later in the day.
Under the old system he would have had two hours to make the change.
The bone of contention is the perceived inequality of many who were affected by this new ticketing policy. They cried foul over the "discriminatory way" they were being treated.
Indeed, the ban does not apply to holders of high-speed train tickets. Thus, regular passengers had good reason to suspect a ploy to force them to choose more expensive high-speed rail services.
----------------
This is spot on, because the regular train services have a recent history of always being delayed. This new policy had no way of accounting for delayed trains, because it was only based on the time printed on the actual ticket. So in theory, a train that was 30 minutes late (very common) would have everyone left out of the loop.
The high-speed trains have a better record, but delays are still rather common. This was especially true for all trains in and out of Shanghai during the EXPO. Earlier this year, it got to the point where I was amazed if a train actually departed or arrived on time.
Thank goodness the ministry of railways backpedalled on this new policy, and things are back to the old system.
Never underestimate the power of the masses.
-------------------
IN an era of convenient air travel, missing a flight isn't a big problem since it's easy to catch another one without being charged twice.
Yet for many Chinese, the train is their only affordable transport for long-haul trips. Even a minute change in the pricing of train tickets may restrict many people's access.
Therefore, the Ministry of Railways (MOR) should tread cautiously when changing policy that will affect tens of millions of passengers.
It seldom does. In a fresh reminder of its arrogance and unaccountability, the ministry's latest regulation stirred up so much controversy that it was forced to scrap it only days after it went into effect.
The new rule came into force on December 1. It stipulated that passengers who are late for regular-speed trains would lose the money paid for their tickets.
Under the new rule, except for cases of illness or injury, they could not ask for a refund, nor could they transfer to other trains through ticket swaps within two hours of departure - a common practice that used to apply to high-speed and regular trains.
A migrant worker surnamed Li in Foshan, Guangdong Province, was embittered by this rigid new ticketing policy. Due to snarled traffic, he arrived at the station too late for ticket punching and was barred from boarding just five minutes before the train's departure for Hubei, his native province.
His attempt to swap the ticket, which cost 281 yuan (US$42), for the next train home ended in failure. He had been 10 minutes too late, the booking office told him. Dismayed at the loss of money - nearly one sixth an average migrant's monthly income - he burst into tears.
Li's ordeal is not unique. People similarly angered by the tightening of the ticketing rule have decided to take action to restore the status quo ante.
The Oriental Morning Post reported on Tuesday that Li Fangping, a pro bono lawyer in Beijing, on Monday had filed the first lawsuit against the railway authorities, demanding reinstatement of the ticket-swap mechanism.
Li had missed a train on December 5 by one hour and a half and was not allowed to transfer to another one that left later in the day.
Under the old system he would have had two hours to make the change.
The bone of contention is the perceived inequality of many who were affected by this new ticketing policy. They cried foul over the "discriminatory way" they were being treated.
Indeed, the ban does not apply to holders of high-speed train tickets. Thus, regular passengers had good reason to suspect a ploy to force them to choose more expensive high-speed rail services.
----------------
This is spot on, because the regular train services have a recent history of always being delayed. This new policy had no way of accounting for delayed trains, because it was only based on the time printed on the actual ticket. So in theory, a train that was 30 minutes late (very common) would have everyone left out of the loop.
The high-speed trains have a better record, but delays are still rather common. This was especially true for all trains in and out of Shanghai during the EXPO. Earlier this year, it got to the point where I was amazed if a train actually departed or arrived on time.
Thank goodness the ministry of railways backpedalled on this new policy, and things are back to the old system.
Never underestimate the power of the masses.
Got Sick
Today's weather: High = 13 Low = 5
Sunny
My driver told me ages ago when I used to live in Dalian that the cold weather itself is not a problem -- but rather the change to cold weather.
In other words, during the transition to winter, people get sick big time -- myself included. It happens every year to me around this time and we were fortunate to enjoy a beautiful November. But reality had to happen sooner or later. Anyways I'm taking the day off and resting in bed.
One of the peculiar things about Shanghai, or any city south of the Yangtze River for that matter, is how the winters work around here. A long while back, Mao Zedong decreed that anywhere south of the Yangzte was "warm", and anywhere north was "cold". The end result is that central heating is not installed in any buildings south of the river, and the buildings themselves are not designed for winter.
But residents also figure that winter is so short around here, there is no point in equipping the buildings for only 2-3 months worth of cold. The thinking goes it's better just to survive it, and then spring is here around the corner.
This goes hand-in-hand with how Shanghai is on the fringes of the subtropical zone, and increasingly so with global warming, the winters are becoming shorter and shorter. So in a way we're being teased with 9-10 months of relatively warm weather during the year. But it's not warm enough to be a distinct substropical climate like Guangzhou is. Winter is still a reality to be dealt with in Shanghai, and locals will talk about this incessantly about how they prepare for it.
For example, you go out on the street today and everyone is dressed in toques, scarves, gloves, etc. when it's sunny and well over 10 degrees in the afternoon.
The doctors also warn incessantly about preparing for winter and how everyone gets sick this time of year. Part of the reason for that is the constant use of heaters indoors, now that more and more people can afford the electricity bills. The new heaters are also so powerful that they can double as a central heating device that Mao Zedong ruled out decades ago because we're south of the river.
So it would be a perfectly normal situation to walk into an office with the heater blazing. Meanwhile, the air inside is crisp dry, people are still wearing their jackets, and it is a breeding ground for germs. But since people realize that, they also open the windows in a bid to try and create a "healthier" environment. The end result is a constant change in temperatures from hot to cold, and the body can't make heads or tails out of what is going on.
The body, like mine does, eventually gets sick of all this.
Sunny
My driver told me ages ago when I used to live in Dalian that the cold weather itself is not a problem -- but rather the change to cold weather.
In other words, during the transition to winter, people get sick big time -- myself included. It happens every year to me around this time and we were fortunate to enjoy a beautiful November. But reality had to happen sooner or later. Anyways I'm taking the day off and resting in bed.
One of the peculiar things about Shanghai, or any city south of the Yangtze River for that matter, is how the winters work around here. A long while back, Mao Zedong decreed that anywhere south of the Yangzte was "warm", and anywhere north was "cold". The end result is that central heating is not installed in any buildings south of the river, and the buildings themselves are not designed for winter.
But residents also figure that winter is so short around here, there is no point in equipping the buildings for only 2-3 months worth of cold. The thinking goes it's better just to survive it, and then spring is here around the corner.
This goes hand-in-hand with how Shanghai is on the fringes of the subtropical zone, and increasingly so with global warming, the winters are becoming shorter and shorter. So in a way we're being teased with 9-10 months of relatively warm weather during the year. But it's not warm enough to be a distinct substropical climate like Guangzhou is. Winter is still a reality to be dealt with in Shanghai, and locals will talk about this incessantly about how they prepare for it.
For example, you go out on the street today and everyone is dressed in toques, scarves, gloves, etc. when it's sunny and well over 10 degrees in the afternoon.
The doctors also warn incessantly about preparing for winter and how everyone gets sick this time of year. Part of the reason for that is the constant use of heaters indoors, now that more and more people can afford the electricity bills. The new heaters are also so powerful that they can double as a central heating device that Mao Zedong ruled out decades ago because we're south of the river.
So it would be a perfectly normal situation to walk into an office with the heater blazing. Meanwhile, the air inside is crisp dry, people are still wearing their jackets, and it is a breeding ground for germs. But since people realize that, they also open the windows in a bid to try and create a "healthier" environment. The end result is a constant change in temperatures from hot to cold, and the body can't make heads or tails out of what is going on.
The body, like mine does, eventually gets sick of all this.
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
Proposed Bullet Train: Beijing, Vientiane, Bangkok
Today's weather: High = 14 Low = 6
Sunny and chilly
It was with great interest that I stumbled on this news article. Due to the long-term economic growth and emerging prosperity in both China and Thailand, it is very exciting to see these kind of developments take place -- especially as I have a keen interest in both countries.
A China-Thailand express highway has already been under construction for ages that is bound to be open soon -- if not already. The highway mainly connects Yunnan province with the Chiang Mai area of Thailand, more or less following the Mekong River. But it only skirts the top of Laos and doesn't really benefit that country directly, except for the area around Luang Namtha and near the Thai border.
On the other hand, this proposed high-speed railway looks to really benefit Laos. They definitely want to connect Beijing to Vientiane to Bangkok. It's still very much in the planning stages, we don't know much about routes, and the line wouldn't open until at least 2015. But we can easily deduce that the high-speed railway would have to pass through most of Laos in order to connect those 3 capital cities. We can also deduce that Vietnam is excluded from the proposal, as they didn't mention anything about Hanoi.
This is mainly a Sino-Thai project we're talking about, after all.
Based on all this, my best guess is they are going to piggyback this line with all the new bullet train construction in China right now, and somehow get a link going to Kunming. From Kunming, it could continue south into Laos, then through Luang Prabang, and then to Vientiane.
This is all just speculation, but I think they start with the Beijing-Wuhan connection soon to open. After Wuhan, there would be a considerable demand for high-speed rail to link Guilin, and then to Kunming. Those cities are all underserved right now by rail. I'm heding my bets that the Chinese government would love to connect Guilin and Kunming this way, and a line may already be in the works for all I know.
But the main problem with this route is that so much of it goes through mountains, especially the parts in and around Kunming and the Laos border. It would be a massive engineering feat with tunnel blasting and relocation of villagers galore.
Then again, I can't see much of an alternative to the mountains if they specifically want to link those 3 capital cities by train. Perhaps they could go through Nanning instead of Kunming. If they did this, there would be fewer mountains to contend with, but the route would be convoluted in order to avoid Vietnam.
It's all in the planning and discussion stages now, but I'd be eager to see what comes of this one.
-----------------
A HIGH-SPEED railway linking China, Laos and Thailand will be under construction next year, Thai and Laotian officials announced at the Seventh Seventh World Congress on High-Speed Rail in Beijing yesterday.
The bullet train project jointly invested by the three countries is expected to be completed in late 2015. It will boost trade in the ASEAN free trade area, according to the congress.
The new railway that will connect major border cities of China, Laos and Thailand will be used mainly for passenger transportation at the initial stage and for freight shipping later on, Xinhua reported today.
Suthep Thaugsuban, deputy prime minister of Thailand, said yesterday that the Thai parliament has already approved a framework for the Sino-Thai project, which was earlier projected to cost 480 billion baht (US$15.4 billion), Xinhua reported.
Suthep said he wished for an early start and finish of the highly-anticipated project to strengthen the ties with China and other Southeast Asian nations.
Somsavat Lengsavad, deputy prime minister of Laos, also said Laos and China have signed an agreement on bilateral cooperation in the construction of the high-speed railway which will link Vientiane, capital of Laos, with Beijing.
The officials didn't elaborate on a timetable or budget plan, saying it is still being discussed.
---------------
Read more: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=456728&type=National##ixzz17WdaHT5A
Sunny and chilly
It was with great interest that I stumbled on this news article. Due to the long-term economic growth and emerging prosperity in both China and Thailand, it is very exciting to see these kind of developments take place -- especially as I have a keen interest in both countries.
A China-Thailand express highway has already been under construction for ages that is bound to be open soon -- if not already. The highway mainly connects Yunnan province with the Chiang Mai area of Thailand, more or less following the Mekong River. But it only skirts the top of Laos and doesn't really benefit that country directly, except for the area around Luang Namtha and near the Thai border.
On the other hand, this proposed high-speed railway looks to really benefit Laos. They definitely want to connect Beijing to Vientiane to Bangkok. It's still very much in the planning stages, we don't know much about routes, and the line wouldn't open until at least 2015. But we can easily deduce that the high-speed railway would have to pass through most of Laos in order to connect those 3 capital cities. We can also deduce that Vietnam is excluded from the proposal, as they didn't mention anything about Hanoi.
This is mainly a Sino-Thai project we're talking about, after all.
Based on all this, my best guess is they are going to piggyback this line with all the new bullet train construction in China right now, and somehow get a link going to Kunming. From Kunming, it could continue south into Laos, then through Luang Prabang, and then to Vientiane.
This is all just speculation, but I think they start with the Beijing-Wuhan connection soon to open. After Wuhan, there would be a considerable demand for high-speed rail to link Guilin, and then to Kunming. Those cities are all underserved right now by rail. I'm heding my bets that the Chinese government would love to connect Guilin and Kunming this way, and a line may already be in the works for all I know.
But the main problem with this route is that so much of it goes through mountains, especially the parts in and around Kunming and the Laos border. It would be a massive engineering feat with tunnel blasting and relocation of villagers galore.
Then again, I can't see much of an alternative to the mountains if they specifically want to link those 3 capital cities by train. Perhaps they could go through Nanning instead of Kunming. If they did this, there would be fewer mountains to contend with, but the route would be convoluted in order to avoid Vietnam.
It's all in the planning and discussion stages now, but I'd be eager to see what comes of this one.
-----------------
A HIGH-SPEED railway linking China, Laos and Thailand will be under construction next year, Thai and Laotian officials announced at the Seventh Seventh World Congress on High-Speed Rail in Beijing yesterday.
The bullet train project jointly invested by the three countries is expected to be completed in late 2015. It will boost trade in the ASEAN free trade area, according to the congress.
The new railway that will connect major border cities of China, Laos and Thailand will be used mainly for passenger transportation at the initial stage and for freight shipping later on, Xinhua reported today.
Suthep Thaugsuban, deputy prime minister of Thailand, said yesterday that the Thai parliament has already approved a framework for the Sino-Thai project, which was earlier projected to cost 480 billion baht (US$15.4 billion), Xinhua reported.
Suthep said he wished for an early start and finish of the highly-anticipated project to strengthen the ties with China and other Southeast Asian nations.
Somsavat Lengsavad, deputy prime minister of Laos, also said Laos and China have signed an agreement on bilateral cooperation in the construction of the high-speed railway which will link Vientiane, capital of Laos, with Beijing.
The officials didn't elaborate on a timetable or budget plan, saying it is still being discussed.
---------------
Read more: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=456728&type=National##ixzz17WdaHT5A
Sunday, 5 December 2010
Cold Weather Averted, More Motorcycling
Weather today: High = 21 Low = 12
Sunny and gorgeous
So much for that expected cold front and beginning of winter. It looks like that extra push of tropical air is holding due to the high pressure ridge. The papers got it wrong, the accuweather got it wrong, and even my own forecast was wrong -- which caused so shortage of embarassment after I sounded the alarm about the end to this gorgeous weather.
In fact today was so nice and relaxed you'd be forgiven for thinking it was April. People were outside in droves, jackets were off, outdoor sales were up and running, and markets on the streets galore.
It was a perfect day for another last-season motorcycle ride around the countryside, and I enjoyed some great times on that. In fact, this unseasonably awesome weather is making everyone so happy and relaxed ... combined with another good weekend of socializing, this is probably the happiest I've been in years.
Interestingly enough, another friend just got married this weekend. That makes for a whopping 5 weddings I've attended in 2010, including being the best man. A record for sure, and if I ever get married myself, I'll know exactly how things are supposed to run.
It's a real mystery what's causing this unseasonably warm weather. I'm enjoying every day of it, and each time there is an apparent cold front to bring in winter, it doesn't happen. This is strange, because the newspapers clearly reported a chillier than normal winter this year, and they backed it up with La Nina and Arctic Oscillation patterns. For many parts of the world it surely is turning out that way, as it seems that nearly everywhere is getting hammered with storms.
Meanwhile we're basking in this great warmth, and the farmers in rural Shanghai are already gunning for a 2nd growing season. Based on all the activity I saw in the countryside today, they've hedged their bets from the near-perfect conditions in November, and are expecting it to go on. That once bleak and deserted countryside I passed by countless times a couple years ago in the winter is now hopping with activity and there are families out galore.
Global warming can't be all bad.
The only nagging question is how to possibly make an accurate weather forecast or come up with some kinds of predictions for what the winter will be like. Perhaps the unthinkable could happen and this pattern would last well into December, maybe even January, and there would only be a couple weeks of cold.
Clearly the farmers are betting this way, and I may as well do the same, forget about parking the motorcycle, and just ride year-round like I always have.
Sunny and gorgeous
So much for that expected cold front and beginning of winter. It looks like that extra push of tropical air is holding due to the high pressure ridge. The papers got it wrong, the accuweather got it wrong, and even my own forecast was wrong -- which caused so shortage of embarassment after I sounded the alarm about the end to this gorgeous weather.
In fact today was so nice and relaxed you'd be forgiven for thinking it was April. People were outside in droves, jackets were off, outdoor sales were up and running, and markets on the streets galore.
It was a perfect day for another last-season motorcycle ride around the countryside, and I enjoyed some great times on that. In fact, this unseasonably awesome weather is making everyone so happy and relaxed ... combined with another good weekend of socializing, this is probably the happiest I've been in years.
Interestingly enough, another friend just got married this weekend. That makes for a whopping 5 weddings I've attended in 2010, including being the best man. A record for sure, and if I ever get married myself, I'll know exactly how things are supposed to run.
It's a real mystery what's causing this unseasonably warm weather. I'm enjoying every day of it, and each time there is an apparent cold front to bring in winter, it doesn't happen. This is strange, because the newspapers clearly reported a chillier than normal winter this year, and they backed it up with La Nina and Arctic Oscillation patterns. For many parts of the world it surely is turning out that way, as it seems that nearly everywhere is getting hammered with storms.
Meanwhile we're basking in this great warmth, and the farmers in rural Shanghai are already gunning for a 2nd growing season. Based on all the activity I saw in the countryside today, they've hedged their bets from the near-perfect conditions in November, and are expecting it to go on. That once bleak and deserted countryside I passed by countless times a couple years ago in the winter is now hopping with activity and there are families out galore.
Global warming can't be all bad.
The only nagging question is how to possibly make an accurate weather forecast or come up with some kinds of predictions for what the winter will be like. Perhaps the unthinkable could happen and this pattern would last well into December, maybe even January, and there would only be a couple weeks of cold.
Clearly the farmers are betting this way, and I may as well do the same, forget about parking the motorcycle, and just ride year-round like I always have.
Friday, 3 December 2010
Last Motorcycle Ride of Season
Today's weather: High = 22 Low = 13
Sunny
The unusually balmy weather continues, so much that people are out wearing shorts and T-shirts. Unfortunately that is all coming to an abrupt end in a matter of days.
Based on the short and long-range forecasts, I'm now calling an end to the motorcycle riding season -- winter will be darkening our doorstep any day now. In fact, we were spoiled so much by the unseasonably good weather in November that it was only a matter of time before things would change. The Siberian cold front is on its way here, and temperatures have dropped 10-15 degrees where that front has already passed through. This mimics the change in the weather that happened last week in the Eastern US. The patterns are typically the same on either side of the globe, with a delay effect of 6-10 days. That means if a blast of arctic air hits the East Coast in North America, we will soon get the same over here.
So yesterday was fitting to get out the motorcycle, do a final long-distance ride in the countryside, and celebrate with a dinner at the 'Blue Frog' western restaurant hamburger joint back in the city.
This inevitable change in the weather won't mean permanent cold, as the temperatures could easily bounce back up like they did after that surprise early chill in mid-October. But one thing is for sure: dramatic temperature fluctuations, which would be consistent with the overall pattern of 'global weather gone wild' (TM)
In other words, one day might appear to be deceptively warm and a nice excuse for another afternoon motorcycle ride. But then during that ride, the cold front comes out of nowhere or else the evening chill sets in, and the ride becomes very unpleasant. This has happened countless times already in my 2-year motorcycle riding career. I've also said countless times that I'll hibernate the motorcycle from Dec - Feb, but still end up riding year round and facing the chills.
The way things are going, there may only be one month of cold weather to contend with before the New Year break, when everyone then heads for tropical countries. By the time we get back in late February, the spring season is already beginning.
Sunny
The unusually balmy weather continues, so much that people are out wearing shorts and T-shirts. Unfortunately that is all coming to an abrupt end in a matter of days.
Based on the short and long-range forecasts, I'm now calling an end to the motorcycle riding season -- winter will be darkening our doorstep any day now. In fact, we were spoiled so much by the unseasonably good weather in November that it was only a matter of time before things would change. The Siberian cold front is on its way here, and temperatures have dropped 10-15 degrees where that front has already passed through. This mimics the change in the weather that happened last week in the Eastern US. The patterns are typically the same on either side of the globe, with a delay effect of 6-10 days. That means if a blast of arctic air hits the East Coast in North America, we will soon get the same over here.
So yesterday was fitting to get out the motorcycle, do a final long-distance ride in the countryside, and celebrate with a dinner at the 'Blue Frog' western restaurant hamburger joint back in the city.
This inevitable change in the weather won't mean permanent cold, as the temperatures could easily bounce back up like they did after that surprise early chill in mid-October. But one thing is for sure: dramatic temperature fluctuations, which would be consistent with the overall pattern of 'global weather gone wild' (TM)
In other words, one day might appear to be deceptively warm and a nice excuse for another afternoon motorcycle ride. But then during that ride, the cold front comes out of nowhere or else the evening chill sets in, and the ride becomes very unpleasant. This has happened countless times already in my 2-year motorcycle riding career. I've also said countless times that I'll hibernate the motorcycle from Dec - Feb, but still end up riding year round and facing the chills.
The way things are going, there may only be one month of cold weather to contend with before the New Year break, when everyone then heads for tropical countries. By the time we get back in late February, the spring season is already beginning.
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