Tomb Sweeping Day this Friday

Qing Ming Jie

Talk about getting your prayers heard. I just wrote about how much I miss Shanghai now when I live in Suzhou, and then five minutes later I get a sms from my lovely friend Monica who asks me if I would like to borrow her flat (in Shanghai, on Ulumuqi Lu!) from Fri-Sunday? Oh yes please!!!!!!!!!!! This Friday is a Tomb Sweeping Day (Qing Ming Jie) in China, which since this year is regarded as a public holiday in the country (However, not so many people seems to know it, I just told my AYI and she looked at me as if I was Santa Clause giving her Friday off...).

We will all be celebrating Tomb Sweeping day in differently: Monica will be going to Hong Kong (Jet-setter girl), I’ll be on Shanghai house duty and Chinese families will honour past ancestors by sweeping graves and offering foods sacrifices. Cannot wait!

Ps. Some emails from people across the world have appeared in my inbox, telling me they like my blog. This totally makes my day, so thanks guys! If there is somehting you think I should do to improve this blog (eg something you like to read about) just say the word...

I have no choice but to do this

It's time to stop denying...

Yesterday I bought myself a bike in order to be able to get around easier. The area where I live in Suzhou is not one tenth as crowded as my old Shanghai ‘hood’ at Ulumuqi Lu (Gosh, I miss Ulumuqi Lu!). Anyways, the bike that I found is if possible the ugliest thing I’ve seen, however, it was the biggest one they had.. so… What can u do if you’ve got long legs? This country definitely wasn’t made for people of my size!

Anyways, the bike was 380 kuai, the basket was 10 and after yesterday’s ‘exploring Suzhou by bike’-trip I have to say I am quite happy with it. Riding a bike is definitely the best way to get around and to see some thing you’d never be able to notice from a taxi window. So I’m happy. I just have to remind myself to remain calm once the older cyclists –and here I am talking about the men- start racing with me on the roads again (this was the everyday case of Shanghai).

The bike also fits well with my ‘oh-my-god-I-just-realised-summer-is-only-two-months-away-and-I-have-to-get-into-shape’ realization that I had yesterday after inspecting myself in the mirror. Gosh, I hate rushing into a better shape, but I don’t see any other choice. So this week will be my ‘trying-to-find-a-fun-way-to-get-in-shape’ week (…..aren’t you excited?! I am not). I will try as many being-healthy-and-moving-a-lot-options as possible. Today I am going for a free trial session at a gym, on Wednesday I am gonna try a spinning class, Thursday is all about pilates and if I feel completely wild on Friday I might do some belly dancing. Yup. A good ol mix of sports is what I need (at least that is what I am telling myself).

Arighty Monday blues and shapeless body –here we go!

Taking a dump in public

I sincerely and deeply hope that parents will stop letting their small children urinate/take a dump in public sometime soon. This is something I have no understanding for at all. Big cities like Shanghai and Beijing nowadays have plenty of public toilets that everyone can use so why on earth let your kid poo on the pavement? We don’t even let dogs do that! This is far from the ‘worse’ I’ve seen. Kids peeing in busses, metros or trains are even worse. I’m definitely not blaming the kid but I’m having a hard time understand the mindset of the kid’s parents. Why would you let your child do something like that?

FYI: this kid was out and about with his dad. So no, he wasn’t homeless (from what I could tell) and they were having a good time until he decided he had to go and the dad pointed at the pavement. Delightful.

Another one bites the dust

Another whipped fella.

I'm quite impressed of the ladies in Shanghai: what a power they seem to have over their men?! I can barely get my bf to hold my handbag for me when I bend down to tie my shoe laces...

Can you?

How to.... find a flat in Shanghai

Someone posted a comment (in Swedish) wondering how I got by setting up my life in China (flat, language difficulties and so on) and since I LOVE getting questions from you readers (it means someone is reading my blog -woho!), I’ll do my outmost to answer this one!

Moving to China was actually much easier than some of the other moves I’ve done in my life. Sure, a lot of paper work, but when I (before China) moved from Sweden to Finland the hassle was even bigger. And that’s quite ironic, seeing that Sweden and Finland are both Scandinavian countries that are supposed to provide easy solutions to Scandos wanting to move across the boarder.. Anyways, the point is: moving to China was/is fairly easy!

You can solve the housing problem in a few different ways. You can post your own add at pages like shanghaiexpat.com or craigslist, or, you can simply reply to one of the 1000nds of adds that are already there. We tried to find out first flat that way but found the process to be a bit slow, not to mention confusing, as we, seeing it was our first time in Shanghai, didn’t know the city very well and didn't know in what area we wanted to live.

Another way is to simply walk around in an area you like (I recommend the French Concession or Jing'an) and drop by any of the real estate agencies that are scattered around city. They will (most likely) show you flats straight away and are normally very helpful. Some of them speak English, but it really helps if you know some Chinese, or, if you bring someone who knows a little bit.

If you end up renting via a real estate agent you’ll have to pay (on top of the first rent and the deposit) an agent fee. This fee is compulsory, and you’ll split it with your landlord. It’s a one time fee, but yeah, I know.. it still sucks. If you rent from a private person you don’t have to worry about this fee.

Some things to think about:

* ALWAYS try to haggle down the rent a little bit!

* If you cannot lower the rent, then ask for additional things for the flat; eg a portable oven, a new washing machine.. well, anything you feel you need. You are most likely to get it.

* Make sure that someone translates your contract to English before you sign anything.

* Most landlords will suggest that you pay a huge deposit (2 month’s rent) as well as the rent for the first 2 months. We have always haggled this down to 1 month worth of deposit and 2 month’s rent. Don’t let them freeze a huge deposit for you. You might run into troubles getting it back (I’ll get back to this issue in another post).

* Ask the real estate agency or the landlord to help you organize an AYI if you’re lazy and don’t wanna bother with doing the dishes and the laundry…

Hm… I think that’s all for now!
I’ll get back to the other questions later, but I hope this helps someone a little bit!

Me -a giant baby? (!)

Korean Bibimbap

I went to eat some Korean bibimbap for lunch yesterday. I love Korean food and bibimbap is my all-time favourite. The area where I live have loads of Korean residents, and restaurants, so finding a place here isn't hard. However, I tend to return to the places I like, so therefore me and my friend went to a cosy joint where we've been before, and also know the owner a little bit. He was, like usual, delighted to see us, and we received an extra load of kimchi before the bibimbap was served. Once our stone pots arrived I started stirring, when the owner came up to me.

-You are doing it wrong, let me show you!
-Ehum.. okey. Well, I have stirred before.. but sure!

The owner took the spoon from my hand, added some spicy sauce into the pot and started stirring. From my point of view, his stirring technique wasn't that much different to mine... But then he suddenly goes:

-Haha, you are like a giant baby! Can't even stir your own food!!!

Excuse me?!

A giant baby? Cannot stir my food? A GIANT BABY!? Out of all things I've been told I am/look like since I got to China ("fatty/giant/ wonder-woman/golden girl"), this one definitely takes the prize. I am not Jonna -giant baby -Wibelius.

Lose a pound or 2

I told my little brother before he arrived here that China is a ’slimming place’. At least for the first 6 months when you tend to get stomach sick quite often.

He didn’t believe me.


Until now