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Shanghai not as Safe as Before I was in Shanghai in November 2006 and I found Shanghai very safe. The only irritating thing was the number of so-called students who would approach us to buy us tea. I had been warned that this was a scam wherby they took you to an eating place. ordered food and then disappeared when the time came to pay. No, I think Shanghai is very safe compared to some other places in other countries I could mention. |
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Shanghai Metro Map and Timetable I shall be coming to Shanghai in two weeks and it would be very useful to have a metro map in English. Any chance? Thanks. |
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I Want to Go to India Visiting India is like visiting the different regions of China - it is diverse, every region has it's own speciality and character and it's special cultural diversity. The people of the north west are, in the main, taller, fairer and stronger - due to waves of invading forces from across the middle east. The people of north east are slightly shorter and, in the main, have more mongoliod features. The people of south are, in the main, shorter and darker due to their dravidian ancester and the people in the mid region are a mixture of all the region. Indians speak a variety of languages with Hindi being the national language. However, the effect of India's colonisation by the British has left behind a legacy of English language and this is spoken by a large proportion of the population and almost by all who have been to school. It is also the language of industry and commerce. Don't be surprised if the rickshaw puller speaks to you in English - it happened to me in Delhi when the rickshaw "wala" happened to be a student who had fallen on bad times and had taken to earning a living ferrying passengers. There are also innumerable regional scripts which can be a challenge to decipher. However, there are always commercial hoardings in English advertising multi-national brands. Increasingly, this is encroaching villaage life. Don't be surprised to see Coca Cola being advertised in the remotest village. Yes, you do have to be careful with drinking water. Also, personal hygiene is not as evident as you might expect. Although it is a democracy and people have freedoms associated with it, there is corruption and some areas of the country are best avoided due to lack of law and order. As a first time visitor, you will have enough to see and experience even if you kept to destinations favoured by tourists like Agra, Jaipur, Delhi, Goa and Kerala. Once you gain experience from these places you will then be beter equipped with exploring the hinterland. Every region has some speciality and attractions. |
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Top 3 Issues of Shanghai Tourism The three things which would help a foriegner in Shanghai are 1. A street map of Shanghai city in English showing the metro stations, restuarants and important landmarks 2. A tourist information booklet in English giving information on where to go in case of emergency - eg police, hospital, etc. 3. A short information pamphlet in English on the cultural "do's" and "don'ts" so that foriegners do not cause offence to local people. |
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OOB Today I think you do an excellent job with your blogs - they are interesting, informative and very welcome. Even if you did them once a week that would be welcome. We all do need to have a life ourselves. |