Wangjianshuo's Blog

What you Miss in Shanghai?

Excellent blog site. We have visited Shanghai many times and will be moving there this year. What can I, an expat, do to encourage Chinese people with whom I live or work?
1. What is the greatest need? Obviously, those in large cities seem to have a different outlook that those who live in rural areas. Is that correct?

2. What would help me be better accepted among Chinese people in Shanghai?

Thanks for your excellent comments and photos, too.

Posted by Bob at 2008-06-29 13:38:25. More

Edward's New Satellite TV

I am in Shenzhen and would like to pick up US TV - many channels are required for sports
ABC / NBC / CBS / ESPN / TNT / and others.
Is that possible with a satellite here in China? I know how to get one here in Shenzhen but you may be a better option. Anybody has any ideas please let me know, Thanks

Posted by Bob at 2008-02-10 17:33:58. More

Korea: The Bandwitdh Capital of the World?

South Korea has the highest per capita broadband penetration in the world? No.

According to Nielsen/NetRatings report, Hong Kong seems to be the top region in the world, with amazing 66.6% of people accessing Internet using broadband. German 45%, Switherland 43%.... United States ranked low with 17% broadband access, not less than 10%.

Perhaps they excluded Hong Kong because it is not a country.

Posted by bob at 2007-12-11 00:52:12. More

Reasons of Bad Traffic in Shanghai

The average Chinese bicyclist has a death wish. He really wants to become a hood ornament, on my car. Can I tell stories, having lived and remained somewhat sane while driving in Shanghai.

My brand new car was hit 7 times in the first 60 days, from purchase. I was stopped all 7 times. Everone paid me 200-400 rmb per accident. Finally a motorcyclist hit me broad sided, I yelled and screamed in Putong Wah. The police came wrote a report, impounded the guys motorcycle and halled the guy to jail. Told me to come to the police station to claim my 'damage money" 2000 rmb. I arrived at the police station in Pudong. And the police Captain conducted the hearing and found that I was right and the motorcylcist need to pay me 2000rmb. The motorcycst called 5 of his friends and they all arrived with aggregately 1600 rmb (about 200usd), the Police Captain was pissed and started taking unopened cigerette packages, jewelry, etc from his friends. He handed me the money and treasures and asked if I would release my claim....

I took my car to a nearby automotive store and for 8 accidents and 4000 rmb in damage claims completed repaired and painted for 1100 rmb about $140usd.

I still drive and my anger management classes, have done no good.............................

Posted by bob at 2007-07-11 12:03:14. More

Reasons of Bad Traffic in Shanghai

Having lived and yes drive in Shanghai for the last 8 years, I believe the road sysem is a engineering marvel to move 22 million people a day and relatively little traffic jams. But it is shear "Utter Chaos". And build the enire infrastructure in the last 10 years. I only wish the parking situation could be improved.

My company does provides a Car and Driver but being single the entire company knows my dating habits. So I was forced to drive myself. A Tragedy in itself..

Posted by bob at 2007-07-11 11:46:06. More

Difficulties as a Foreign Visitor

Having lived in china for the past 8 years, speak the language, and drive myself on the streets of Shanghai. Things to remember in China.

Everything is FAKE, 99.99%
Everything is cheap except Tai Tai
Tourists are going to get ripped off, offer 8-12% of the asking price and they will make the deal.

Real Estate is the best investment. Currently own 48 condo's in shanghai, government won't allow me to buy anymore as of August 1, 2006.

Currency keep all your money in RMB as it gets stronger against the dollar, you get wealthier.

Shanghai stock market even with it's us and downs will prevail for the next 25 years.

I'm bailing out in 2011, after the Worlds Fair.

Posted by bob at 2007-07-11 11:31:21. More

Posted by bob at 2007-07-11 11:31:10. More

46	Shanghai South Railway Station I see discussions on transportaion from Pu Dong to the S. Station but I am going from the station to Pu Dong, with a lot of luggage. The shuttle bus sounds the best but where do I catch it? Thanks for any help-"Two hours to get there and nervous"

Posted by Bob at 2007-06-23 13:54:28. More

Z Series Train in China

heyya..jian shuo wang how r u doing..u have a very nioce blog here and very informative..i have a question here for..im going to harbin by next january for the ice sculpture festival i need to know what are the best train to go to harbin..there's a few type train Z,T and K series which one of these is the latest/newer train and which is the most comfortable train
im going to harbin frm Tianjin station because im studying here in Tianjin..but there's no Z train here in Tianjin to go to harbin..please advise me..Thank you

Posted by bob at 2006-12-13 21:23:43. More

US Credit Card Fraud Infected China (and Me)

I live in Guangzhou. I have been in China since February, 2003. I have a bank in California and have used the Visa Cheque Card feature to get money from Bank of China ATMs since coming to China. Until now I have been satisfied with the system.

Once my card was replaced because of stolen card numbers. More recently, however, the card was again canceled because of credit card fraud in China/Asia, the bank told me.

Another bank in USA said there is much fraud because of people trying to recover from huge gambling debts.

All things considered, I am wondering if any of the "excuses" used to cancel the cards are to be believed. Mine is not a credit card; it is a Visa cheque card that can only withdraw existing money from my account with a daily limit on amount withdrawn.

Does anyone have any plausible explanation for this?

Posted by Bob at 2006-09-20 02:47:56. More

38	My Google PageRank Increases to PR5 you have some very interesting information here. I have spent a lot of money on so called professional SEO and find that it was wasted. I have done much better simply providing good phone card information content for my visitors at www.phonecardhotline.com

Posted by bob at 2006-09-16 23:56:26. More

Where to Study Chinese, Beijing or Shanghai?

KAYELLE: "What is it like? I am going to study Chinese in Beijing for a full year in 2006 and my choice lies between BLCU and Tsinghua."

I don't have any answers to that question I'm afraid - I'm actually considering that same option myself. Did you manage to find any info? (this is a long shot given that the post is from last year but I hope you read it..)

From reading a lot of messages from different forums, seems that BLCU has more "progressive" teaching while Tsinghua apparently focusses more on rote learning. Whether this counts in favour of BLCU depends on whether you can rote learn in the classroom and will practise outside; the problem with BLCU seems to be that with so many foreigners, it can be difficult to get the opportunity for serious practice? The texts that BLCU uses is apparently superior to Tsinghua's.

Then again, Tsinghua has name recognition, which might look good on a resume...

post back anyone if any views or experiences!

Posted by Bob at 2006-07-22 11:57:21. More

Do You Believe in Living Cost Index?

Cost of living is very misleading. Here in the USA we do not eat out much due to the cost. The other thing to consider is that the major cities are actually comprised of many different cities. Most of these adjacent cities are quite cheaper. Los Angeles is a good example of this, look at a map of ALL the cities making up the greater LA area.

I have to admit that there is no way that Shanghai or Beijing can compete in the cost arena with New York. As an american I could live very well in China but very poorly in New York.

Posted by bob at 2005-09-27 21:25:59. More

31	Is this Water Safe to Drink? I agree with Bigbro the water here in Ohio is quite safe. I try not to run out of bottled water in China. Most hotel rooms have boiling pots that boil to a rapid boil for the tap water if necessary. I have never become sick as long as I boil the water.

Posted by bob at 2005-09-24 05:59:11. More

I Feel Like a Rabbit when I Eat Salad

Salad...I love a good salad and is very healthy. After being in China for some time period I miss having salad since I have it with every meal.

On the other hand I miss the wide variety of chinese dishes that I've had while travelling through china.

I've found that my friends who also travel to china do better if they find some things locally they like versus living on western food.

Posted by bob at 2005-09-24 05:53:20. More

Not Perfect English is Fine, So does Correction

I can assume you do not mean me. I'm an American who believes they way you do. It is the content of what you write...not the words, grammar or spelling. Traveling to China for the last 15 years or so I'm amazed on how many people are learning english over such a short time. As you can see from past posts I do not spell especially well.

Posted by bob at 2005-09-24 05:38:12. More

Removed my Email from Blog

"To trade off between? Never heard of this saying."

well, thats fun. google the prase of "trade off between" or get a dictionary.

"Jian Shuo Wang has the best English I have ever seen, both oral, listen and written."

ridiculous. and you too baby. "both oral, listen and written". one short sentence pops up bunchs of common solecisms.

Posted by bob at 2005-09-19 14:31:12. More

Removed my Email from Blog

"It is not easy to balance being "open" (by posting my email address), or being realistic (by realizing that I don't have time for it), I finally choose the easy one"

some English tips:

to balance - to trade off between
posting my email - publishing my email
the easy one - the easier one

Posted by bob at 2005-09-19 03:19:55. More

23	PVG: Ramada Hotel Opens at Pudong Airport I have stayed at the Ramada Pudong Airport Hotel several times. It is a good hotel. Make reservations online to get a decent discount. The rooms are good, the Western restaurant is O.K., the Chinese restaurant seemed expensive.

Posted by bob at 2005-08-30 06:31:01. More

18	Wifi Hotspot Competion Becomes Hot the best part is that you will be able to make internation PHONE calls due to the universal wifi standard web interface.... https://evdo.sslpowered.com/wifi-hotspot-router.html shows the router i am using for VOIP.

Posted by bob at 2005-02-16 08:07:48. More

Top Two Differences in China

I do have a big problem with manditory tipping in the US. Generally with a table of 6 to 8 or more they will add a manditory gratuity. In most cases service become terrible.

I've learned not to tip in China, but it is very hard for me as service is usually excellent. I feel guilty.

It seems that some people in china target the westerners for request tips.

Posted by bob at 2005-01-14 15:06:34. More

Thanks for your Comments

In sept05 im planning to take a long term mandarin program at one of the universities here in shanghai. I have narrowed my choices down to the following: East China Normal University, Jiao Tong University and Shanghai International Studies University. I will not live on campus as i have my own place. I live in Changning district so i do favor one closer. Do you know anything about Dong Hua U or Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade's programs? Well whatever comments would be appreciated. Thanks guys and girls....

Posted by Bob at 2004-05-30 17:56:40. More

FIAT Siena 1.5 HL Pictures

Congrats...

Here in America is it usually very common for a new rider to say "I love that new car smell". A little weird, I know, but a new car has a distinctive smell. Not necessarily pleasant smell but NEW!

We also have a saying that you'll always remember your first car and your first new car. In your case you get both. Usually fond memories, but you'll never have quite the same feeling on your others.

Posted by bob at 2004-03-17 10:55:34. More

March 20 Taiwan Election

Being very close to both Taiwan and China I see this as political grand standing. This is a commercial from the Green party which the current leader Chen is from. Like the Democrat party (Senator Kerry, President Clinton and Carter) in the US they try to appeal to emotions versus the mind. This appeals to the uneducated or the young who tend not to think of the consequences of their action. As you know Chen ran on the platform on independence then quickly backed down. It's election time and they are trying to get support again. Since they have very different views on various issues they can only be general and appeal to the emotions.

The Blue party is very conservative and is hoping for election to normalize relations again. This tends to be business owners and the educated. Like the Republican (Presidents Bush, Bush, Reagan, Ford, Nixon) party in the US they are smaller but better funded and more focused. With 1,500,000 Taiwanese business men living in China the vast majority are Blue Party.

Regardless of the outcome don't expect major changes in Taiwan's movement toward normalizing relations.

Posted by bob at 2004-03-07 23:25:20. More

Webcam+Windows Media+GPRS+SmartPhone=?

For the last few years I have traveled with a webcam, headset, computer, GSM phone with GPS, digital camera, and GPS. I have linked my computer to the phone for access any where. GPS to the computer for road maps (none in china).

- I love my Sony Vaio 505 since it only weighs 4 lbs and can do mechanical traslation.

- webcam allows me to talk and see my wife a three young children over the internet.

- US has finally adopted the GSM system so I have contact anywhere in the worl except Japan.

- GPS with map lets me know where I've been.

All the above only weighs about 4 kg. Well worth it.

One question through. T-Mobile here in the US charges outrageous rates for my roaming. Does china mobile have a SIMM card for my GSM phone that will allow about 100 to 300 minutes of mostly international calls?

Thanks.

Bob

Posted by bob at 2004-03-15 00:15:33. More

7	PVG: Has Maglev Started Operation? Mr. Wang, Very nice site. I will be in Shanghai (5th time) Feb 26 and need to go to Changzhou, Wuxi etc. I'm quite excited to ride the Maglev, but am not sure where it terminates. Do you have a link? Thanks, Bob

Posted by bob at 2004-02-10 14:44:39. More

Traffic Rules in Shanghai

I just returned from Shanghai last week. I drove for the first time after multiple trips(no I did not have a license). I just use patience and common sense. The original driver was from Changzhou and was driving me crazy. I find that people near Shanghai tend to drive much better.

In the US you are taking your life in your own hands if you Jay walk US drivers simply do not look for people on the street.

I was in Hong Kong and I Jay walked. I was quickly corrected and informed that the police impose a heavy fine about $500 US and is strickly enforced.

I also have been going to Taipei for about 15 years. Once the city was very similar. Strict police oberservation has ridden the city of this. The City now ranks highest in the world for collected fines. People do get the message sooner or later.

Realistically the way to solve the traffic problem is for excellent mass transit which Shanghai is aggressively persuing.

By the way I really wanted to ride the Mag Lev but it only runs during daylight.

Posted by bob at 2004-03-06 08:44:06. More

Aerial Picture of Anyplace in US

I took my GPS with me during my last visit to China. It has a world map and let me know where I was at all times.

I use mapquest all the time in the US.

My friend in Taiwan has a GPS in his computer with a floating directional map. In other words it always puts you in the center of the map and the top of the screen always faces the way you are moving. He's a bigger techno junkie than I am.

I wish I could find some good electronic maps in China.

Regarding "what do you think". It is very easy and cheap to track a vehicle via GPS/cell phone technology. It's currently being used for our time critical trucks in the US. It also is "big brother" to employees that are supposed to be somewhere doing something at a certain time. For example a plumbing company is charging $50/hour for a plumber to be on site. The employee may charge 2 hours to the job but only spend one work and 1 somewhere where he should not be.

The next step up is an uplink to a satellite for constant communication in the open...Cell phone in a more closed area. It would be very hard to hide. This is also used in our Time critical trucks

It would take an immense amount of $ to visibly track you via satellite real time due to the satellite would have to be dedicated.

Posted by bob at 2004-03-06 09:12:17. More

Is English Skill That Important

I'm caucasian american. My 9 year old is already learning spanish and will be studying Mandarian next. With these two extra languages she will be able to communicate with a large portion of the world.

She is very excited about this type of knowlege as she loves to communicate. She is also driven by my travels and stories of the people I've met.

Frankly speaking I think spanish would be a better choice for a world language as it is simple. Not so many conflicting rules as english. Easier to type than chinese.

Just my opinion. US can not even transfer to the metric system!

Posted by bob at 2004-03-14 23:49:25. More

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