Forget the Taxi, Take A Rickshaw

As I mentioned in an earlier post, taking a taxi from Old Street in Shanghai was practically impossible. It was very cold, so when we were propositioned by an elderly gentleman in a motorized rickshaw...we accepted. Of course, we were worried about whether the flimsy looking vehicle could keep us safe from the elements...and from the traffic. Despite our concerns, we jumped in and had the most interesting ride of our entire trip. It's cheap, fast, and easy...and a great alternative way to travel!

Shanghai Old Street

Another famous spot in Shanghai is Old Street. It's a street of shops and it's a great place to pick up all kinds of souvenirs. The streets are lined with food and loud and aggressive vendors trying to persuade you to come into their shops. Be prepared to be harassed and to bargain for what you want. Another thing to be prepared for is the lack of taxis leaving Old Street. It takes forever to find a taxi, and if you do, be aware that you'll literally have to fight others to get a seat. My friend and I waited so long for a taxi, that we finally ventured into a rickshaw...more details to follow...haha!

Snakes for Lunch in Shanghai

The Chinese are notorious for eating just about everything. I've tried a lot of different food while on assignment in Japan, so the idea of having even more unusual food in China was quite appealing. When I heard that eating snakes in China was fairly common, I immediately asked our concierge for directions and recommendations for the best snake in town. He informed me that the government was cracking down on serving snakes, opting instead to protect them. Although not as plentiful as they were in the past, he still had a recommendation of good snake at a restaurant not far from our hotel. After all of the buildup, I can only say that I was surprised to find quite a bit of bones in our snake...but not surprised by the lack of meat. To me, once I got over the mental picture involved with eating a snake, the taste was pretty easy to handle. The lack of meat made me feel like I was eating more batter than anything...it was an experience, tons of fun, but I'm glad I had lots of rice to eat as well...or I may have been hungry. Interestingly enough, snakes aren't the most filling lunch around..haha

Visiting the Yuyuan Garden of Shanghai

Another stop on our weekend tour was of the Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai. I will be honest and admit that I'm not much of a nature girl, and parks don't usually thrill me...but this one was pretty good. The architecture and landscaping seemed was very obviously traditional Chinese style and an interesting break from the busy market right outside it's doors. It was pretty cold while we were there, but on a nice day, I'm sure it's even better!

More information can be found at: http://www.chinahighlights.com/shanghai/attraction/yuyuan-garden.htm

Hello China: Visit the Jade Buddha Temple

During my short week in Shanghai, I am determined to take in some of the sights - I don't want to spend my entire trip here in an office. Over the weekend, my favorite Singaporean travel buddy and I visited several key places in attempt to see the highlights of Japan.

One of our first stops was to the Jade Buddha Temple. The temple was quite a bit larger than I expected when entering, and had tons of Buddha statues and places for worship. There were tons of tourists and locals there...a definite see in Shanghai.

For more information, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jade_Buddha_Temple

Last Day of Working in Japan....Look at my "office"

One of the first things that people generally ask me about the differences between working here in Japan as opposed to the U.S. On my last working day at the headquarters of a large and famous Japanese company, I snapped a picture of my workplace. There are so many differences in the working culture, but one of the most pronounced is captured in this picture.

In the US, I always worked in a private office. I know that I've been quite fortunate in that regard, but even for those who don't work in offices, most office workers have a cube...with some walls and some privacy. We also usually have personal phone lines and operate quite independently.

The reverse is true in Japan...the office space is one big office...there is little personal space...and absolutely no barriers between you and the next person. There is a communal telephone line, and generally the youngest or least senior person in the group is responsible for answering the phone and directing the calls toward the other members in the team.

It would be easy to say that one system is good while another is bad, but it's more important, I think to realize the merits of both systems...interesting!

It's Almost Sakura Season

It's fairly common knowledge that I LOVE pink!! So, whenever I mention to someone that my assignment is over this week, they always say that I'm leaving just before Sakura...or cherry blossom season. I will miss the big blooming near Tokyo, but as part of my last weekend's day trip, my friends and I traveled to Kawazu, a place near the sea where the Sakura come out earlier. In Kawazu, it was actually the end of Kawazu's Sakura season...but seeing so many of the blooms was a great way to end my experiences here in Japan...beautiful!