Published by Swiss James on 15 Feb 2008 at 01:41 pm
My first time in Shanghai
This week marks the 3rd anniversary of the first time I came to Shanghai.
Back in those days I used to work in Korea, at Incheon airport, and would have to leave every three months to get my visa stamped. One such visa trip was to Shanghaii for the Chinese New Year of the Rooster- it was my first ever time in China, and here’s what I thought about it:.

China was great, cold, wet, crowded and a bit dirty, but great all the same
[I remember the weather was really horrible actually. Raining and grey the entire time]
Shanghai is a fairly good looking city, despite the fact it’s covered in cranes from all of the construction projects- it’s hard to tell which of the neon lights and sumptuous decorations were just up for the New Year celebrations and which are permanant but I ended up stopping practically every 20 metres up the street to take a picture.
[and, propheticallly]
My plan is to go back in 2008 for the Year of the Deathstar Throwing Ninja.
ahh if only I knew then, what I know etc.
In fact I remember thinking at the time that Shanghai would be a great place to live, and do you know what? It is.
Looking at the address of the place we stayed in though, I still can’t work out where the hell it was:

Any ideas?
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Oh! “Harbin Snow And Ice Big world” in disgusting characters!!!
man someone has some terrible handwriting.
I’m sure someone who can actually read Chinese will come along sooner (I have no one to blame but myself) –
#23 Haixing lu? (But I don’t know a Haixing Lu)
Qing Nian Hui – it’s some kind of youth hostel! There’s no Hai Xing Rd in Shanghai. How about calling the number?
In English:
Firt Line: Zhong Fu Youth Garden Service Apartment
Second Line: Address: No. 23 Hai Chao Road Shanghai
It is in Huangpu District, west to the Yangtze river, and south to the People’s Square
You can have a look at the map yourself (highlighted point is the exact location):
http://ditu.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=zh-CN&geocode=&q=%E4%B8%8A%E6%B5%B7%E6%B5%B7%E6%BD%AE%E8%B7%AF+%E4%B8%AD%E7%A6%8F&sll=31.208487,121.497656&sspn=0.012553,0.022531&ie=UTF8&ei=-Gy1R6m9JJna2gKR97GoCQ&cd=4&cid=0,0,14326361154984427361&li=lmd&z=16&iwloc=A
When you need to tell your taxi driver the address, make sure you give him this note, not just saying “Zhong Fu Hotel”, as it is in fact another Shanghai hotel
That’s Hai Chao road,near Lu Jia Bang road. We can’t say that is terrible handwirting,especially for Chinese.
I’m sure you know by now, that the statue on the Bund isn’t of Chairman Mao, but instead of Chen Yi, the first Communist Mayor of Shanghai
I’ve cast my eye over it, Mr James, and as far as i can tell it reads:
“I love you a lot and would love to stroke your baldy head.
Mr Knut Arving, BA Hons.”
Strange but true…
T- absolutely, that knowledge is 3 years old and I’m wiser now. Ah the folly of youth!
Kai- great stuff fella, kudos.
Knut- you read what you want to read I reckon
Mr James, you are being correct. I would like that. I would even grow a big nose moustache for you.
I’m not really bald anyway, it’s a wig.
James, that’s where Sergei lived for his first year in Shanghai and where we play pool. It’s DIRECTLY o p p o s i t e (gaps to avoid the spam detector banning the word s i t e) the fabric market on Lu Jia Bang Lu. Did it not look familiar when you went to the fabric market?
Zhong Fu Hua Yuan Qing Nian Hui Jiu Dian Shi Gong Yu
Dddress is Shang Hai Hai Chao Lu 23 Hao
Hope that helped? (:
Since your german is way better than my chinese, I won’t guess. ;-) Thanks for the message, btw.
Dude! You were an illegal?! Haw – Haw!
twg- not an illegal, there was no appropriate visa for my types. NO APPROPRIATE VISA!!!
Madness? This is Korea….