After two failed attempts at uploading the CNY fireworks video footage
onto this blog (apparently the files were too large, and my free
blogspot account doesn't allow for files that large), I uploaded the
videos onto my Facebook page instead. So go see it there. If you're
not an FB friend, then I don't know what to do.. Read my blog post
again and use your imagination.. :)
14 February 2010
CNY Fireworks
Wow, I mean wow! First of all, happy new year everyone! 2010 is the Year of the Tiger, and it came in with a bang, literally. Fireworks and firecrackers all around. So let me rewind. Saturday the 13th was new years eve, and leading up to the day, there were firecrackers exploding sporadically around the city, but nothing over the top. About 7:30pm onwards, the city slowly went nuts. Someone once told me that Chinese people turn into pyros during CNY (Spring Festival), and thats totally true. I was at a friends house for dinner, and they live on the 28th floor. I went out on the balcony and someone had just put a box on the street of fireworks that shot up to pretty much where we were. It was weird looking down on fireworks, instead of looking up. So yeah, a box of fireworks. Imagine a box of about 2.5 feet high and wide. Inside, there's about 15 tubes. In those tubes are fireworks that shoot up 25 floors or so. Apparently, these boxes are readily available b/c everyone had them. Heck, fireworks are made in China, so they didn't have to be transported too far.
And you know, back in the states, in order to watch these fireworks, people usually pack into a high school football field or a baseball stadium. Or like July 4th in DC, fireworks are shot off from the Potomac, while people are at a safe distance away. Not here. People walk out to the street, put the box there and light it. And keep in mind, I live in the middle of the city, so there's houses and buildings all around. No matter. Or they shoot them off from their apartment terrace. Basically any unobstructed space will do.
After dinner, I met up with some friends on at the bar of the top floor of a hotel around my house. There we had a perfect view of Pudong's Pearl Tower and the Bottle Opener, with fireworks exploding all around. At 11:45pm, almost on cue, it started snowing. No kidding. A little past 11:50pm, we headed up to the helipad on top of the hotel, maybe now about the 43rd floor, out in the open. (How did this happen? Let's just say we know the right people.) So I'm standing there, it's snowing, we have a 360 degree view of downtown Shanghai, and everything around you is exploding with fireworks. The sky was lit up with blue, green, red, yellow, gold, silver. It was crazy. Just crazy. Absolutely one of the top 5 moments in my life. Standing there and reflecting on how awesome it was. I tried to post videos, but apparently the file is too big. I'll figure out a way to do this. In the meantime, please enjoy the 2 blurry pics.
By the time, I left the bar almost 2am, visibility was near zero. Smoke from the fireworks had pretty much blocked everything out. From the top floor bar, there was a 50ish-story building right next to us. We couldn't see it.
When you think about it, the wildest thing was that this wasn't some government sanctioned event where fire officials are coordinating the launching of fireworks. It was just local people who had a box and decided to light them. And from 11:30pm to about 12:30am, it was a lot of them that decided to light them all at once. And they're still lighting them. It's pushing 4am as I write this, and there's still explosions outside. Apparently, this will go on for another few days. But I'd like to think of it as the sound of awesomeness...
I really love Shanghai!
http://shangbert.blogspot.com
And you know, back in the states, in order to watch these fireworks, people usually pack into a high school football field or a baseball stadium. Or like July 4th in DC, fireworks are shot off from the Potomac, while people are at a safe distance away. Not here. People walk out to the street, put the box there and light it. And keep in mind, I live in the middle of the city, so there's houses and buildings all around. No matter. Or they shoot them off from their apartment terrace. Basically any unobstructed space will do.
After dinner, I met up with some friends on at the bar of the top floor of a hotel around my house. There we had a perfect view of Pudong's Pearl Tower and the Bottle Opener, with fireworks exploding all around. At 11:45pm, almost on cue, it started snowing. No kidding. A little past 11:50pm, we headed up to the helipad on top of the hotel, maybe now about the 43rd floor, out in the open. (How did this happen? Let's just say we know the right people.) So I'm standing there, it's snowing, we have a 360 degree view of downtown Shanghai, and everything around you is exploding with fireworks. The sky was lit up with blue, green, red, yellow, gold, silver. It was crazy. Just crazy. Absolutely one of the top 5 moments in my life. Standing there and reflecting on how awesome it was. I tried to post videos, but apparently the file is too big. I'll figure out a way to do this. In the meantime, please enjoy the 2 blurry pics.
By the time, I left the bar almost 2am, visibility was near zero. Smoke from the fireworks had pretty much blocked everything out. From the top floor bar, there was a 50ish-story building right next to us. We couldn't see it.
When you think about it, the wildest thing was that this wasn't some government sanctioned event where fire officials are coordinating the launching of fireworks. It was just local people who had a box and decided to light them. And from 11:30pm to about 12:30am, it was a lot of them that decided to light them all at once. And they're still lighting them. It's pushing 4am as I write this, and there's still explosions outside. Apparently, this will go on for another few days. But I'd like to think of it as the sound of awesomeness...
I really love Shanghai!
http://shangbert.blogspot.com
11 February 2010
My 1-Year
Today is my 1-year anniversary of living in Shanghai! Yeah, it's
already been one year of adventures in Shanghai. Time has sure flown
by that's for sure. It's been fun and there's so much that I want to
blog about but usually forget once I get back to my computer. I
should carry around a tape recorder. Or one of those flip camera
things, so I can video blog. Well, I was thinking, even though I've
been here a year, there's still some things that I haven't done. So I
compiled a short list of "top5 things i havent done yet in shanghai".
Here goes...
already been one year of adventures in Shanghai. Time has sure flown
by that's for sure. It's been fun and there's so much that I want to
blog about but usually forget once I get back to my computer. I
should carry around a tape recorder. Or one of those flip camera
things, so I can video blog. Well, I was thinking, even though I've
been here a year, there's still some things that I haven't done. So I
compiled a short list of "top5 things i havent done yet in shanghai".
Here goes...
5. I have never used a pay phone in China. Come to think of it, I
can't even think of the last time I used a pay phone in the states.
But yeah, I think you have to use a phone card here or something. Not
sure where they sell it. Maybe convenience stores. Cell phones are
cheap enough, so I just use the celly cell.
4. I have never been to the post office - "China Post". Most of the
time, in the states, I just go to the post office to deliver a package
domestically, but since I don't really know too many people outside of
Shanghai, I don't need to do that. I don't even know if you need
stamps or will Comrade Mao pay for your letter? I doubt it though.
They nickel and dime you for everything here.
3. I have never watched a movie in a movie theater here. I know it
costs 70 rmb (about $10) for a ticket, and Tuesdays is half price.
But seriously, when perfect quality DVDs cost 12 rmb (about $1.50),
why go to a movie theater? 'Nuff said.
2. I have never taken a Huangpu River cruise. It's something that
most people do when its warmer, but it's just something I've never
gotten around to. I will for sure soon though. I have been on the
ferry a few times, but that's not exactly like the river cruise.
1. I have never drank BAIJIU. I keep hearing horror stories about
baijiu. It's this local alcoholic spirit that's really nasty, or so
I'm told. I've smelled it before. It smells like a strong household
cleaner. So the taste is probably something similar. Some friends
use it to clean their toilet or disinfect stuff. Yeah, been living in
Shanghai for one year and have never had baijiu.
So there you have it. My "Top 5 I have never in Shanghai.." list.
05 February 2010
cheap books
i dont know if ive already mentioned this before, but you could buy
popular english language books for next to nothing here. its usually
on the weekends, people sell books (mostly business or current affairs
related titles) out of their bicycles or scooters outside of subway
stations. for example, you can get freakonomics or thomas friedman or
malcolm gladwell or harvard business review books for 7-20 rmb per
book. sometimes they have fiction books too, like dan brown or the
devil prada whatever its called. books are priced not by popularity
or nytimes best seller charts, but by how big they are. the bigger
and thicker the book, the more expensive it is; and vice versa. its
easy to build quite an impressive library for a fraction of what it'd
cost in the US. needless to say, these are basically copies of the
real books itself. all the content is real and exact. not sure if
this is what thomas friedman had in mind when he wrote "the world is
flat", which by the way costs 15rmb, or a little bit more than $2.
popular english language books for next to nothing here. its usually
on the weekends, people sell books (mostly business or current affairs
related titles) out of their bicycles or scooters outside of subway
stations. for example, you can get freakonomics or thomas friedman or
malcolm gladwell or harvard business review books for 7-20 rmb per
book. sometimes they have fiction books too, like dan brown or the
devil prada whatever its called. books are priced not by popularity
or nytimes best seller charts, but by how big they are. the bigger
and thicker the book, the more expensive it is; and vice versa. its
easy to build quite an impressive library for a fraction of what it'd
cost in the US. needless to say, these are basically copies of the
real books itself. all the content is real and exact. not sure if
this is what thomas friedman had in mind when he wrote "the world is
flat", which by the way costs 15rmb, or a little bit more than $2.
anyways, my whole point is, that today one of those book sellers
showed up outside of my subway station. so i took a look. guess what
he had? lonely planet china! seriously! i didnt ask how much, since
i already have one, but still, he could be a great source for rip-off
lonely planet books. i wonder if he also carries time out guides (my
favorite).. ill have to ask him next time..
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