Paris Shanghai A Two-City Tale

So, I found this solution days ago, actually all the banned website in China can be seen by browsing proxyboxonline.com!

Let's enjoy our old friend Youtube in China again...

After visiting the client this noon, I dropped by Tian Zi Community to grab a lunch. As I walked into the community, I realised that I actually went to this place FIVE years ago when I was still at Uni..It's just so near my campus and I was there often to do some cheap shopping. So, I was surprised that a very nothing little street has been so famous now. It was not so good as I expected though. I knew this place years ago, and now it's almost the same thing. Except there are much more restos and cafes all over than years ago, and the prices are really reasonable, which is good.

I just took a shot in a japanese restaurant inside this community, the foods taste ok, and waiters were well trained polite japanese people, and one lunch meal set is incrediblely cheap. At the balcony under the sunshine, it was truly a good treat to myself. But still, it was really weird that we ate around the local residences's eyes, I mean, all the restaurants or boutiques are based in the narrow residence. A lot of neighbour residences really wanted to appreciate today's sunshine, so there were the hanging clothes just after being washed all over the head..that was no lovely at all while wandering inside the community and even while eating or sucking a cup of coffee.

Foreigners like Tian Zi Community, those foreigners who are not so bourgeois or well educated..one minute they take the cheap lunch at a street cheap restaurant and coffee there, chatting blablabla..the next minute they just rush into your taxi grumbling some spanish mixed with funny chinese, wanting to get into it before you..Incroyable! I just said "Ting Bu Dong", didn't even want to look at them when I was chocked by their behavior.

Way back to gallery, the driver spitted out from the window while driving..just wanted to mention it for fun.

And also, I should say that, indeed, Wenzhou people are everywhere. In every corner in Europe, Paris and even in Shanghai..to be frank, they are annoying and bad etudated country people, and I wondered how they became to represent the Chinese people in Europe and prentend to understand Shanghainese while they are still and will be forever Wenzhou people owning THE bad reputation in China mainland!

经济危机下，上海治安越来越差，什么程度，就是在高档地方的高档小偷明目张胆把办公电脑旁的小链包偷走，附带里面的用的快三年的喜欢不行的钱包，有非常纪念价值，初到里昂时候的纪念。还有很多照片和卡们。其中最重要的卡就是晒黑卡了。这下可好了，又要重新买卡，索性我就换个地方晒了。反正不能丢的都被偷了。

破产越来越多了，动邪念的人越来越多。原本还可以的人都列为要讨生计的行列。然后今天听到在高档night club也被偷iphone，这就是取消vip制度的坏处。晚上去休闲一下都不让人安分。谁都可以着装随便的进入然后顺手牵羊。竟然连iphone这样的2008款也要偷，看来金融危机害人不浅。

偷窃泛滥成洪灾，指的就是上海这样一块宝地。那么大家所幸拎拎H&M，不要更新手机，钱包也省掉，就带张卡，挂失也方便。这样生活，其实也蛮简单，蛮好的。

一个星期之内参加了四次event阿party阿, 上海的人类真是品种繁多。特别到了晚上可以见到很多寻求猎物的人群，自从经济危机以后猎物从男人女人转换成了生意对象。想要在上海生存下去不容易啊。男欢女爱还是靠后。当然，在晚上女人数量也大幅减少，二奶下岗了，女公关也纷纷没事干了。很是一片萧条。原本VIP制度的M1NT如今也身价跌到不行。随便什么人都可以进了阿。男人穿得倒是开始注意形象起来，否则没有人理。

那些非亚洲人种还真是可怜，自己国家找不到活，在上海怎么可能骗得了人。世界人民们，中国人民现在可刁了阿。反而那些亚洲脸很吃香，但是他们到底是不是本地中国人还是什么BC..要搞清楚。那些什么BC的来上海讨生活还不如那些乡镇企业家们。其实night club需要的是这样的人才好呢，没有他们一个个也快倒闭了吧。

女孩子的着装一个个也萧条起来，现在中国人有钱，所以穿起来要朴素一点才能吸引老板们呢。看来经济危机渗透到生活的方方面面。白人真的是没有市场了。一个个都要耷拉着脸孔回家去了。除了学会了和民工一样穿这拖鞋出门开个破摩托，上海还能给他们什么呢。

在法国欧洲甚至北非的时候，很多人都会问我，是不是吐痰是中国人的传统甚至文化？！很是令人诧异，什么是中国传统，中国人的文化习惯，那就是随地吐痰。当然，我总是矢口否认，说是只有在农村才存在。可是，回到了上海，才知道，那条街上没有吐过痰的印记，那才叫是诧异呢。

当然，在国外的时候已经把人可以在街上随便吐痰这个东西忘在脑后一干二净了巴黎是相当的脏，到处可以看到狗屎和烟头，但是和上海比起来，真是小巫见大巫了。当然不仅是上海，google一下spitting chinese，你可以看到首当其冲的就是北京人。所以在这方面来说，中国南北无差异阿。真的可谓是中国人的典型风俗习惯了。

回上海这几个月，已经有不下三次被走或者坐在路边的人用痰突袭，几丝痰飘过腿或者脚边，可能因为个子高，已经可以庆幸没有在上身部或者面部划过了。还有甚者，一次两次还不够，连续三次不停spit，好似竞赛，娱乐，甚是乐于其中阿。也有和我一样的上海青年，从欧洲回来，在公交车上被连续以一秒一次连续三次spit，被shock到不行。我们当然边谈边捧腹，可是当被问及吐痰是中国文化传统这类问题，还是会突然语塞，然后闹钟闪过的都是电影面纱里中国人民的画面。

当然，不仅是我一个人倒霉，出门的人都是会遇到。当然，在这里惯了也惯了，shock不到哪里去。可是路边广告牌不停的用大字声明你是在国际化大城市，明年是世博会，一边又全民吐痰运动颠覆这一号召，真是觉得无可奈何阿。作为生在长在上海的一个上海人来说，好像这里已经不是我所记忆中的家了。它带给我的只有难堪，还有些遗憾。也许那些美丽惆怅的上海小调也只能放在脑中的唱片机里了。

When you casually wander on the streets in Shanghai, you see only taxis, millions of taxis, with all the colours, and you tell yourself that it’s crazy to have so many cabs in town and what for anyway?! Well, because often, when you’ve nothing to do or just walking around, it’s obviously that it’s not the city rush hour, or maybe the weather is delightful (which is very rare). So, soon you’ll see that this large amount of taxis in Shanghai has "the" reasons to exist. They are absolutely useful as the city common transportation, and you cannot live without them in Shanghai.

So, when you’re pissed off in the middle of the street, wondering when the earth you can finally get into a cab so as to make the appointment, there’re always some tips to get you in one of those taxis in Shanghai, and more importantly, the good quality ones. Means, they don’t take you travel all around the city while your destination might be just around the corner, and then charge you so expensive that you could have already been in Beijing. Or, they don’t stink like some people just fed a cow in the countryside stepped in that car before you do, nor some animals like snakes for example occasionally amuse you in the cab (which really happened), in the meanwhile, you’re so scared off that you think you’re mentally ill, which is not true! While the snakes are true story! So, you can’t let the cabs fool you in this city, as a native Shanghainese who take taxis all the time in the city, let me give you some tips right now:

1. Yes, the cabs of the city are really colourful, but don’t be fascinated by these colours. You shall just remember to take the “blue-green” ones, the “Da Zhong” taxi company. Normally, they don’t fool you even you’re new in the town. If the shit happens, you should just dial the complain number 6258 0780.

2. Often you cannot get you a Da Zhong taxi, because they’re the most popular and reliable ones. Then, you’ve no choice but go for the green “Ba Shi” taxis, or the yellow “Qiang Sheng” ones, or the white “Jing Jiang” cabs.

3. If you’ve really no options and get into a navy blue ones, might be “Lan Se Lian Meng” taxi company, then, just wish yourself luck and be caution all the time in the cab, in case of the unhappy things happens.

4. Always note the taxi car number and driver number, and be aware of the name of the taxi company. In case that you’re about to complain the bad service. And the cab company complain phone number is on the back of the driver seat as well, together with the car number and driver number.

5. Always get your receipt while paying the cab. You have all the information about this cab on it.

6. If you’re smart enough to recognize the Shanghainese local driver, then show off some of your Shanghainese dialect, it won’t hurt anyways.

7. The base price of the taxis in the city is 11 Yuan. However, during the night from 11 pm, they charge for 13 Yuan for the base price.

8. In Shanghai, we have this kind of transportation card called ''Jiao Tong card'', which can be used in the bus, metros and taxis as well all over the city...so we can not only pay the taxi fee by cash, but also by this transportation express card...just make sure that you have enough credit in your card. You can purchase it and regularly charge the Yuan into it in every metro station.

Plus, the last but not the least, don't ever take the white taxis in Shanghai, they ignore your complains or their problems..the taxi company is called Jinjiang and it's getting its bad reputations years ago!

Be free to add more info about the subject and also feel free to ask me any questions about life in Shanghai

1. Go to your resident's committee or neighbourhood committee to ask for help. Normally people there will find some cleaning ladies who regularly work for the families in the same residence and neighbourhood. You can ask the committee to find you the ones who are really responsible for their work, and with good credit. According to the different districts and neighbourhoods, they charge differently from 8 Yuan per hour to 20 Yuan per hour. They are mostly provincials, who are not so well educated, but sometimes, you can be lucky enough to have the Shanghainese cleaning ladies, while they charge more expensive, they do the better works though.

2. If you want to hire someone who can speak foreign language like English, then you have to google “English-speaking cleaning ladies in Shanghai” or “Shanghai home cleaning agencies” in English. They will be very kind and patient to find you an English-speaking cleaning lady, who charges expensive for sure.

3. You can always to post your needs and offers on internet, like on “shanghai.baixing.com”. You shall get the information you want there.

Be free to add more info about the subject and also feel free to ask me any questions about life in Shanghai

上海因为世博会在到处修建。所以路过了复兴路，走路穿了整个卢湾区，也是西方人口中一直念叨的french concession。我还是喜欢卢湾这个叫法。小时候以及少年时的回忆涌入心头。可是那座经常去的老洋房变成了工地，隔壁教堂也锈了。马当路附近的整条复兴中路变成了不伦不类的三不像。成就了新天地附近的richgate住宅区。很是觉得扫兴和悲伤。原来，变化是日日中的，于是回忆也成了微不足道的变化中的牺牲品。

新天地真的不足一提，所谓french concession，没有什么法国味道，反而把老上海的味道都消了。殖民地味道很重。不是个自豪的事情。新天地就是小欧洲，可是去过欧洲的都会觉得没有什么味道。怎么能比较。还是想念以前的卢湾。以前的复兴路，整条路漂着上海书香味。从这里去岳阳路的音乐学院，从这里走过四年大学路，住在这里老洋房的长辈。于是这个风景都不再有清涩。默默期待工程尽快完工，这里又是夏天乘凉人的天地。

然后突然发现已被我遗忘的不剩的吴越人家。一进小厅，三三两两。没有什么客人。但衣着整洁，吃饭不出声音。突然让我也无意中压低小声。价格比小时候翻一倍了，味道只差不多。不过典型环境让我一身清静，服务的只有上海阿姨，光临的也只有上海小资，弄堂里的小面店，现在看来，还是儒雅清爽几倍。背景音乐吴侬细语，让我觉得，至少还有你。

没有去过欧洲列国，以及法国巴黎的人，很容易把浪漫和时尚套在法国人的头上。其实，和一个法国普通人稍微交谈之后就会发现，他们并不熟悉自家国牌Louis Vuitton，有的人甚至还不屑于拥有之。他们的穿着也很普通，大型连锁店H&M里黑色系，还有没有牌子的jeans。对于土生土长的上海青年来说，穿着是最重要的，其中牌子是很大的关键。有很多路人一身走在流行前沿，但是明眼一看真就是七铺路淘来的百元行头。这是萨牌子，是和朋友见面第一句问候语。当然每次见人总要有新东西上身，否则没有新意。所以，觉得法国人没有fashion sense。当然上海也有很多没有时尚感觉的人士，不过都集中于四零五零。年轻人出国频繁，接触面广，很快都很识趣地和国际接轨。比如回上海能找到很多家内容丰富，各个档次的晒黑小店就让我宽慰很多。不过什么时候能有像point soleil那样开连锁，那么上海才能是名副其实的国际大城市。

当然，去了巴黎以后，果然和法国普通人不一样。他们和法国外省人也不怎么相同。从穿上就很有新意，品牌也多出很多。于是上了巴黎其中几条通过层次较高地区地铁里，就能看到当季的巴黎流行趋势了。人群中也有了趋炎附势以及攀比时髦的味道。很让人有亲切感。也让回到上海的我，并没有多么想念巴黎，因为人的穿着和城市夜晚的颜色是相同的。都是la ville lumière...上海的地铁也一样，静安寺和人民广场的人群的神态和语言都是没有交集的。于是上海人也越来越避开乘坐地铁，纷纷买小车。这是生活在这座城市中蛮必要的生活举措之一，因为出租车里的臭味也开始挥之不去了。

在巴黎有好区也有地段不好的地方，和上海一样。就像南京东路是百年不能去的地方。就像铁塔下的兜售小商品的印度人从来遇不到巴黎人的光临，所以他们都学会了用中，日，韩，泰四国语言来问好。只是，上海的好区远远比上海的杂区面积来的小，微小。而巴黎则相反，好区和杂区互半，就算在巴黎的19区也有villette的恬静之美。

当然上海生活，也有上海海派文化之美。细细讲来，不比在巴黎几年游来味道要淡。所以也能安然生活之。讲讲上海话，串串上海林荫小路，闻闻老房子味道，也是一股期待夏天来临的激动心情油然而生。