What I Learn About Da Hu So Far - Part 3

There are many property web portals and I have learned that they are all bullshit. I would even go to the extent of calling all of them crooks.

Nothing you see is real. Even if it were genuine, I have already lost faith in these web portals who purportedly claimed that they cut out the middle man and that any misrepresentation would have been easily exposed and reported since it is the web where everybody is free to leave a comment.

Again. Bullshit.

The above was a "picture" of an apartment within walking distance to the train station and at a rate well below my budget. Naturally, I was delighted initially but my skepticism soon crept in as I started taking a big pinch of salt. Still, there was this small part of me secretly hoping that I had struck the lottery.

Below is the front page where they advertised a studio apartment at RMB 2000 (SGD 400) a month. It is very cheap by Singapore standards but please be reminded that we are in QQLand. Shanghai. Sibeh ulu part of Shanghai.

(Click Here To See Actual Page)

I went down to a property agency and I asked about the market rate of a studio apartment of the above property and I was told that the rental on average was RMB 4600 (SGD 920), which I felt was a more realistic figure. Naturally, I was rather upset at the discrepancy between the advertised rates and reality.

I then asked about a few other properties in the vicinity and the discrepancies is about RMB 1000 (SGD 200). While SGD 200 may not sound like a lot but it is a alarming 30-over % discrepancy.

Obviously, these so-called "apartments" are baits to entice you to call them and they lure you in for the slaughter.

Bait-n-Switch.

I found another 2 pages of 2 different properties.

(Click To View Actual Page)

(Click To View Actual Page)

See anything wrong with them?

Click on both properties and look at all the photos.

They are friggin' identical!!

How can two different properties have identical layout, furniture, everything??

All I can say is that this supposed agent for supposed Century21 (I keep saying supposed coz I can't even be sure if he is an agent of the said agency) is a swindler.

Scum.

--> Click Here For The Rest Of "What I Learn In Da Hu So Far" series.

- Voxeros

What I Learn About Da Hu So Far - Part 2

It takes a while to figure out the public transport in every new place.

For those who are familiar with peak hour conditions of QQLand public transportation, can be a very big challenge.

• JayWalk Online (07 Nov 2012) - Peak Hour In The Capital

So it's the taxi service, in the interim, to get around.

I am putting up at a friend's place (rent free) but it is a wee bit far away from my office.

For now, cab fare getting to work and back is about RMB 50 (SGD 10) each way. Multiply that by 26 wucking days, it's a rather hefty RMB 1300 (about SGD 260) a month.

Still relatively cheap by Singapore standard but lest you be reminded, I am not in Singapore.

I was late the first day of getting to work on my own. I was waiting for cab at the wrong places. They were either occupied or heading in the wrong direction.

I did a search for taxi service apps for the mobile phone and discover there were many. I downloaded them all and tried then all.

None of them worked, as I was not able to secure a single successful booking. Getting home from work is even worse as it is damn ulu to begin with.

That was until I discovered 大黄蜂 (literal translation: Big Yellow Hornet).

I started to notice the few cabs that I took had their mobile phones mounted on their dashboard with this app on their screen. I had a good chat with the drivers and realised quite a large number of cabbies uses this app. This new app is rather popular among the cabbies due to their generous subsidies to the cabbies. I think it is good strategy to encourage adoption rate as long as the software developer has enough start-up capital to sustain the initial burn.

Unlike our Comfort-Delgro app which is run by the taxi company i.e. a surcharge imposed, this one is very much like Tan Kin Lian's Taxi Automated Booking System (TABS), which I suspect is defunct as I can't find it anywhere on Apple Appstore. It is an independent software linking up cabs and passengers, bypassing the taxi company.

Like TABS, there is also the option to add tips to entice the cabbies to take up your fare ahead of other passengers, especially during peak hours.

The downside, especially during peak hours, is that you need to book a little in advance as the wait for the taxi to actually show up is about 20 minutes.

If you need a cab right away, it is better to just stand out there on the street and try to flag one down. Again, you will need to figure where to wait for the cab.

Payment for me is via their EZLink card which is very good in the sense you don't have to deal with pesky change after you paid your fare.

Always, take the receipt regardless if you need it or not.

I made the mistake of not taking the receipt and the cabbie made off with my iPhone when I carelessly dropped it.

It was totally my fault as I let my guard down since Shanghai and Beijing are so much safer than cowboy town D0ngguan.

As the saying goes, low crime doesn't mean no crime.

It was a very expensive lesson

--> Click Here For The Rest Of "What I Learn In Da Hu So Far" series.

- Voxeros

What I Learn About Da Hu So Far - Part 1

If there is one word to describe Da Hu. What would it be?

Vibrant? Modern? Sophistication? Exciting?

I supposed everyone has a different answer to that question.

Me?

The word is Money.

Yes.

Money.

The city is all about money and the thirsty quest for more.

Money opens any and every door ahead of you. You just need to have enough of it.

I have quite a number of friends in Da Hu and upon hearing my arrival, their phone calls came fast and furious seeking to meet up.

So one of the nights, I met up with some friends at this upscale place called Bund18 where it is an old UNESCO award winning heritage preservation building. The inside has been converted to high-end luxury goods store with Club Cuvve (see above and right), where I was headed, occupying the fourth floor.

The damage for one night of clubbing? About RMB 7000 (about SGD 1400).

Good grief.

It is easy to make friends when you have money as some of these folks are like sharks, who smelled blood from a mile away, making a bee-line in your direction. Where all credit is due, they are straight forward about it and made no effort to disguise.

Everything, it seems, has a price tag.

Ultimately, it is a transaction where you decide whether to go ahead with it. Or not.

I supposed it is fine if you have buckets and buckets of money stash in the crevices of your sofa but there are those who got caught up with the glitz of it all that they failed to understand that you need very very deep pockets to keep up.

These are the folks who get wiped out first. It is not that they don't know how to play the game but rather, the fact that they don't have enough chips to remain at the table to see the game to the end.

It is not before long that these people get themselves enslaved by credit cards and other form of debts that they eventually fall off the radar.

And guess what?

Nobody will notice their disappearance into oblivion.

It is just a matter of time, short time if I may add, before the next fool shows up and take the seat that was vacated earlier.

--> Click Here For The Rest Of "What I Learn In Da Hu So Far" series.

Image Credit: http://www.zjgxw.com; http://api.ning.com/

- Voxeros

Lucky Bar In Da Hu

As I am settling down in Da Hu, I found a little bar that I shall make it my Chill HQ.

Initially, as per my SOP, I would seek out an Irish Pub but the nearest one that I can find was quite a distance away.

A friend brought me to this one and I made new friends instantly.

I like the cosiness of the place and the prices are not expensive compared to the clubbing sites along the bund where a night of partying can easily set you back by 4-figures. SGD.

They open daily from 1pm which is perfect for a lazy afternoon with a book.

It's a tiny bar with just a bar counter and just 4 tables.

Weekends are about 80% full with everybody knowing everybody else.

I was there last Sunday and it was a slow afternoon of just 3 other customers and a pooch.

The dog probably make a lousy guard dog as she is very friendly to everyone including me who at the time was a complete stranger.

So there I was, taking it easy with a Guinness and a book while the dog laid quietly under my chair snoozing the afternoon away.

Nice.

- Voxeros

Sian XMM Episode XXV

Well, what do you know? I claimed yet another international victim. Heh.

Was taking a dig at all the girls who die die must take picture of their food before they eat by saying that smartphones these days have a sanitizer function where you point at your food, click the shutter and all the germs will be killed.

Heh.

- Voxeros

Tiny Lobsters In Da Hu

That's Shanghai's famous 小龙虾 (Little Lobster or Tiny Lobster), which depending on region, is also known as Crawfish, Crayfish or Yabby.

It is a little bit confusing for folks from Singapore as crayfish in Singapore refers to Slipper Lobster which is a different crustacean altogether.

The Tiny Lobster is in season right now (May to September) and we made our way to the restaurant to eat.

The lobsters are usually cooked in a savoury broth with Sichuan peppercorn generously added to give it that extra kick.

These yummy lobsters are ordered by the kilo and we ordered 4 kilos for the 5 of us. It may sound like a lot but in actual fact, a significant portion of the total weight actually goes to the head and shell.

We were each given a tray to collect our shells and the one in the foreground is mine. *burp*

Ice cold beer is perhaps the best complement to this dish and as you can probably figured out, it was an awesome meal. *hic*

- Voxeros

MYP Award Ceremony 2013 - Part 2

The Run For Funds (RFF) MYP Award Ceremony was held back in end-March but due to busy schedule of Adrian, the report didn't come out until now.

This year is a significant milestone here at Run For Funds (RFF).

I am personally very proud of what Adrian has done thus far and will continue to do.

So without further ado, here's Adrian's report.

Cheers.

---

Hi folks, (pics can be found @ http://www.facebook.com/RunForFunds).

On 30th March 2013, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Maximize Your Potential (MYP) award at Geylang Methodist School Primary (GMSP).

If we include the 20 recipients this year (of which 9 are first time recipients), the MYP program has touched 74 young lives and their families since 2004.

The event was attended by the teachers, award recipients, their parents and supporters of the Run For Funds (RFF) movement (which sponsors MYP).

The ceremony was a simple and dignified one.

It started with students sharing how the MYP helped them in their studies by giving them confidence in their ability to excel. GMSP Vice-Principal Molly Soong also imparted wise words and shared a song to highlight the importance of having faith and diligence. She encouraged the students to show confidence to speak up and exercise their leadership qualities.

Adrian shared how the Run For Funds (RFF) movement was founded in 2002 and the inception of MYP in 2004. He also explained that MYP qualification criteria are stringent and both students and their parents should be very proud because qualification means the students have done well academically and have demonstrated exemplary behaviour in school.

He shared the successes of past MYP recipients:

• 2004 batch: Alfie Lim who scored 7A and 1B in 2011 A-levels and will read law in NUS.
   
• 2004 batch: Tan Zhiwei who scored 3A and 3B in the 2012 A-levels and has been accepted to SMU Business School, NTU Business and NUS Engineering. Zhiwei is currently assessing his options.

Adrian stressed the importance of wisdom vs the greed for money and shared the story of King Solomon’s wisdom in dealing with 2 women disputing over ownership a child.

Adrian also reminded the students of the importance of prudence, grace and giving back with a story.

3 years ago, $2,000 was raised for Tan Zhiwei to buy a new computer for school.

When Adrian and his buddy Jason Chen met him to share the news, he opted to buy a $899 notebook instead, choosing to save the money, which was held in Adrian’s custody, to pay exam fees or family exigencies.

The amount of money was not used and was recycled to fund this year MYP award.

This is possible because Zhiwei wasn’t greedy and was contented with what he had.

Zhiwei still uses that $899 computer today.

Both Alfie and Zhiwei are perfect examples of students who, despite having less than favourable family circumstances, have worked hard and excelled both in conduct and grades.

They are role models for the current batch of MYP recipients and Adrian urged the award recipients to follow their footsteps.

This year, Run For Funds (RFF) goes international.

Superfriend Aw Kah Peng will be running the Stockholm marathon to raise funds for Run For Funds (RFF).

We thank for her for keeping the RFF flying high wish her a safe and superb run.

Unlike previous years where sponsors presented MYP awards, the awards were presented by Mrs Jessie Soh and Ms Theresa Thong, the teachers-in-charge of MYP.

Without the dedication and labour of love of these 2 ladies over the past 10 years, MYP will not be such a resounding success. They were presented with small tokens of appreciation from the sponsors of MYP.

Well folks, thanks for your support, generosity and prayers for the past 10 years.

I looking forward to your continued support for 10 more.

Let’s continue to make a difference (no matter how insignificant they may seem) in the lives that we touch.

Blessings,

Adrian 

---

- Voxeros

Champion Staff

Not sure if anyone of you is sharp-eyed enough to figure out what's wrong with this picture above.

Here. Let me zoom in for you below.

Yes. That is one of my sales staff playing camping in the office.

I was initially concerned about the unfortunate placing of his workstation and offered to help tie up the curtains. As it turned out, my offer was turned down as he was perfectly happy pitching his tent.

Reason?

The glare from the window was making him having a hard time reading his computer screen and so a darkened environment was more comfortable for his eyes.

*roll eyes* (No pun intended).

So anyway, this is a good staff that is producing results and I decided to turn a blind eye (Again. No pun intended).

As long as he doesn't start a campfire in the middle of the office can liao.

- Voxeros

Lay's Potato Chips In QQLand

Was doing my grocery shopping when I spotted these at the snack section.

Lay's, a subsidiary of Pepsico offered some unusual flavours to tempt the local palates.

Hot & Sour Fish Soup flavour. Errr..... I have heard of Fish & Chips but never would I have imagined that it would turned out to be like this.

Numb & Spicy Hot Pot translated to human language is 麻辣火锅 flavour where they added Sichuan peppercorn to the condiment spices.

So verdict? Frankly speaking, they are quite yummy (imma MSG junkie) but I couldn't tell the flavours apart. The whole snack was so loaded with condiments that my tongue went under local anesthesia.

- Voxeros

The Lion Swims Tonight

"In the ocean, the mighty ocean, the Lion swims tonight......."

Following my break to catch the Shanghai Formula One race, I was back on the plane headed back to D0ngGuan. That's when I learnt about the Lion Air crash at Bali from the headlines of the newspaper given out by the flight staff.

• Yahoo News (13 Apr 2013) - Lion Air Jet Crashes Into Sea In Bali; 45 Hurt

Anyway, it was great to hear that everyone was fine.

Indonesian Airline safety has always been a joke. Indonesian airlines were, at one time back in 2007, banned from entering EU due to overly poor safety record.

• JayWalk Online (29 Jun 2007) - EU Bans Indonesian Airlines

I have had make several jokes about Indonesian Airlines and here's a flash from the past.

• JayWalk Online (12 Mar 2005) - Awair
• JayWalk Online (16 Feb 2006) - AdamAir - AdamWhere?
• JayWalk Online (27 Feb 2007) - Hard Landing

As I was looking at the airline logos, I realise Lion Air's logo isn't exactly good for business. It looks to me that it is either

1. A cross between a lion and a lion fish
   
   or
    
2. Our very own Merlion with the tail flipped in the other direction.

Either one is a creature meant to be under water. Not exactly a logo of good omen for an airline. Perhaps, it is no surprise to find the plane in the water. Perhaps the Lion Fish/Merlion misses home?

Image Credit: http://static.guim.co.uk

-Voxeros