03-02-2006, 11:31 PM | #11 |
Manshoon
Join Date: November 4, 2004
Location: Shanghai, China
Posts: 226
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Spirits, I do in fact speak Mandarin Chinese, and I understand Shanghainese though I refuse to speak it on general prinicple. Have a very small smattering of Cantonese which is functionally useless for real conversation.
Sir D, as for drinking, let's put it this way: if you can afford it, they don't really care. Unless you look really young for your age, then I wouldn't know. But trust me on this much, drinking is overrated, and you'll find that beer in China is pretty much universally craptastic. The sole exception is Harbin Pijiu, but good luck finding it in Shanghai, I've managed to find it exactly twice in three years. Taboos: generally better to avoid religion and politics, two of the three universal things that set people off (Can't remember the third). Manners: what are you kidding? This is Shanghai, you'll probably have better manners than 90% of the people who live here. Treat people how you'd want to be treated and you should be fine. Good places to go are the Museum at People's Square (it is very good), the Jing An Temple in Jing An district, the Bund (marginal educational value unless you're into architecture), Yu Yuan Gardens (watch your wallet here), and I think that pretty much wraps it up for the "big ones". There's supposed to be a big Daoist temple somewhere in this city, but I haven't ever been able to find it. Some of the parks are quite nice though. Oh, two more very important things. Cab drivers will rip you off. I mean really rip you off, better to learn the busses and subways. And never change money except inside a bank. The black market money changers will rip you off even worse with skewed exchange rates and fake money.
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Calling a person a dog is just about the worst insult I can think of. Dogs deserve better than that. |
03-03-2006, 12:11 AM | #12 |
40th Level Warrior
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Good luck down there Sir D, sounds like you're gonna need it.
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03-04-2006, 07:51 AM | #13 | |
Symbol of Cyric
Join Date: October 21, 2004
Location: Vancouver, BC
Age: 35
Posts: 1,143
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Quote:
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03-04-2006, 08:59 AM | #14 | |
Manshoon
Join Date: November 4, 2004
Location: Shanghai, China
Posts: 226
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Quote:
__________________
Calling a person a dog is just about the worst insult I can think of. Dogs deserve better than that. |
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03-04-2006, 11:00 AM | #15 |
Thoth - Egyptian God of Wisdom
Join Date: November 3, 2001
Location: Canada
Age: 63
Posts: 2,871
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Woot. Thanks for the advice. Hmmm, if I can find an internet cafe, I'm going to post my daily log somewhere, worst comes to worst, I'm going to handwrite it. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I'm not going to waste it.
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