Stanfords Finest

So I just thought I would slip in this in before I miss my self imposed ‘at least one post a month’ rule. So hows life in Shanghai? It’s very good thanks for asking. I had one further weekend alone (I had to work the Saturday natch) before flying back to the mother land and collecting my wife to bring home. Again. I left early Saturday morning from Pudong’s very nice but dull airport (think HK airport without any shops) and flew to into Hong Kong for the transfer. I flew Cathay which was great as they have very good in flight entertainment which I managed to glimpse between bouts of Days of Ruin. I watched the first ever episode of The Good Life which was quite interesting as it was basically setting the whole premise of the series up – man (Richard Briers) rejects his current life as he cannot take it seriously and his wife (Felicity Kendal aka Rear Of The Year 1981) joins the revolution in middle England against the wishes of the neighbours. All very jolly but the basic premise I could empathise with. Instead of wearing a woolly jumper and growing carrots I just moved out of the country and threw myself into an alien environment – perhaps one of the most different environments you could wish to live in if you are a Westerner. Another thing that struck me was how much things had changed in the UK in the forty or so years since the program was first aired. All very innocent and somehow less dangerous and cynical than now. People were not consumed with, er, consumption or celebrity culture and bitterness and things seemed to have more substance. We landed at midnight and I slept as the driver took me back to the house.
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Moved into my abode on Friday night which was a HUGE relief. Unpacked my suitcase and scattered my things around the flat in true territorial pissings fashion. TV here is not bad actually. Obviously you have 60+ Chinese channels but most expats have satellite TV with BBC, CNN etc live and direct from the Philippines so no PRC lockdown as and when they see fit. Saturday morning I had to work. Around 11am I took the very busy metro from the Peoples Square to the National Stadium area so I could worship and give thanks to the god IKEA. God bless The Swiss. I had a brisk walk along a torturous busy road where not one driver observes the rules which is dandy unless you are crossing a busy six lane highway like I had to. In China there is no correlation between size of road and pedestrian use. As long as you can get a footpath next to it its all fair game. I was in a local area of that I was sure. IKEA Shanghai is like IKEA Hong Kong which is like IKEA Thurrock Lakeside i.e. They are all the same. Apart from the food. The Shanghai branch had some every dubious Herring and weird sandwiches at the entrance rather than the hotdogs at the end. Of course, it being a Saturday, the place was awash with people. Local people with only a few glimmers of ‘western people’ here and there. One thing I noticed is that once some of the Chinese have clocked me they the immediately look a my trolley as to what I was buying. Why? I haven’t got a fucking clue. (more…)

Whatafuckingweek. I awoke the next day disoriented and confused. The previous evening I had taken a brief wander around Shanghai to get the vibes and to feel at one with my new city. I was staying in Jing’ An district and was keen to see what it was like but as it was late and I was exhausted I instead ran back to my room with a KFC and died. The next day was my first day at work so lots to take in and my colleagues seemed very nice. I am not making judgments one way or another anymore so there will be no light shed until I am well established at with my current employer. Got the MTR back which was an experience – my office is located next to the Peoples Square and the station situated here happens to be at an intersection of three lines so there is a huge swell of people changing from line to line. I have never seen so many people on a transportation system. A sea of black hair as far as the eye could see. Swept along with the tide I found my train and back to the grotty hotel. I had dropped some hints to my HR manager and they moved me back to the hotel I had first stayed in when I had my interview here and so this was my last night in this grotty hole. The next day I checked out into the JinMen hotel on the Peoples square carrying my suitcase around with me like a homeless fool. (more…)

The three of us flew out of Hong Kong on the wettest weekend in Hong Kong’s history. OK, I made that up but there was torrential rain and in my mind I like to think of it the same as handover day almost eleven years ago. I like to read into this that it was a sign mind you I was quite tired and emotional. The previous evening I had a leaving do and my friends were wonderful with a card, some presents and photos and oh I was moved to tears. I was obviously trashed come the end of the evening. I have made friends and bonds for life and it gives me a great feeling to know that I will always have a floor to sleep on in Hong Kong. I awoke on the sofa hung-over but still holding it down. We sold off the last of our things and headed to the airport as Hong Kong drowned in rain and mudslides. It’s a sign. Of course it is. I resolved to go back to Hong Kong sooner rather than later and then who knows where from there.
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As you may well have noticed things have been a bit quiet on here as of late. There are reasons but some of the feedback I have been getting following my stanfordsfinest.com’s annual Fans Forum has awoken the possibility that the daily update thing isn’t working. Some readers wanted more Hong Kong in the forum rather than my own tedious daily life which, lets face it, is the same wherever you are (although I would argue the Asian adds an extra dimension to this but hey-ho) so I am just going to use broad strokes and have more of focus upon life in Hong Kong and Asia as opposed to my tedious day-to-day battles.