Mad About Shanghai

Ways to Help (Part 6)

Click on this banner to donate:

Ways to Help (Part 5)

Help by displaying banners on your web site

Get the lot here:

http://www.mercycorps.org/getinvolved/linktous/2166

Ways to Help (Part 4)

Help through SMS

China Mobile has set up an earthquake relief fund. To donate via your mobile phone, simply send a text message to the telephone number ‘10699988’, writing the number amount you would like to donate (from 1RMB to 30RMB) in the body of the text. The money will be deducted from your phone bill or prepaid card.

Ways to Help (Part 3)

Help through MSN Messenger

MSN together with Toyota (Guangzhou) has launched a one-for-one donation campaign.

For every MSN Messenger user that changes their screen-name to "(R) 彩虹连心 支援灾区" [trans (rough): Rainbow of United Hearts, Supporting & Assisting the Disaster Area], MSN will donate RMB 0.10 toward the effort to rebuild schools and the local education system in Sichuan / Wenchuan; Toyota matches MSN's donations.

Click here for details about the campaign. At the time of publishing, the campaign had already raised / donated 160,047.60 RMB.

I already have this on my MSN Messenger.

Ways to Help (Part 2)

Help through direct bank deposit

The Red Cross has set up a bank account for donations that will go directly to help the victims of the SiChuan quake. Please use the following account information to give whatever amount you can to help.

Account name: Red Cross Society of China
开户单位：中国红十字会总会

For those who want to donate in RMB: you can send money to the RMB account at the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China branch below:
人民币开户行: 中国工商银行 北京分行东四南支行
人民币账号: 0200001009014413252

For those who want to donate in foreign currency, you can send money to the foreign currency account at the CITIC Bank branch below:
外币开户行：中信银行酒仙桥支行
外币账号: 7112111482600000209

Hotline: (8610) 65139999
Online donations: Red Cross Society of China website: www.redcross.org.cn

Ways to Help (Part 1)

It hasnt been a good past few weeks for the world at large.

First, the cyclone in Myanmar and then the massive earthquake in Sichuan. More than 100,000 lives are lost,with millions affected.

My heart and prayers goes to the families, loved ones and victims of those affected by these disasters.

For Sichuan, the quake situation is far from settled.  More than 300 aftershocks occurred within 10 hours of the earthquake.

Some of my colleagues in Chengdu, though not affected directly by the quake, have difficulties resting as well. They have been on constant alert, for fear that the aftershocks may hit them too.

I appeal to all our readers to donate generously to aid in the relief efforts.

Though no amount of money can lessen the grief and hurt of those affected, it is a simple way to extend your compassion and comfort to them.

By donating quickly, it allows aid agencies to utilise much needed funds to swiftly procure urgent essentials and devise a plan for helping in the rebuilding and reconstruction.

To extend your helping hand to those affected by the two natural disasters, please make your donation through the International Red Cross or Mercy Corps here:

http://www.mercycorps.org

http://www.ifrc.org/

Fabric & Tailor Market in Shanghai II (Part 2)

The fateful day arrived. Yes, my shirts are here !

The 3kg package, drapped in Winnie the Pooh wrapping paper, didnt inspire much confidence. I stared at the package for a while, quite sure that I made a wrong choice with both the tailor and the quantity.

It didnt take me too long to realise its too late for regrets.  I tored up the packaging and tried the first shirt.

On first try, I thought the cutting was bit off and the fitting was a bit too tight. I took that off and tried another one. Surprisingly, it fitted very well and comfortably too. The remaining three shirts fitted well too.

I then tried the first shirt again. I am not too sure why, but this time it seems like a much better fit. Perhaps my initial low expectations got the better of me.

On closer inspection, I found the tailoring skills and attention to details to be very good. Fabric aside, I feel its better than some of my more expensive business shirts made elsewhere outside of China.

Overall, I think I got a good deal. I was so pleased that I went back and got five more shirts tailored. For Jennifer,  with the exception of  a minor alteration, she was very pleased with her qipao too. She made another one too!

My next target - a suit and an overcoat

Now, I am sure most of you would be asking by now. "So which stall did you visit ?".

Here you go:

Da Shanghai MJ Dress (大上海服饰)
399 Lu Jia Bang Road
371, 3F
Tel :02163775856
Mobile: 13524325665
email : mj_shirt@163.com

Disclaimer :I have not tried other stalls in the fabric market, so I cant say this is the best one. But I am a satisfied customer from this stall.

Fabric & Tailor Market in Shanghai II (Part 1)

  Admittedly, until recently, I never had the confidence to have my business shirts made at the Fabric & Tailor market at Lu Jia Bang Road. Yes, I know there are some good tailors there. But selecting a random one without the recommendations from others is akin to a blind date and is too much of a risk to take at times. You never know what you are going to get.

Anyway, on one fine day, I decided to cast all my reservations aside and get some shirts done. If the final output turned out to be bad, I would take that as a lesson learnt.

I called up Jennifer, whom I secretly nicknamed "The Bargainer" (for her sharp tongue when it comes to tough task of  bargaining) to come along. Having ran two small boutiques before,  she has a keen eye on the best prices for clothing,fabric and fashion.

Turned out, she had never been there before and was keen to make a trip to the fabric market too. She went to Maoming Road a few days earlier and was quoted RMB900 for a qipao. All prepared to shell out that figure, she thought it would be a good idea to get a second quotation.

We arranged and met just outside the Fabric Market. For first timers going there, the fabric market is about 15 mins away from the Bund. Tell the taxi driver "Fabric Market at Lu Jia Bang Road". They all know the place.

Inside the building are seven levels of shops selling anything and everything fabric related, in bulk or in piecemeal. Almost all claimed to be "the best".

We took our time to look through all almost all the shops. After about 40 mins or so, Jennifer decided on which shop she wanted her qipaos to be made. I accompanied her and she swiftly concluded a deal for half the price she was quoted at MaoMing Road. Quality of the fabric is almost the same too. Like any woman, she was happy she got a good deal.

It was my turn next and I have absolutely no idea which shop to patronize. Jennifer then suggested one of the shop at level 3 where we saw many "lao wai" (foreigners). We rationalize that they must be there due to word of mouth recommendations from other tourists or their tailoring skills could be more attuned to western taste, which is a good thing. A good idea indeed.

We went in and talked to the shop owner abit. The owner was so confident of the tailoring skills that he refused to give any discount initially.

Anyway, I liked what I saw there and decided to get five business shirts done. Each at a price of RMB100 which is around US$15. If you are coming from the US, to say this is a great deal is an understatement. On hearing that I would be getting  five shirts tailored, the owner decided to give me a RMB10 discount for each shirt as a "special discount".

I got measured up, selected the design for the cuffs and collars and left. The shirts would be ready three days later. For additonal RMB 30, you can get the shirts delivered to your door step or office. They even deliver overseas via courier if you cant wait. I opted for delivery as I didnt feel like  making a trip back to collect the shirts.  My cab fare would have been about RMB30 anyway.

The exterior view of the Fabric Market (below).

Oh, the Silk Market is just opposite too.

To be contd....

National Geographic May Edition (China Special)

Grab a copy of the National Geographic this month if you are not a subscriber yet. For the month of May, its a  issue focusing on China.

Heaps of China related stories in this issue.There's one by Amy Tan about a remote ethnic  minority village in Guizhou, and two by Peter Hessler about China's  present and future, and a story about Olympic architecture and the superhuman efforts to create them.

Also, view two online archival stories from long  ago National Geographic issues that are not in the May print edition : a 1955 story about Tibet by an escaped Austrian POW who  became tutor to the young Dalai Lama, and a 1971 story about a  Canadian woman who returns to China after having lived there before  the Cultural Revolution. 

Plus lots of photos and extras !

Catch the online version and a preview of the print edition here.

Announcement 2 - Shanghai Whats Up !!!

I have set up a sister site.

Check out Shanghai WhatsUp at www.shanghaiwhatsup.com for the latest, hottest and coolest events in one of the most exciting cities in the world, Shanghai!

This is an integrated event site meant for EVERYONE.

Whether you are a professional event organiser, homemaker planning a garage sale, art buff, food critic, businessman etc etc ....or just simply BORED, this site is for you.

Looking for events or planning gatherings or just want to share with everyone in Shanghai your fun event. This site is for you too !

Check it out at : www.shanghaiwhatsup.com

Got an event to submit already?

Do it here:

http://www.shanghaiwhatsup.com/events/index.php?com=submit

Questions, feedback or need a banner from us ?

Contact me here.