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Before our Shopping Challenge

Before the Shopping Challenge

In part two of a two part series (see part one here), Amber Mizerak discovers that getting dressed in the morning is a whole lot more scientific than she realized. Read on to see how she and the rest of the "Ctrip Bombshells" fared under the color-coordinated eyes of image consultant Tricia-Ann Kee of image@inspire. Covering colors, body shape and personal style, an image analysis session is the perfect activity for a gaggle of girls and a great precursor to any Shanghai shopping tour.>>

After our color, style and bodyline analysis session with Tricia, the other Ctrip Bombshells and I had five days to process everything she'd taught us. It was a lot of information to take in but now it was time to put ourselves to the test with phase two: a shopping challenge at H&M in Zhongshan Park. Who would emerge victorious to claim the Ctrip shopper's crown? More after the break....

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Bodyline measurements

Get measured! Bodyline consultation with Tricia-Ann Kee

In part one of a two part series, Amber Mizerak discovers that getting dressed in the morning is a whole lot more scientific than she realized. Read on to see how she and the rest of the "Ctrip Bombshells" fared under the color coordinated eyes of image consultant Tricia-Ann Kee of image@inspire. Covering colors, body shape and personal style, an image analysis session is the perfect activity for a gaggle of girls and a great precursor to any Shanghai shopping tour.>>

You never know where networking may lead you. I've gotten internships by sitting next the right person at a local pub and I became a nanny for a family after waiting on their table at a restaurant. The main reason I attended ShanghaiExpat's February speed networking event was to promote this blog because, of course, everyone should know about what a great China travel resource we've got going over here at ChinaTravel.net. I'm doing it for you, the people.

As a result of the mixing and mingling that evening I met Tricia, an image consultant from Singapore whose self-proclaimed mission is "inspiring lives by enriching the mind, body and spirit of people through image transformation for personal empowerment and corporate excellence." That sounded like something a lot of laowai are in need of—whether a jaded expat far from home and the latest fashions or a tourist keen to hit the shops and the fabric market, who wouldn't want a few personal pointers to get the best out of their next Shanghai shopping spree? Together Tricia and the laowai ladies of Ctrip English formulated a plan....

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important numbers to know in Shanghai

中文服务请按一, for English service please press 2

By now, many if not most expats living in Shanghai are familiar with the "magic number"—the 24-hour Shanghai Call Center at 962288.  When the bacon craving hits on the way back from work and you don't know where the nearest grocery store is—magic number.  When you're not sure where to find a good Sichuan restaurant to take your mom to while she's in town—magic number. It's quiz night and you can't remember Da Shan's English name—magic number.

The city offers several other public service hotlines as well, but they go largely unused by foreigners. According to a report by Shanghai Daily, foreigners in Shanghai made far fewer complaints to the primary consumer complaint hotline than Chinese did. Even taking into account the population difference, the 18 foreign complaints to the more than 111,000 Chinese complaints received in 2011 still leaves foreigners very underrepresented.  Part of the problem may be lack of service in English and other foreign languages—Shanghai Daily also reported that only half of the city's public service hotlines they surveyed offer service in English.

Another part of it is a lack of awareness. Helpfully, only two of the city's public service numbers were actually given between the two articles. With that in mind, we've brought you the numbers you need to know and numbers that might just come in handy....

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Fireworks in Shanghai

Why not celebrate the Year of the Dragon on a rooftop?

Chunyun (Chūnyùn, 春运) has begun. The full force of its plaid-polyurethane-suitcase gale has yet to swoop down on the train, bus and plane infrastructures around the country, but you can feel it; it's almost as though the earth were rumbling in anticipation. Chunyun, the annual migration of the general Chinese populous in anticipation of and during the weeks after Spring Festival, begins two weeks prior to the first day of the Chinese New Year and lasts over a month. This logistical inconvenience is a nightmare for agoraphobes and everyone else alike; there are few things less enjoyable than spending eighteen hours on a packed, standing-room only train as it whisks you and a few thousand others across the countryside. So for many foreigners, Chinese New Year is an excuse to skip off work a few days early, catch a plane out of the country and relax for a week or more. For others bound to the mainland (or Hong Kong and Taiwan, for that matter), and without a local's knowledge of what's to come, the holiday can be anticipated with a vague sense of unease, as though the entire city were about to combust with nationalist fervor and reckless pyrotechnic practices. But if you're an expat that plans on remaining in China through the week, it's not a bad idea to acquaint yourself with whatever it is that's coming—to familiarize yourself with the guiding principles behind this chaotic, bedazzled holiday. Read on for more CNY information....

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1,000 hands

"In Buddhism, 42 hands represents 1,000 hands"

If you're not going anywhere for Spring Festival, it's difficult to remedy the feeling that you're going to miss out as all your friends pack their suitcases with sunblock, bikinis and floppy hats. But there's plenty to do during the holiday, and after an unexpected cultural infusion last week, I now know how I'll spend at least some of my time over the holiday: a night out at the Chinese theater.

Get out and gain a new perspective

One performance you shouldn't miss is "My Dream" by the China Disabled People’s Performing Art Troupe. You may have seen pictures of the 1,000 hands, otherwise known as "Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva," or maybe you heard about the group because of their performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics; regardless, nothing beats seeing this show for yourself and feeling the energy in the room. It's hard to describe how moving this event really is, but I predict it will inspire you to be a better person and change your perspective forever. The 110 member troupe is composed of young people who are blind, deaf or have other physical limitations and have come together over a love for art. The troupe has performed all over China and in over 40 countries worldwide. Their focus is on improving themselves and the lives of others, and overcoming disabilities through music and dance. If the opportunity arises, go—I'm willing to bet it will change you for the better.

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One part of a photography project from last year©Amanda Pickens

In this installment of China Through My Lens, we'll spend a few minutes looking through the viewfinder of ex-China expat Amanda Pickens. While Amanda's most recent chapter in China has come to a close, she can seek comfort in the knowledge that her photos, and the memories they conjure for her and those she shared them with, will forever remain bursting with color and recollections of a different time. She has shared some of her favorite shots of Shanghai, a city she called home for over two years. Now based in Atlanta, she spends her time drawing, designing and taking photographs (she also happens to be a snappy conversationalist), and we can keep up to date with her projects on her blog, Artwood Lane, and at her store on Etsy. Now let's hear from Amanda....

I've traveled to many cities throughout China, but I can't say I have been anywhere I've enjoyed more than Shanghai. First as a study abroad student in 2008 and then as a teacher/tutor/artist/young twenty-something looking for new adventures and surprises from 2009-2011, I made various pockets of the city my home over the past few years. With my trusty Forever bikes, I traversed the city's streets to find new alleyways, tiny shops and markets that only won my heart over more.

I just moved back to the US this past November, and while I must admit it's pretty damn comfortable living back at home, I truly miss Shanghai. I've tried to compile some of my favorite memories of living in the big city, but there are just too many! Here are just a few snippets….

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Forbidden City, Beijing

Michelle Chu of "My Beijing Survival Diary"

Keeping pace with the changing scenery of the Chinese blogosphere is no joke; here at the China Travel Blog, we do everything we can to keep our finger on the pulse, our boots on the pavement, and our slippers on the sidewalk, so that whenever a new face comes our way, we're ready to pick their brains about their time in China. Enter Michelle Chu, and her blog My Beijing Survival Diary (you'll need a VPN or proxy in China to get around the Great Firewall). Michelle posts regularly on life in Beijing, cross-cultural relationship and practical advice for foreigners living in China. >>>

Michelle first arrived in China to pursue a career in hospitality, but has since switched to digital media marketing. When we began our correspondence, she referred a few times to her boyfriend—the muse for her discussions on cross-cultural relationships (among other things, I imagine)—and I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate the two of them on their recent engagement. I've never had such a good reason to go back and edit a story. Read on after the jump to hear Michelle's thoughts on life, love and living in the People's Republic.

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Meat in China

I don't know what it is, but I assure you: it will be delightful

We read a lot about travel over the course of one week and, after much sifting and sorting, we've rounded up a few of our favorites. From news and reviews to great blog posts, unusual destinations and travel stories, read on for our picks. >>>

For the relocated foreigner or the temporary tourist, the question of food origin (and safety) is a common one. Concerns about the cleanliness of the tap water are omnipresent in discussions with those preparing to travel to China, and for those limited by a lack of Chinese language skills, the big question posed in many a hole-in-the-wall joint is this: what is that thing? Well, the basic answers are: no, as a general rule you should not drink the tap water, and for question number two, the most likely answer is meat, and it will be delicious. But as any foreigner who has tried to buy bacon or a rib-eye steak at a wet market here knows, the cuts of meat common among Chinese butchers bear little resemblance to what we would recognize in the West.

So a couple of foreigners in Kunming decided to take matters into their own hands, butchered a pig themselves and shared the tale on Go Kunming. They purchased an organic wild boar from a farm outside of the city, had it butchered by the farmhands (they don't go into the specifics, but I will say this: the one experience I had with butchering a pig in Vermont involved a 9mm handgun, a jackknife, buckets of blood and a two-handled saw—it is not for the faint of heart, to be sure) and went to work turning it into a medley of saliva-inducing delights. So go ahead and tuck into some prosciutto, sausage and bacon hand-made in China, among other things I'm too hungry to delve into here. (More after the jump... )

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