news around here

I can't give away my Expo tickets!  We have 4 left and I asked couple people already and they just said no. Everyone went already didn't want to go again.  Who would want queuing up 3-4 hours just see one pavilion.  This fair pretty much is for mainlanders who could not get out of the countries a chance to see the world.  Later this week is mid-Autumn festival, a 3-day holiday.  Then people start working on Sunday as if Monday, because Oct National Day holiday starts on Oct 1 and last for 10 days.  What a country huh?  If you want to play you have to put in the work.  Not like back in the good N.A.  Holiday days are more than actual work days.  If the Motherland rules of holidays apply, there would be a revolt.  Guess, that is why here something new and tall comes up so quickly vs in NA. 

-----

Friend visited from Canada this weekend. Stayed at Jia just across the street from our apartment.  A very neat boutique hotel.  It has everything to offer, drinks, unlimited Internet access, b'fast, kitchenette in room, plug-in for your iPod and iPad.  All a guest needs is the RFID pass to get thru the front door; after that, it's like home.  O right, even have a washer/dryer apparently.  Price was right too.  RMB 1,500 per night plus taxes.  With that price, you get all those mentioned included.  This owns by a Singaporean-based designer.  I am going to try the Jia in HKG sometime.  

-----

O while this friend was visiting, we had afternoon tea in the newly opened Peninsula Hotel by the Bund.  Wow.  3 years ago when I ran thru the area, it was just crap!  The area was like a 3rd world slum, with 1/2 torn down buildings and people sleeping on the street.  Now, it was totally redeveloped to a posh area.  The hotel has a very exclusive high end shopping arcade.  Canali, Prada, etc...  I saw some photos of new Canali stuff on a website just two days ago; they were on displayed already.  My friend was wearing a pair of runners and the male store staff kept looking at his feet.  Very funny.  Maybe he just had skinny legs ;-)  or just big feet.  I wasn't sure.  Ha!   The afternoon tea at the lobby was nice.  A live quintet and a pianist were playing on the second floor.  Price though, 1/3 of a normal entry level employee makes in a month.  Did it once, no need to do it again.  

------

Just saw these articles from the Shanghai Business Review:

Expats may have to accept scaled-down packages
China is a top spot for expatriate workers, but transplants may have to start settling for smaller relocation packages amid increasing competition for postings, according to a survey released by the Economic Intelligence Unit. It was considered one of the top three global destinations for expatriate workers by 35% of survey respondents. India was chosen by 16% and Japan by 7%. While the survey showed that just 13% of companies had added to their expatriate staff over the past two years, 39% of them planned to do so over the next five years.

China UnionPay, MasterCard in cooperation
China UnionPay and MasterCard Worldwide announced that they had signed an MOU for future business development. The agreement seeks to set up a cooperation mechanism for both sides and the two companies plan to form working groups to discuss and implement development plans for online payments and other business opportunities. {my comment: yeah, Visa got screwed and now MC wants to try getting screwed? Hello? Have you heard of the story?  Visa had a joint venture in motherland; but got pushed aside because local shopkeepers were not using the actual Visa machine but the Union P@y's one for cheaper cost.  Visa threatened to cut the shopkeepers off.  So.... No one cared about Visa. }