What I Brought Back With Me

After a long trip to the US, I think I'm mostly re-acquainted with being back in Shanghai - and I'll admit, seeing the same old streets brought a big smile to my face!

For all my incessant whining about how poorly Shanghai interprets foreign food, the selection of things American in Shanghai is pretty good. One easily could live the California lifestyle: shopping at the mall all weekend, only popping out for the occasional Big Mac or Cold Stone Creamery Sundae. So going to the US isn't a supply run for me. I did pick up a few things, here's a quick list:

Top Shelf Booze:

Top-shelf tequila, rye whiskey, and brown rum, are my favorites, but basically not available in Shanghai - Havana Club 7 is great but a growing boy needs more variety. Painfully enough, I had to leave behind a bottle of Pyrat XO!

Hot Sauce:

A friend of mine claims Huy Fong Sriracha Sauce is just spicy ketchup, another tells me it makes cardboard taste good. Personally, I tend towards the second opinion. It can't be found in China - sometimes a Thai Sriracha can be found but it's not nearly as good. I brought back a few bottles of it. And I'm guessing this green salsa is sorry but I'm a huge fan in general, it'll probably fall into the "better than nothing" category.


Li Hing Mui:

I grabbed these Hawaiian-style snacks right before getting on the airplane. There's a lot of similar Chinese variations of spiced dried fruit, but the Hawaiian ones are better, or at least different. I brought a few different bags, all of which I either gave away or consumed immediately upon arrival.


Long Rice:

In the coals-to-Newcastle department, I brought a small bag of long rice aka long kou mian aka mung bean noodles - it's a Hawaiian food. I know this package works for making decent long rice, so my quest is to find the Chinese long rice that matches it the closest! It seems like a basic thing, but the long rice I've made so far in Shanghai has the wrong texture, or something...

Clothes:

I'm tall, and definitely what's hardest to find in Shanghai is clothes that actually fit me. When I was first in Shanghai I wore the same beaten-up pair of shoes every single day. I've slowly gotten a basic wardrobe together, so I just quickly stocked up on a few basics while I was back around.

Ear Plugs:

Although I live in the center of town, I don't think my apartment's neighborhood is all that loud. Still a pair of these is pretty much necessary anywhere in Shanghai, where for example the garbage truck sometimes comes at around one in the morning. Surprisingly enough, ear plugs are impossible to find in the drug stores or foreigner shops. I pop them in at night and take them out in the morning.

Books:

While Shanghai bookstores have decent-enough selections, they're often at 25% over the cover price, and used books are few and far between. Recently I've decided I want to read up on Chinese culture, and I'm not about to read Classical Chinese, so I took the chance to pick up a few translations when I was around.

Indie Press:

A friend's underground comics, 'zines (about being a hipster in the Tenderloin - I recommend to check it out!), and a book by a friend of a friend, I love that sort of stuff.

A Camera Lens:

Specifically, a Canon FD mount (meaning film only), F2.8 28mm lens. I accidentally left behind the F1.4 50mm, and the F2.5 135mm, it's a real bummer. I need to pick up a new FD mount camera - if any of my gentle readers have tips, it'd be much appreciated. Anyway I'm looking forward to getting back with film and with a camera that can actually take decent-quality pictures without direct sunlight - I just hope I'm not throwing good money after bad!

Hawai'i Calls

I haven't updated my blog in a while purely because I am in the alien environment of Honolulu! I'll have wise words to say soon, in the meantime check out which Chinese chain has made its way halfway across the Pacific:



For those not in the know, it's a clothing chain store that is all around the trendy areas of Shanghai. I looked around the Honolulu location and it didn't look so great, but I'm no fashionista and I'll have to return with someone who is. Also interesting is the backwards Chinese, reading Tang Hai Shang - it doesn't go along with Shanghai's Shanghai Tang, and Chinese signs in Honolulu go forwards, but signs in Scenes of City Life did often read right to left. I wish there was somebody I could ask about that.

There's a little more of Shanghai over here, but in general even the things that are brand-named Shanghai don't have so much of a connection. This restaurant offered xiaolongbao, but aside from that was some kind of Asian fusion.

Best parts of Downtown Oakland

I'm starting out with this post, my first post to my first blog. This blog is intended for my friends and family, but I will try to keep it of general interest for anyone curious about foreigner life in Shanghai.

I'll start this with a list and some pictures about my favorite places from my old neighborhood, downtown Oakland. Downtown Oakland is the only place in the Bay Area with a concentration of places worth going to. I'll admit my list tends towards eating and drinking, which is partially because that's what I like, and partly because that's what the area is best for. So without further ado:

Bird Leg and the Tight Fit Blues Band:

Bird Leg is a charismatic Blues Harmonica player who only has several teeth. Every Wednesday night at Pat's Bar (15th and Franklin) from 8-11, he MCs over a Blues event with a regular band. Various guests drop by to take over or accompany for a song or two, and some of them are amazing. My favorite is "Preacher," who can tapdance with a beer bottle on his head.

Cam Huong

A Vietnamese deli on Webster between 8th and 9th, that serves good pho and takeout, along with a pretty good collection of packaged crack seed and excellent fruit smoothies. The raison d etre, however, is the excellent banh mi, a Vietnamese sandwich. They sell for $2.25 and the taste is excellent, especially lathered in chili sauce. Go for the BBQ pork!

Jahva House

I'm not a cafe person but this cafe, near the corner of 14th and Alice is definitely my favorite - with the caveat that it closes early many days of the week. It's owned by Dwayne Wiggins of Tony Toni Tone who it's worth mentioning is also a really excellent solo act even if he doesn't perform often. It's attached to the Oakland Arts and Ballet company, and bunch of lofts upstairs. The interior is eclectic international, but it still manages to look really cool. Depending when you go it's a hangout, an internet cram rooom, or just a cafe.

As of 2007 it seems that this place has closed down.

Lake Merrit

Right next to downtown Oakland is Lake Merrit, the first national park (half a year before Yosemite). There's a three and a half mile path around, it's all surrounded by skyskrapers and cool old buildings. It's a popular resting spot for birds migrating between Mexico and Alaska, and the scoping on a warm Sunday afternoon is impossible to beat.

Orient Market

A Chinese store on 7th, between Market and Franklin. Probably it's better to get produce at the stores on 8th and 9th, but if in a hurry Orient market is fine. The things to get are: mochis with bean paste stuffing, well-priced French brandy and prestige alcohols, plum wine intended for Japanese export, Hot Shin Hyung Ramen, Lemon & Honey Tea Jelly, Wasabi peas, live crabs (or live frogs and turtles if such is your interest), Schweppe's Grapefruit soda and other canned sodas and juices.

Parkway Speakeasy

A movie theater, mostly they play 2nd-run movies and art-house cinema for $3-$5, and increasingly they host one-night events. The attraction is that you sit on a bunch of couches or barstools to watch the movie, and the concession stands sell pizza and beer. The inane movie introductions are strangely amusing.

Shan Dong Mandarin Restaurant

A Korean-influence Chinese restaurant on 10th, between Webster and Harrisson. The pork or vegetarian buns are less than a dollar and make the ultimate snack, or a light lunch (you might want two). The meals are more expensive but excellent - the hand-pulled noodles, as shown, are my favorite in the Bay Area.

Radio Bar

Right next to the Tribune tower, this is a chill bar with a DJ off in the corner and friendly bartenders who are occasionally given to "Coyote Ugly" type flourishes. The pan-Asian interior is pretty cool in its corniness.

Shanghai Restaurant

I'm sure the actual food in Shanghai will blow away Shanghai Restaurant, but still this is my favorite restaurant in the Bay Area. It's a little inconsistent but the food is excellent and the waitresses are very friendly (and perfectly willing to give honest appraisals of what's worth ordering and what isn't). Highlight include the pork in Sichuan style, the Steamed dumplings (pictured), Shepherd's Purse and Tofu Soup, and the Braised Eel. They serve stinking Tofu, it really smells horrid. Out of respect for their neighbors, they won't cook any until after 6:00.

The Sweet Booth

My favorite of the 300 places that sell Bubble drinks in downtown Oakland, inside the Pacific Center on 9th and Webster. There's also a good crack seed store across the way.

The Ruby Room

I like the dark bars, and Ruby Room (On 14th near the corner of Madison) is about as dark as it gets. If the photo seems boring, it's because it's the only place there was enough light to take any sort of picture - it can be difficult to see the person sitting next to you. Anyway the music is always good, it's always busy, there's always a fun crowd, and it was the ultimate neighborhood bar.

Yung Kee

Yung Kee is a restaurant on the corner 8th and Webster. As a restaurant the insides are entirely grote and the food is often so-so. However the BBQ meat is the best around, I particularly like the BBQ pork, and it's hard to go wrong with any BBQ dish. Get the meat to go, or try the BBQ pork & tofu plate, or a BBQ-meat crispy noodle.