shanghai - shanghai

Place your bets – The AIIB, the stock market and China’s Geo-politcal future

April 20, 2015 Michael Tyler Comments 0 Comment

Given the Chinese penchant for gambling, (it’s illegal apart from in Macau), punting one’s investments into the only free gambling machine on the mainland seems like the natural thing to do.

China has its own new gambling machine. It’s called the stock market.

For the past twelve months, the Shanghai Composite has risen by 100%, and from 3,000 to 4,000 points since February, mostly brought on by domestic demand.

China’s New investors

Bloomberg Business – “Gan’s survey, which was conducted at the end of 2014 and covers some 4,000 households across the country, finds that the biggest new investors in China’s equity markets have below a high school education and relatively low levels of asset ownership.”

Small and medium size investors are getting into shares for the first time. And these new investors are not high flying whizz kids from the city, more likely, according to this research non-savvy, non-educated aunts and uncles jumping on for a free ride to high returns.

As the property market has become less attractive, with Xi Jinping’s increased anti-corruption measures and oversupply in the market, who can blame them? …

Knock off gear – China – Knock off Diary

April 9, 2014 Michael Tyler Comments 1 comment

OK. So those not been to China, will not know: the nation’s idea of innovation is looking at other peoples ideas and copying them… Being from the Shanghai area, as you can imagine, it’s more of a way of life…

Coming and looking around the markets and stalls, you’ll think you’ve found a bounty of Western goods! With the same standards, and finish quality, same functionality etc.

Dream on

I’ve bought several items now in varying degrees of ‘knock-off’ ness.

For the Chinese, there is no line between ‘knock-off’ and genuine.
Knock-off is the genuine, so you got to be careful about what you do and where you spend your money…

I’m going to be keeping a kind of ‘knock-off’ diary. Browse at your leisure… (If you need anything, shoot me an email and I can sort u out!)

Here’s a list of the current ‘knock-off’ goods, their failure level and the prices paid.

…

Shanghai Tourism

April 6, 2014 Michael Tyler Comments 1 comment

Shanghai Aqurium

I’ve been to 2 of note. The one in Sydney, just behind the harborfront, and this one.

Both have large pools, and as you’d expect, fish.

The fish swim around you in many tunnel things. Sometimes they do nothing.

The signs are in English, as well as Chinese.
The Chinese are well behaved, there are no Chinese trying to catch the fish or spitting in the pools.

I spent a couple of hours in here. It’s easy to find. Right next to the Oriental Pearl Tower.

…

Shanghai Old Town

November 10, 2013 Michael Tyler Comments 0 Comment

After the problems with my little tablet. I had to return to Shanghai, the Baoshan Road market.

I took two of my students from Foxconn and after did a little bit of shopping around town.

Shanghai Old Town — Don’t smile too much (you may hurt your face)

Here’s some pics.

Mid autumn festival

September 16, 2013 Michael Tyler Comments 2 comments

So.

We have a little two or three day holiday at the end of this week.

I may take this time to have a look around Nanjing which is a short distance away.

Mo0oncake Investigation

I’ve been planning to sample this Chinese dish.

During the mid autumn festivals, Chinese are overcome by thoughts of mooncake!
Both giving and receiving, it is very important part of the Chinese culture and celebration.

The mooncake comes in all different boxes. There are many fillings, which traditionally, are wrapped in a pastry baked in an oven. With elaborate designs on the top, the cake is of a heavy, doughy consistency.

Pretty filing, the cake should be enjoyed all over the mid-autumn festival.

The box shown, was dedicated by one of the children’s parents at kindergarten.

Gasping at the Mooncake!

Such an exiting thing! Have been looking at these stands in the supermarket!

They’ve been here for the past 3 months or so…

The favor of the mooncake knows no bounds here! Fer sure….

Many happy returns!

20130918_182116 — Checking the Mooncake!

Fill yer boots

Missed plane

April 15, 2013 Michael Tyler Comments 0 Comment

Had a little lunch with one of my pupils.

Things must have got drawn out, and I ended up missing my flight to Hong Kong.

As even more of a bummer, my boss transferred enough money for the trip. Went to the China Bank atm. Pulled my card out, having been over 1 month since I used it, plus the fact I only used it once, plus the fact that it’s a 6 digit code. I’ve entirely forgotten my PIN!

SO that money is useless. It’s going to remain unspent.

This has landed me in some financial difficulties. Not a new thing. I won’t have much money, just enough to eat and stay in. Standard life in Hong Kong for me.