China | Rebecca Saw

Yu Lin morning market in Chengdu, China

Post author:Rebecca Saw
Post published:August 6, 2013
Post category:Food Travel
Post comments:16 Comments

On the last day of our Chengdu trip, we had a late start to the day. I took advantage of the free time to visit the morning market. My guide Zhu kindly provided the address and forewarned me that the taxi fare from my hotel to Yu Lin market shouldn’t cost more than 15 RMB (RM7.50).

And thus I was up by 4am, finished a blogpost (one has to be disciplined even on a holiday) and ambled out to the front road of the hotel for a cab. I realized after 5 days here that it’s difficult to get around Chengdu or Shanghai (this is my personal opinion after my Shanghai trip earlier this year) if you do not know Mandarin. No wonder I don’t see many backpackers/foreign lone travelers around. It is definitely more advisable to stick to tours with an English speaking guide if you do not know Mandarin.

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Going cultural in Chengdu: Mask Changing Opera performance & the Paradise Ethos Chinese Cultural Show, Happy Valley

Post author:Rebecca Saw
Post published:August 1, 2013
Post category:Travel
Post comments:9 Comments

What else do people do in Chengdu besides pigging out on Sichuan food, numb their tongues and sweat over the hot pots and go oohh–ahhh over pandas?
Well, they go to opera houses and watch the mask changing performances!

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New Century Global Centre – biggest building in the world in Chengdu China

Post author:Rebecca Saw
Post published:July 31, 2013
Post category:Travel
Post comments:10 Comments

Right before we had our last dinner in Chengdu we detoured to the visit biggest building in the world. I have read about it online on social sites and found out that this monstrously huge building was just opened end of June.

And here I am, right here in Chengdu. Of all the shrines, temples and gardens that were slotted into our itinerary, how come the New Century Global Centre isn’t, I asked my guide.

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McDonalds and KFC in Chengdu – Vegetable Wrap with Rice Cakes & Grilled Chicken Burger

Post author:Rebecca Saw
Post published:July 31, 2013
Post category:Food Travel
Post comments:9 Comments

On our 3rd day in Chengdu and after 5-6 Sichuan meals, we were all ready for a change of cuisine. In fact most of us were already craving for our familiar western fare.

It so happened that we were scheduled to visit Happy Valley, a theme park in Chengdu where we are expected to watch the dinner show “Paradise Ethos Chinese Cultural Show” that evening. At this theme park, there are shopping options as well as international food chains. And the first 2 that we saw as we walked from the entrance was Mcdonalds and KFC. 😀

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Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding – Chengdu Panda base

Post author:Rebecca Saw
Post published:July 29, 2013
Post category:General
Post comments:9 Comments

Visiting pandas in Chengdu is a must. If you haven’t seen the pandas, then you haven’t been to Chengdu. Or so it seems that way. “Panda tourism” is big business in China. Each year hundreds of thousands of people (both local and foreign) visit the country’s world famous centre in Chengdu. a city about 2,000km southwest of Beijing.

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Sichuan food in Chengdu: 1st meal – Wei Tian Restaurant at Kuan Zhai Xiang Zi

Post author:Rebecca Saw
Post published:July 27, 2013
Post category:Food Travel
Post comments:13 Comments

Salt must be a precious commodity in the Sichuan province. It’s so surprisingly to see vibrant, vivid colours of the food served and finding out that it tasted absolutely different from its appearance.

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Shanghai Day 1: A muslim friendly restaurant in Shanghai town – Yakexi Restaurant for Xinjiang fare

Post author:Rebecca Saw
Post published:February 26, 2013
Post category:Food Travel
Post comments:19 Comments

It is difficult to get out of bed if not for the temptation of breakfast 🙂

We landed at 12.30am on 20th February and only left the airport at about 1:15am after waiting for everyone to clear immigration. We finally arrived at Courtyard by Marriot, Puxi after another 1 hour on the road. Sleep was well after 3am!
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VPN & SSH Tunneling for accessing blocked sites – Facebook, Twitter in China

Post author:Rebecca Saw
Post published:February 26, 2013
Post category:Technology
Post comments:10 Comments

I just got back from Shanghai and if you have noticed, I was updating my twitter, FB, FB page while I was in China. If you don’t already know, China has banned Facebook so it is technically not possible to access it withing China. I found out later that Twitter was blocked as well. Luckily Instagram wasn’t so I was still able to access it on my iPhone. And my Instagram is linked to my personal Facebook so I could still update pictures VIA INSTAGRAM but unfortunately my twitter and FB Page wasn’t linked!

Long story short, I can update Instagram and my personal FB via Instagram but not my twitter and FA page as I would need to activate the Twitter and FB Page app. And, I can’t reply to FB comments since I can’t access FB app on my iPhone!

Before I left KL, I did some background checks on VPNs and how it works so I can find a way around the Facebook ban. And coincidentally, a representative from www.12Hide.com site actually emailed me if I’m interested to try their service.
Fabulous! Just in time for my Shanghai trip too! 🙂

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