China – Christine's Reviews

Xiaomi MIJIA PM2.5 Smart Detector Air Quality Monitor

By christine December 27, 2017 December 27, 2017 Uncategorized

So shocking is the air quality in Delhi, where I live, that a Christmas present of a PM2.5 detector was a great hit.

Our son brought us the Xiaomi MIJIA PM2.5 Smart Detector Air Quality Monitor from China, where he lives, and it is the easiest gadget to set up and use. Literally just charge it – it uses a standard micro USB – and you’re A for away.

There is a light that is green when the PM2.5. level is within acceptable norms, and a red light which we have seen far more of, sad to report.

On/off button. All very easy-peasy.

Since it is super light, you can easily carry the detector with you. We did, taking it to the Andaman Islands, to test the air quality there, and also testing the air on board our Vistara flight.

Pretty pure, I have to say, as you can see from the photo below:Back here in Delhi, we move it from room to balcony to room, watching in horror as the levels shoot skywards whenever we step out onto our plant-filled balcony.

There’s a full technical review online & I took the liberty of quoting from it regarding the monitor’s vital stats:

“The PM2.5 detector is a pocket-friendly device that easily fits into the pockets as the device weighs 100 grams and measures 62 mm x 62 mm x 32 mm in size. There is a built-in 750 mAh battery that can last up to 2-3 hours on single charge.”

In my other blog, christinepemberton.me, I shared a short video of our monitor recording the changing AQI level as I walked out onto our balcony – the video shows you just how super easy it is to use & interpret the data.

A useful addition to your house, especially if, like me, you live in a polluted place. It gives you real-time, personalised info, and you can plan your course of action accordingly.

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Sagami – a good Japanese restaurant in Shanghai

By christine April 3, 2014 April 3, 2014 Uncategorized

We have eaten rather more Japanese food than Chinese on our trip to Shanghai, mainly because of me and my dietary restrictions.

I do not eat meat, but do eat fish, but finding Chinese food that is without meat isn’t always easy. Lots of combos seem to be pork + shrimp, or chicken + shrimp which is why Japanese cuisine has been a lifesaver.

Close to our hotel we found a good Japanese restaurant where the staff also spoke enough English to help us, and, rather unadventurously perhaps, we ate there 2 nights in a row, though I like to think it was rather testimony to their good food.
The first night we ate as follows. Hubby declared his sukiyaki to be delicious :

Son and heir said ditto with his beef platter (below)

And my salmon combo was fabulous.

The next night we varied the menu ever-so-slightly.

Edamame to start with.

Then I took 2 different sashimi selections, both equally delicious.

And hubby and son both had the beef platter which Hari had eaten the previous night (so he wasn’t actually all that adventurous, after all). He said that it was good, but not quite as good perhaps as the first night.

Recommended (we did eat there twice, remember).

Free wifi.

What’s not to like?

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What is a good service apartment in Shanghai?

By christine March 31, 2014 March 31, 2014 China, Hotels

We have just returned from a 10 day trip to Shanghai, possibly the longest time we have stayed put in one place, with no side trips or anything. Just 10 days of city wandering.

We stayed in an excellent service apartment “New Harbour Service Apartments,” which we found on the internet, and we could not have been happier with our choice. Brilliant location, lovely spotlessly clean flat, great shopping and eating area – all absolutely perfect.

For the equivalent of Indian Rupees 6000 per night/US $100, we had a decent sized flat with a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, sitting room, free wifi, large TV, safe, air-conditioning (though we didn’t need it, rather the opposite on one or two chilly nights). The kitchen had a kettle, a combined fridge & freezer, a microwave, a hob – and that was about it. No pots, pans, cutlery. Nothing. Well, there were 2 x 2 plates, 2 bowls and 2 sets of chopsticks. And that was it.

Loads and loads of cupboard space in the kitchen, but all empty.

We eventually worked out that we could borrow things from housekeeping – I asked for knives, forks and glasses, and received exactly 2 of each. Everything was taken quite literally.

We had a lovely view over our neighbourhood, and every morning I went down and got a coffee from a corner shop not even 150 metres from our hotel, and in the evenings we bought dinner from street vendors – fabulous skewers of meat and fish and veggies that would be grilled in front of us. There is a supermarket literally at the bottom of the building, that stays open very late, so all in all, even with a language barrier, shopping was a doddle.

New Harbour Service Apartments are 1.5km from The Bund – I know, I ran there and clocked the distance – and probably about 1 km to Nanjing Lu and Peoples’ Park – so for wandering and exploring, the location couldn’t be bettered. A metro station is about 500m away – possibly closer.

We didn’t eat in the hotel nor did I check out the gym or pool, so other than using the laundry and the convenient ATM in the lobby, we didn’t use the few facilities on offer. The housekeeping staff could not have been sweeter and more smiley. The front office staff and the bell hops all seemed borderline surly and disinterested. Totally unsmiling and not really interested in being more than coolly helpful. They seemed to be a bit of a throwback to the China of the 1980s and 1990s, unlike everyone else we met.

For such a busy place – and there were always people coming and going – so it’s clearly very popular, the standard of the rooms was exceptional. No signs of wear and tear at all, with everything spotless and well maintained. Spare duvet in the cupboard.

When we checked out, we received a bill for the laundry usage (they have large washing machines and dryers) which was fair enough, and a small charge for rental of the 2 x knife/fork/glass. Very odd.

Other than the front office staff – who were never rude, just completely disinterested – I have nothing but praise for the New Harbour Service Apartments.

100% recommended.

Whenever we next go to Shanghai – soon, I hope – we will definitely stay there.

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Monet exhibition in Shanghai

By christine March 26, 2014 March 31, 2014 China

For anyone lucky enough to be on holiday in Shanghai (as we are) or to live here, then the Monet exhibition at K11 should be on your absolutely, Not To Be Missed, Must Do list.

The selection of paintings gives a very logical and comprehensive overview of the work not only of Claude Monet but also many of his contemporaries, and what is extraordinary about this exhibition is the fact that you can get so close to the works of art, and – if you choose your timing wisely – actually have the luxury of standing there for as long as you like.

Resigned to the massive crowds at exhibitions in Europe, as well as the need to book a time slot and queue and the whole palaver, to walk into the Monet exhibition in Shanghai, amidst a thin crowd, is little short of magic.
When we went to check the opening times, on a weekend, the charming youngsters on duty (good English) advised us, if we could, to come back on a weekday, when the crowds are less.

Which is what we did.

Minimal security, though if you lean too close to a canvas a warning monitor goes off. There are guards in every room but they are the opposite of officious. Attentive but very low-key.
Photography is prohibited, yet lots of people were taking with their mobiles, so yes, guilty by association.

To stand alone in front of this masterpiece, below, is truly a wonderful moment…

Admission costs Yuan 100 or – quick honest drumroll – half price if you are officially old. As I am.

It’s the first time I have ever owned up to being old in order to get an OAP admission, and it didn’t feel that bad, to be honest. The young girl asked for my ID, and scrutinised it carefully, so be sure to carry age proof. I used my Indian driving licence, which worked just fine.