The Fresh Air Fund

Sara from The Fresh Air Fund has contacted me regarding her charity.

"We rely on donations to keep our programs strong, and helping children is a cause that I am sure your readers would be interested in.

Of course, we're always looking for hosts and any help would be fantastic. Together we can help make sure these children have everything they need!"

THE FRESH AIR FUND, an independent, not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877. Nearly 10,000 New York City children enjoy free Fresh Air Fund programs annually. In 2008, close to 5,000 children visited volunteer host families in suburbs and small town communities across 13 states from Virginia to Maine and Canada. 3,000 children also attended five Fresh Air camps on a 2,300-acre site in Fishkill, New York. The Fund’s year-round camping program serves an additional 2,000 young people each year.

If you can help I am sure the "Fresh Air Fund" team would really appreciate it!

New York, New York

I want to go to New York so bad...ly!! I keep hearing about the place from people that have been there or lived there. And the similarities with Shanghai are just.. well, they are there.

I somehow clicked on something and clicked on something (it may have just been an ad) and just ended up at this page at National Geographic.

Now, you tell me if this sounds like Shanghai or not?

Everything changes in New York, and nothing does. Maestros still wield batons at Carnegie Hall, and lunch at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Terminal is always a good time. You can’t find a cab in the rain, but you can always get a bagel with a schmear. Yet the city that never sleeps keeps evolving. Plays open and close. Restaurants come and go. New neighborhoods blossom. In Chelsea, the old Barneys store is now the new Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art. High-heeled fashionistas have replaced white-aproned butchers in the Meatpacking District. Such churn keeps the more than 8,200,000 New Yorkers on their toes even as it makes them appreciate the old favorites all the more. New York remains one helluva town. Welcome!

OK OK I'm not entirely deluded. Obviously there are lots of differences too but the things that make both cities 'cool' are pretty much the same (I think). The diversity of people, the cosmpolitan-ness, the varieties of culture, food, history.. so much to see and do, ahhh the list is endless. And I'm not forgetting the bad things either - like the really really bad weather (freezing in winter and hot and humid as hell in summer)! Ha!

Sydney - Cost of living

This post has nothing to do with Shanghai so move along if that's what you were looking for ;)


I think most people roll their eyes when I tell them how expensive it is. They think I'm just another 20 or 30's-something-er whinging because they can't afford a house/mortgage. Well I'm not exaggerating or bullsh|tting at all. Sydney is freakin' expensive! And it's not just housing either but food, clothing, entertainment...

I was shocked to find this though. A bunch of people who think that Sydney is just as expensive as New York City or San Francisco - the two most expensive cities in the USA.

Food for thought.

Paris-New York-Shanghai

Shanghai has a lot of free English colour magazines that let expats know what is going on around town. I LOVE these magazines! I can't believe they are free. They are printed on good quality paper and the writing is excellent. There are reviews on everything under the sun from books to movies, theatre shows, restaurants, places to take the kids, extra-curricular activities - arts & crafts, sports, new store openings, massage parlours and spas, hotels, and more.

My favourites are City Weekly, That's Shanghai and Talk. Hint is good too but too thin. Not only do they talk about events going on in Shanghai but there is also funny news about the rest of the world, gadget reviews, stories on people who work/live here, great travel (airfare and hotel) deals to nearby cities or international destinations. There is so much to read (and look at) they keep me occupied for ages. You can get them at most foreign-orientated restaurants (eg Blue Frog, Wagas, Element Fresh, Tony Roma's and more) although not every restaurant has every mag and some come out weekly and others come out monthly. You can also buy Talk in City Shop supermarkets and That's Shanghai in the bookstore in Carrefour Gubei (for around 18 RMB each). But why would you want to buy them when you can get them for free?!



In the December issue of Talk magazine there is a page of book reviews. The review for Paris-New York-Shanghai by Hans Eijkelboom really caught my eye. I love pictorial books like this! It kinda reminds me of Colors magazine which I used to subscribe to for many years. This is what the reviewer had to say:

Though Hans Eijkelboom is, in theory, a photographer; in practice, he is more an anthropologist with a camera. Paris-New York-Shanghai presents ad project where, every day, he photographed one type of person or scene (sleeping train passengers, outdoor markets, etc). By documenting the same concepts inthe same concepts in three cities, the Dutchman presents a unique interpretation of global city life. The format both unites the cities and highlights the subtle and not-so-subtle nuances between the past, present, and (possibly) future global capitals.

I can't wait to check it out!