wifi

Lots of cafes and restaurants seem to have free wifi and gladly advertise it in the window. Both places I have stayed so far have internet for free in room and is a fair speed.

Maccas is the same, timed access (approx 15 mins). But why bother when you can have untimed in so many other places?

Coffees are incredibly expensive here. To buy a coffee, even small, is most usually 20-30rmb. But a beer you can pay as little as 10rmb in a cafe. Of course much less at 7-11.

I found free postcards today in 2 cafes. They are like Avant Cards and advertise something or have art on them. Classic - there is a staging of the famous play 12 angry men soon, but the postcard reads 12 angry man.

I found peanut shaped erasers today in a tiny stationery store. There were also pretty cases for your travel card, and pencil sharpeners (the large ones with a handle). One was like a ship steering wheel and the other was some face and you put the pencil in where the nose is. There were mini stanley knives barely 10cm long. And a pill box shaped like chocolate blocks.

Today has been the coldest day yet. Wearing 4 layers and the coat is not quite enough.

Still trying to find USB sticks but none are over 8GB and the prices are not that great.

We went to the French concession area today. The architecture is different but there was really not any big attraction about it. There aren't any French restaurants and cafes and shops as I had imagined. There is just more of the usual stuff.

What is good is that there are many small boutiques, even in streets away from the CBD, and some of these are sunken from the ground but are still 2 storey by a short flight of stairs. From the foot path you see both upper and lower floor quite clearly. Some shops are so narrow that you can barely fit two people side by side in them.

We found a street that had shops that had won Shanghai govt awards, like "Time Honored Brand" awards. They all had very Chinese styling fashion in them. All with bronze plaques on the outside.