China - never a dull moment!

[anyonebutqantas]

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How have Egypt managed to ramp up services so much more than elsewhere?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

WOW - almost 6 months after China reopened it's borders the numbers of foreign visitors are still miniscule. Many restaurants / bars commonly frequented by Westerners pre-Covid are virtual expat free now and totally Chinese customers.

Everyone you talk to in hospitality are bleeding still from lack of expat spending - it's just amazing and so foreign to what it was.

The hotels are still hungover from covid - in most cases unknowingly - the English language and comprehension are so way down now across all hotels compared to pre-covid - it can be a challenge. I am just about to check out of Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel which has been my go-to in BJ for 15 years - couple examples:

• No salt and pepper shakers / grinders on any table at breakfast - you have to actively ask for them - or rather put on a little pantomime showing the shaking or grinding motion as most staff do not understand even 'salt & pepper' - I have found this across 3 hotels now - Conrad and Shangri-La in SH and RBCH in BJ. RBCH General Manager Pearl Peng explained to me it just a carryover from covid as for 3 years they were prohibited from putting shakers / grinders on table and instead had to use single serve sachets - ah huh ok that makes sense - Pearl then said few Chinese use them so given low numbers of foreign visitors F & B Mgmt are still persisting with none on table but it is under constant review.
• Today I ordered a cappuccino, and it was delivered without a teaspoon - I asked for a teaspoon and did the stirring motion with my hand above coffee mug but a somewhat incorrect item arrived - repeat process 4 times until and English-speaking Manager overheard my request and teaspoon arrived - below see the trail of deliveries left to right:

RBCH breakfast now have a special Eggs Benedict Station:

Kunbudong (I do not read the written language) so NFI what is what - but no foreigners so no big deal huh:



And the fact that many site there for 5, 10mins or more wouldn't make them that tantalising I wouldn't think.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Another example of how few Foreigners are visiting China was when I travelled from BJ to Tianjin to meet with one of our component suppliers. This Company is one of the major players in their sector and is long standing very reputable supplier - I asked the General Manager how many Foreigners have been visiting their factory since the re-opening - he said put it this way - 'Before Covid we have 5 to 10 foreign visitors every week - since reopening you are Numb er 7 visitor in total - UFB

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I didn't think the CRH trains were permitted to exceed 300kmh now - seems the driver Tianjin-Baijing missed that memo - or maybe some changes I am not aware of - maybe still not 'Match Fit'

 

[Cruiser Elite]

If you think the share bikes and scooters dotted around the streets of your city are a disgraceful sight - way worse in China.

Returning from Beijing South Railway Station to RBCH on Thu I noticed a bunch of share bikes parked outside a large cancer hospital so next day I went back to check it out:

Share Bikes 1

Share Bikes 2

Share Bikes 3

Share Bikes 4

 

[woodyren]

I didn't think the CRH trains were permitted to exceed 300kmh now - seems the driver Tianjin-Baijing missed that memo - or maybe some changes I am not aware of - maybe still not 'Match Fit'
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They reduced the speed of all high speed trains by 50kph after some sort of safety enquiry quite a while ago. I have travelled on that Beijing Tianjin train quite a few times and it initially was 350kph back in around 2010. The enquiry may have been after the Wenzhou accident in 2011 but I'm unsure exactly when the change happened.

At that time you could book a VIP ticket in a small cabin area directly behind the driver cab at either end. The cab had full a glass window between the seats and the driver which allowed vision of the driver and the route. These seats are still available on some trains but the glass window is now opaque.

The reverting of the speed back to full speed must be a new development.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I had 4 train trips and this was only 2 to exceed 300kmh - yes that mini cabin still on all trains but all Business Class seats for almost entire week I was there fully booked due to start of school holidays - First Class also booked out many trains - lucky to get Second Class on some trains

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Bummer - I had 16 iPhones with me when I tried to checkin- what to do?

 

[Scarlett]

Interesting video with the bikes @Cruiser Elite.
Also interesting to see how things in videos from China still seem new or newish. What’s your impression on the Chinese approach to ongoing maintenance? With the mass building spree in cities over the past say 20 years, the upkeep costs will likely becoming significant now. Do they tend to keep everything looking good, or is it more a build it and then move on and upkeep is someone else’s problem?

 

[woodyren]

From my point of view it's mostly a build it and move on. New developments in most cases have garden areas with ponds and fountains for example. Almost every older development I have been in the gardens have not been well maintained and the ponds and fountains are not working. People only seem to make the effort to maintain the inside of their apartments.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Oh and due ridiculous CAAC Laws all inbound and outbound Intl flts Crew must still be fully masked - still - like FFS China don’t you think it is time to move on?

Dom flts not subject to same Laws - Crew can choose to wear or not to wear

 

[woodyren]

Arrived in Shenyang yesterday. Happy to report that my Airalo Asian eSim works well and allows access to all the websites I use.

Went to dinner with friends. The main street of Shenyang very crowded as usual last night. Possibly 20% of people still wearing masks.

There has been a lot of tidying up of the roadsides and CBD since my last visit 4 years ago.

Our apartment is up there.




Welcome back dinner.

 

[woodyren]

Attended the local police station today to register with the public security bureau. This is a requirement for aliens staying in a private residence.

While completing the process the officer has a computer screen facing me asking to verify information as they type.

In another only in China moment the search engine they are using to find the required pages is.......Google.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Attended the local police station today to register with the public security bureau. This is a requirement for aliens staying in a private residence.

While completing the process the officer has a computer screen facing me asking to verify information as they type.

In another only in China moment the search engine they are using to find the required pages is.......Google.

some hotels too! Most hotels are linked, but i’ve stayed in some where they have to walk you to the local station to register!

 

[woodyren]

Following on from an earlier CE post. Hire bikes and scooters are everywhere in Shenyang. They do appear to have designated locations to leave them and people who routinely tidy them up.



The plastic e-scooters are a silent threat with people buzzing around everywhere including footpaths.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

CN no longer require COVID-19 tests before entry starting Aug.30

-

mp.weixin.qq.com

 

[woodyren]

No shortage of Penfolds at dinner last night despite the ban.

 

[woodyren]

More Penfolds last night.



The explanation for the unlabelled Baijiu was that it is bottled this way so that it does not draw unnecessary attention to extravagance when drinking at official occasions. The contents were top shelf.



Another only in China moment.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Airline to use 3rd C919 for new flights

Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, or COMAC, will deliver the third Chinese-developed C919 aircraft next month to China Eastern Airlines, sources at the Shanghai-based airline told local media.

www.chinadaily.com.cn

 

[elanshin]

Hi heading to Shanghai soon,

Wondering what VPN services are actually functional right now in China?

Also I've read somewhere if you use an international roaming sim, it can work to get pass the great firewall too?