Riot, Riot!
After the unfortunate bike theft events earlier this year, I was urgently trying to get a new fast bike. I set myself up with a sweet new ride from Factory Five.
I went for a real light aluminum frame, matte black components and drop-bars.
all images by factoryfive
I was in Germany for a good part of April but now it’s been bike season all of May and I really love it. I rode single speed before and it took a bit a getting used to riding fixed, but now it feels like the most natural thing on earth and I caught myself riding recklessly through rush hour traffic and insane scooter masses. It’s simply fabulous. Every day is ride-to-work day!
After thinking about it literally since I moved to Shanghai, I finally got it figured out and made my first Taobao purchases.
Taobao is China’s amazing online shop – THE online shop. Whatever you can think of, real or fake, you’ll find it here.
I had been looking to update my kitchen chairs for a while as the old ones are inherited from my parents. They are foldable, wooden and straight from the 80s. They had a bit of a stability issue.
Taking to Taobao for the first time proves to be a bit of a challenge.
First of all: how to overcome the Language Barrier? The easy solution here is Google Chrome, which has become my browser of choice since living in China.
Secondly: The Taobao Field Guide is GOLD.
Thirdly: having a Chinese friend doing the payment for you makes life a whole lot easier.
After a bit of research I ended up with three fabulous new chairs, which is actually one more than I needed, but one now serves a decorative purpose.
These chairs are all replica, finding the real deal would actually be more of a challenge. I paid around 250RMB per chair and they’re top notch quality. I am really happy with them.
Room for improvement for the next purchase? Home delivery instead of office delivery!
What to buy next??
After seeing my friend’s Fuji Instax Polaroid camera I felt the urge to OWN one myself.
I ordered via Taobao:
1 Camera
3 packs of film
1 shoulderstrap
1 bag
1 mirror for extended-arm-pictures (How Chinese, right?)
TOTAL: 640 RMB.
It took three days to deliver and I LOVE it.
.. I was just standing there. In Münster.
A friend had been looking to buy an electric scooter for quite some time now and last Sunday was finally the day when we made it happen.
After plenty of research we found a shop on the corner of Xikang Lu near Haifang Lu that sells Vespa style Chinese electric scooters, both regular but also with 60V for 3000RMB. It includes a 15 months warranty on the battery and a 12 months warranty on the overall bike. Throw in a lock and you got yourself one kick ass bike.
We spent the rest of Sunday riding all over town and I’m so smitten, I’m considering to purchase one myself.
Last weekend my fabulous Chinese Teacher Joyce (if you live in Shanghai and are looking for someone to teach you this horrid language, she’s the very best – she runs her own language school and you can find her here!) organized a Cantonese Breakfast and then we headed over to Taste Discovery for some dumpling making.
Let me tell you this: it’s HARD!!
Today it’s all about bringing back the oldies. Here’s Norwegian electronic ensemble Ugress – hello summer!
It’s been so hot in Shanghai that it feels like we’re in the middle of July already.. what’s your summer music?
Yesterday the Design Art and Fashion Fair found its way to Wharf 1864.
The event brought out more Hipsters and Fashion-forward people than I’d usually see in a week – I wonder, where do all these people hide out on regular days?
Lots of colors, especially neon everywhere. Pink sweet potato hot dogs and tiger beer – 2 for 30 RMB, the best preconditions for a fun afternoon and evening.
I maximized my home-time with visits to friends. One that’s a definite must every time I’m around is a Frankfurt stop.
It was a
- very
exhausting weekend.
oh – and the great weather brought out some true characters, such as this one.
visuals.
social.
