Ek Chin tan

2011-12-05T01:16:00.001-08:00

Untitled, a photo by RathL on Flickr.

Bukhara Diwali 2008

2008-10-28T09:02:00.001-07:00

Bukhara Diwali 2008
Originally uploaded by Ek Chin Tan

The fireworks never seemed to stop. We all had a neck sprain from
watching all the fireworks (mostly airborne ones ).

Bukhara Diwali tradition has become a mainstay amongst shangjai who's
who.

Diwali 2008 - Simply Euphoric

2008-10-25T22:52:00.000-07:00

Euphoria set the floor ablaze right from the word go and held the audience captive for nearly three hours. Being a band, their medleys and impromptu jamming were more refreshing than listening to playback singers.

Palash was surprised to note that his songs had made it to the indian crowds in china. He belted out nearly 40+ songs and seemed to have more energy than the audience members.

An enjoyable evening...Wishing all a very Happy Diwali

Street food

2008-10-19T21:50:00.001-07:00

Very popular among the locals, street food can be found in some important crossings, after 7 pm. It's fascinating just seeing the range of delicacies on offer.

Shanghai Adda "Puja"

2008-10-11T20:14:00.001-07:00

The Indian Bengali group "adda" in shanghai has been organising puja since last couple of years at Indian kitchen on minsheng lu.

The cultural program on navami is one of the highlights where toddlers to semi pros (of sur shanghai) showcase their talent.

Don't miss it next time.

Olympic soccer game @ shanghai stadium

2008-08-24T20:36:00.001-07:00

It was fun to watch with kids. Womens soccer has come a long way . Result brazil won 4-¹against Germany.

Bindra wins Gold @ Beijing 2008

2008-08-11T00:03:00.000-07:00

Cool guy Bindra ( with steely nerves ) won the first ever individual olympic gold by an Indian. Abhinav won with an overall score of 700.5. He and Zhu Qinan ( china ) were both tied till the last shot. Abhinav's last shot of 10.8 was his best shot of the day and helped him tip the scales. For the cricket fans, its like hitting a six in the last ball of the match for a win. Zhu had to contend with a silver. Now, the indian media will start shooting all over bindra..poor AB :-)

Canara Bank opens branch in Shanghai

2008-08-07T16:59:00.000-07:00

Canara Bank's Shanghai branch was inaugurated by MS Gill and Vishnu Prakash on 6th Aug. Gill ( Sports Minister ) was on his way to Beijing to take part in the Olympics opening ceremony. Hope he learns something about sports development and organisation from the chinese. The event was held in Shangrila hotel Lonyang ball room. The view of Bund from its Balcony is breath taking.

Thermax Plant Inaugurated in Jiaxin, China

2008-07-30T20:21:00.001-07:00

Thermax China Ltd (TCL), started operations in jiaxin (Zhejiang), china yesterday. The plant setup at a cost of about USD 12 m is the only plant in china which uses "absorption technology" in chillers. It was good to see some young company heads ( Meher Padumjee), taking risk and investing in a highly competitive market like china, which is also the largest market for chillers in the world . This thermax's first foreign venture. Other Indian companies in Jiaxin are Sundaram Fasteners & Elgi. Proximity to Shanghai and familiarity with the local processes combined with genial attitude of the Jiaxin govt official is an incentive to invest in jiaxin.

Kudos to Ashish Vaishnav and the thermax team in erecting the plant in a record time of 18 months. The game begins now ( quest for sales ..not Olympics). Wishing TCL all the best!

Kebabs on the Grille

2008-07-16T21:13:00.000-07:00

Shanghai is a gourmet's delight. You can find best of any cuisine here. Top class Indian restaurants are also springing up. The new kid on the block is "Kebabs on the Grill" and the man himself (promoter ) is Arun Bahirwani. Located at 479, Zhongshan nan lu, "Cool Docks" promises to be the next xintiandi on the bunds within 6 months. The spanky new rectangular square houses new restaurants like Starbucks, banni, fusion restaurants ( & some whose names i am not familiar, yet!).

KOTG is a theme restaurant focusing on the famous northwestern frontier kind of kebabs. The tables have small central cutout where a small grille inserted with carcoal will be kept for the guests to give the finishing touches to kebabs.

The kebabs were succulent and tasty. The menu has usual complement of Nan, black dal, paneer etc. While the name suggests non-veg focus for the joint, veggies should also find something to cheer about.

Interiors are well done and functional. Spread over 2 floors, it has a seating arrangement for 80 people including a bar area.

Dont't forget to notice the "Ganesha" (boy-elephant as per Times) as you enter KOTG and while you are exiting lookout for the imported paki mouth freshners.

Sunil Gavaskar in Shanghai

2008-06-23T21:21:00.000-07:00

Cricket is a religion in India and for Indians outside India. In the last couple of months, we had Kapil and now Sunil Gavaskar dinner events in Shanghai. The smooth talking Sunny fielded questions from the crowd with a finesse and impressed everyone with the depth of his knowledge on the subject. Who's next - Srikanth?

China's Creative Imperative

2008-06-23T20:15:00.000-07:00

Sometime's its little difficult to notice stars when you are too close to them. One of them is Kunal (Sinha) who stayed in Kingswell Garden, Shanghai for over 4 years. We knew Kunal was different and had many avocations (music , photography etc) but unfortunately we had not witnessed it first hand. His most recent book "China's Creative Imperative" has received rave reviews from within and outside China. Congratulations to Apna own "kunal"! for the book and for the new member in his family.

Teppenyaki on hongmei lu food street

2008-05-23T05:51:00.000-07:00

Tried out the new tepornyaki joint on the food street. The english speaking Japanese waitress helps in deciding the order with some choice recommendation.

Earthquake in China

2008-05-23T01:55:00.001-07:00

The earthquake in wenchuan (Sichuan County) has taken a great toll. Every day the newspaper’s report larger fatality figures. TV channels are on an overdrive in documenting the relief work. Many companies and individuals have donated large sums towards rehabilitation and restoration work. One of my Chinese colleague thanked me when I donated some amount for charity. Was pleasantly surprised since I thought it was natural on part of every person to contribute something. Or was it because I was a lao wai.

The shanghai red cross charity collects donations through credit card and as soon as someone makes a payment, the donor’s name is listed on the website which can be used in case there are some tax breaks etc which the govt may announce.

Indian kitchen Hangzhou

2008-05-02T23:13:00.000-07:00

While haveli is the more popular Indian joint in Hangzhou, IK on 77 nanshanlu near west lake is also a treat.

Tunnels

2008-05-02T23:09:00.000-07:00

We crossed 11 tunnels on our way to qiandao hu. The tunnels are top class, well lit and maintained nicely. The standardization of design is quite apparent.

Qian dao hu

2008-05-02T07:55:00.000-07:00

Thousand island lake is located 140kms south west of Hangzhou. This huge lake was formed due to the construction of a dam. The place is scenic and good for a short trip. The city is developing and after 10 years this may become a hot destination. Sheraton is opening here next year. Being only foreigners in a predominant Chinese groups had its ups and downs. We missed our boat and group on one of the island.

Carrefour and olympics

2008-04-27T02:50:00.000-07:00

Marketing professors will be citing examples of this case in the
coming years. Was surprised to get an empty checkout aisle free today
on a Sunday evening.

Indian golfers in shanghai

2008-04-26T03:57:00.000-07:00

Shanghai tournaments have become regular ones for the indian pros. DD's fascination with golf ensures that there is at least one Bukhara dinner with the golfers. Bmw china open saw a couple of Indians making the cut, however, it was digvijay Singh who was leading the Indian pack
with 3 under going into the final Sunday.

Teahouse in Beijing - china classical teaclub

2008-04-24T20:07:00.000-07:00

A unique experience if you are in Beijing. A very chic teahouse with live soothing music and a collecttion of private antique pieces displayed nicely, this is the place to come to after an early Chinese dinner if you have some important business discussion or to get your thoughts straight.

Outback in Beijing

2008-04-24T04:19:00.000-07:00

Located at workers stadium in Beijing, Outback is one of the best and most authentic Australian restaurants in Beijing to have a steak.

New Beijing airport

2008-04-23T15:27:00.000-07:00

The Beijing airport new terminal is swanky but not without its design flaws. The toilets near exit gate do not have enough space to keep the baggage trolley. The ceilings are quite high and modular.

A1 and karthikeyan in Shanghai

2008-04-20T06:06:00.001-07:00

The fastest indian on road was in shanhai last week. A few race afficianados were invited to a close chat session at bukhara. First look - karthikeyan's humilty and candor was a surprise. Most of us stayed back late chatting about new race developments. K handed out free passes for all present ( and not) as a result of which a big group of indians turned for the final race and cheered K, who had a honorable finish at 6th position.

Incredible India in shanghai

2008-04-10T23:39:00.000-07:00

Indian torism deptt organized a major show at shanghai centre staging
a grand show covering various dance styles of India supported by a
crew of 65 members. The show was compered by kabir bedi and well
covered by Chinese media. Frequent such exchanges will be useful to
increase the tourism traffic between the two countries. Indian tourism
deptt also opened its first office in Beijing to facilitate such
cultural exchanges.

Dalian

2008-04-04T18:18:00.001-07:00

Possibly one of the best city to live in and work in china. The town
architecture and planning is quite modern and futuristic. The tourist
locations are nothing interesting but be aware of the ticket touts.
Dalian us also the fashion capital of china and to witness this you
should go underground (market).Zhongshan hotel downtown has an Indian
restaurant.

Pizza hut @ dalian

2008-04-04T17:40:00.000-07:00

Lots of Russian influence, even at pizza hut

Sign at pudong airport

2008-04-03T23:10:00.000-07:00

Twitter in Shanghai

2008-03-29T19:29:00.000-07:00

Twitter is a new social messaging network which is becoming quite popular
these. Chinese twitter clones have also cropped up ( Fanfou, jiade). So what
is twitter?

Its a microblogging service which you can update using your mobile phone.
How can it be used? And is being used to..

- Subscribe reuters
- Updates from restaurants
- Cricket scores
- Ask a question ( which movie to see?)
- Make a recommendation
- What are you doing?
- Olympics medals update
Etc..

The updates are sent to people you are following. Can be sent from PC/Mac
but twittering is popular on mobile devices ( psp,mobile phone, itouch etc).

Twittering from mobile via SMS from China will be a bit more than domestic
sms charge as the twitter SMS intl number is in UK. Receiving updates should
be free. If you have an iphone or smartphone, you can use one of the many
twitter web applications ( pocketweet, itweet etc) and twitter using your
edge or wifi service.

Happy twittering!

Turning ten

2008-03-25T06:50:00.000-07:00

Party at bastian with close friends, games, perfect cake and yum food.

ERA

2008-03-23T10:36:00.000-07:00

It is touted as a must see show if you are in shanghai. A 2 hour show
of acrobatic skills and motorcycle dare devilry, worth seeing.

Attica - Bollywood Event

2008-03-22T21:16:00.000-07:00

A bollywood DJ on the same day as holi celebrations in Shanghai promised to keep up the spirits. Attica is touted as a hip place and supposedly a large crowd was going to turnout for the event. When we reached, we saw a long line of people queuing to get in..mostly foreigners. As we entered the place, we hardly saw or heard anything Bolly like. After a while, we discovered that the Indian-do was happening at another corner of attica. It was quite dark and could barley make out a large mass convulsing. Exited in 20 mins after a few customary ‘hellos’.

Jinmao lobby shanghai

2008-03-22T03:20:00.001-07:00

Jinmao lobby shanghai
Originally uploaded by Ek Chin Tan

One if the best hotel lobbies in the world.

Part time

2008-03-08T06:15:00.000-08:00

We r missing Jyothi and Aditi !

Taboo

2008-03-07T19:56:00.001-08:00

Taboo
Originally uploaded by Ek Chin Tan

A very nice game which can be played in a party.

Breaking News

2008-01-31T21:13:00.001-08:00

Breaking News
Originally uploaded by Ek Chin Tan

We had our first casualty of shanghai snow. wishing a speedy recovery for lshaan.

Snow

2008-01-26T17:25:00.000-08:00

I was watching Al Gore's " the inconvenient truth' last night and went to sleep thinking about all the grim effects of global warming. Waking up in the morning, and seeing snow outside in the garden and all around was quite a relief.

59th Republic Day Celebration

2008-01-26T16:08:00.000-08:00

This year the program was held in the lobby of the Consulate building as it
was raining outside. Sur Shanghai and Kids band presented one song each. The
consulate may be getting its own building soon. Gathering was less due to
inclement weather. The following Bukhara brunch was also skipped by many. It
started snowing towards 11 am .. you could a smile on everyone's face.

Masala Art & Good times

2008-01-25T15:34:00.000-08:00

Masala Art & Good times are the new Indian eateriers on 397 Dagu Lu. While Masala Art caters to fine dining clientele, Good times fills in the chat-papri Indie fast food niche. Their reputation is growing as can be seen from the packed weekends.

Decks cleared for Jet flights to San Francisco via Shangha

2008-01-14T15:37:00.001-08:00

clipped from www.zeenews.com

Decks cleared for Jet flights to San Francisco via Shanghai

Beijing, Jan 14: Decks appeared to have been cleared for private airliner Jet Airways to start operating flights to the eastern Chinese city of shanghai in return of India allowing a Chinese cargo carrier to fly to Chennai and Mumbai.

Jet has submitted a proposal for rights to operate Mumbai-Shanghai-San Francisco flights as part of bilateral civil aviation agreement that allows 42 flights between the two countries. India has availed only four while China has utilised 18.

Nath said India has cleared the proposal of Chinese cargo carrier great wall to operate flights to Chennai and Mumbai.

New Delhi`s move is expected to encourage Beijing to grant long-pending clearance to state-run Air India and Jet Airways to launch flights to Chinese cities of Guangzhou and Shanghai respectively.

Happy New Year 2008

2008-01-01T05:54:00.000-08:00

The sudden drop in temperature and lack of child friendly parties was a
dampener for this NY eve. This is the time of the year when expats take off
in droves and Shanghai bar and restaurant attendance drops drastically. The
chinese govt has changed the holiday schedules bringing cutting off the may
golden week and adding 3 more holidays. This time we were fortunate to have
3 hols (30/31 and 1st with Sat as a working day ;-)

Normally, god fearing people start their new year with a visit to temple,
seeking almighty's blessing. We also thought of doing so and went to
Shanghai's oldest Buddha temple..the Longhua temple. We were surprised to
find many chinese standing in serpentine queue with incense stick in their
folded hands.The place was littered with some remnants of a makeshift stage
which had been constructed for the new years celebration, however, it did
not affect the sanctity of the surroundings. 2008 is a lucky year for the
chinese ( pa!) and major targets have been set for this year, notable being
the beijing olympics. Here's wishing success and universal peace..

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year in 2008.

Met a friend at Changi airport just

2007-12-23T04:28:00.001-08:00

NEW YEAR'S DJ PARTY ON 31ST DEC'2007

2007-12-10T15:32:00.000-08:00

Bollywood Rocks in Shanghai

2007-12-02T17:51:00.000-08:00

Indian Association's annual charity event "Bollywood Rocks",rocked Shanghai on Dec 1. Though a little cliched and overpriced ( @ 800/pax), the event organisers managed to sellout all the tables. It was a black-tie event ( though some came in plain jeans also), newly tailored tuxedos could be seen.A few gems were present in the silent auction ( Bund painting and a panoramic b/w view of the bund by reknowed photographer 'Gang of one'). The dance ensemble presented by 'Jazz the Funk' troupe on bollywood theme was a smashing hit with the crowd and helped in loosening their purse strings in the following live auction event. Bollywood DJ's have become a regular feature in Shanghai's bar scene and seems like b'wood is here to stay for some time.

Casino Royale @ Bukhara

2007-12-02T17:34:00.000-08:00

'To each , his own" - DD chose casino theme party for his year ending gala dhamaka. Fresh from venetian Macau, this was to be expected. Counters were handed out to all the guests at the entrance and for a change there was less chit-chat. Most of the guests and ladies for a change tried their hands at the Black Jack and Russian roulettes which were manned by experienced pros. Some of them were fast learners and managed to swoop a couple of prizes. Food as usual was above par and especially prepared for the event. Wonder what will be the next theme be - indoor golf par 9 course?

Diwali at SAS Shanghai

2007-11-15T21:30:00.000-08:00

Kumar Sanu Avaya Diwali Nite 2007

2007-11-03T22:06:00.000-07:00

Diwali Nite is the most awaited event in the IA community and IA association spares no effort in making it a success. D-nites since 2001 have grown bigger and better.

This year, Kumar Sanu was the main attraction. Although there were some inhibitions initially but those were dispelled once he got into his groove and belted out some of the choicest foot thumping songs from a repertoire of 14000 songs he has recorded till date. Diwali tickets were all sold out weeks before show, another endorsement to its growing popularity. The organisers may have to find a bigger venue or split diwali over 2 days, next year around as Shangrila cannot accommodate more than 800 people.

Nehal, manish, Mayank and others worked very hard in ensuring a smooth event
and all kudos to them!

Macau

2007-10-04T20:18:00.000-07:00

As usual, we made another last minute plan for a holiday trip and this time it was to Macau. Cheap flights were available through Ctrip ( via Shenzhen) and managed to get hotel booking at the Venetian hotel. The Venetian Hotel is the 2nd largest building in the world. Its an amazing hotel cum Casino with venice type canals inside the hotel. The hotel itself features as a tourist destination for travelers to Macau.

Books

2007-09-18T23:40:00.001-07:00

For a longtime I was thinking about cataloging my books alongwith ratings, reviews etc. Something like itunes for books. After a brief search, stumbled across “Books”, a MacOSX program. It’s a freeware and has all the desired featured which one will need for cataloging. One of the coolest feature is “quickfill” – just type in the ISBN no. of your book and all the important details of your book alongwith the coverflow is downloaded from various sources on the net.

Bellagio's

2007-09-02T17:21:00.000-07:00

There must be something about this restaurant as it is always crowded and noisy even if located in a residential area in Changning distt of Shanghai.

Being a taiwanese restaurant, it has a large taiwanese clientele followed by other South Asian expats. The dishes are spicy and very tasty especially hotplate onion chicken with garlic. The shaved ice mango and coconut ice cream is a speciality of Bellagios and many stroll-in after dinner to Bellagio's for desserts. The waiters can speak basic english and the chef can take in special customised orders from customers. Especially useful when you are a vegetarian.

Address:	778 Huangjin Cheng Dao (by Gubei Nan Lu)
Phone:	6278 0722
Cards Accepted:
Nearest Metro:	None

名称	鹿港小镇
地址	黄金城道 778 号近古北南路
电话	6278 0722

Kapial Dev in Shanghai

2007-09-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

Finally, managed to attend the dinner hosted by Indian Assoc for the inauguration of Avaya Kapil Dev Cricket tournament. I must say it turned out to be a surprisingly pleasant event. Kapil seems to have seasoned over time and fielded the questions with a witty and genuine candor. His auctioneering ability also helped IA to raise close to RMB 60,000 rmb. Much beyond what IA could have expected. A sample of some of the Q&A’s from the evening:

Q: Why India cannot develop a genuine fast bowler?

A: Indians do not have the physique.

Q: Why have ICL?

A: Competition will be better for sport. Especially when BCCI and CBI do not take the initiative in using expertise of more experienced players.

Q: Minority reservation in sports?

A: Would you like a minority doctor to attend to you when you are sick. Limit reservation to Education only.

Q: Most embarrassing moment?

A: Locked up in a closet for 40 mins while a female fan was in the room.

Q: Words said in locker room before taking field in 1983 world cup?

A: Jawano ladna hai.

Q: Why cant we have an Indian coach for team India?

A: No need for a coach at that level.

Q: Why India cannot win matches?

A: Players are not committed enough ( as a team)

Q: Why was the rivalry with Sunny G?

A: Both played with diff objectives. One for drawing the match and the other went for a win.

Photoblog

2007-08-21T05:18:00.000-07:00

Another new blogging tool for reaching out faster. This time using the mobile phone with a good pixel camera. You can subscribe to photoblog and the mms your pics directly from your phone to the blogsite. Max 20 pics per day. Check out taranya's photoblog

2007-08-09T20:28:00.000-07:00

INDIAN cricket legend Kapil Dev will be in Shanghai at the end of the month to pitch for the sport that is still in its infancy in China.

The ICC and the Asian Cricket Council have been earnestly promoting the game on the mainland and the Chinese Cricket Association was set up two years ago. The World Cup winning captain will host a cricket camp for kids and new buffs of the game on September 1, while a team made up of local and expat players will get a look at Kapil's deadly inswingers at the Biyun grounds on September 2.

Zyb - Mobile Phone backup

2007-06-20T17:09:00.000-07:00

I have more than 200 contacts on my cell and a lot of addons. While i do
keep a backup of my phone contacts at my home computer, it would be
unthinkable to loose my phone , while i was on a business trip or vacation (
which happens in most of the cases). Zyb helps users to back up all your
contacts, SMS, Cal online and sync using SyncML over GPRS. So go loose your
mobile ..and try out Zyb. Caution: If you are paranoid about privacy..check
out the disclaimer first.

Kite flying

2007-05-03T17:55:00.001-07:00

Kite flying at century park during the labor week.

74081950.jpg
Originally uploaded by Ek Chin Tan.

Sur Shanghai

2007-05-03T16:46:00.000-07:00

Its been a long time ( again!) since the last post. Changes in posting process/ laptops etc takes its toll. Meanwhile many things happened...eg: another edition of Sur Shanghai. For those who missed it here is a link to the songs/ artists/ performance.

The New Look IA team

2007-03-11T16:34:00.001-07:00

President: S S Naik
G Sec ( Business): S Joshi
G Sec ( Activities): Mayank
G Sec ( Culture ) : Nehal

One of the best conducted AGMs. Though attendance was thin, the minds were fully 'irrigated' and the main farmer was Prakash Mennon. Best of lucks to the new team.

Indian Association AGM

2007-03-09T16:07:00.001-08:00

Once again the time has come to select a new president for of IA and surprise surprise... 2 of our close buddies have been nominated for GSec posts this time. Though, rumor has it that an IA post is an exit invitation from china, we hope the new team stays for a longer time and takes IA to newer heights. Final results later...

Tianran Natural Health Vegetarian Restaurant

2007-02-18T20:56:00.001-08:00

Off late, many chinese vegetarian ( yes! you heard it right) restaurants have cropped up in Shanghai. Some of them have become popular too. A couple of them mould their menu and dishes similar to the popular non-veg ones in color, flavor and shape. Some of the newer ones have authentic chinese veggie dishes.

Tianran Natural Veggie ( Nanhe Hotel - Named after a river near Nanjing) on Nanjing Dong Lu ( Nanhe Hotel, 442 Nanjing Rd. E., near Shanxi Rd. Tel: 63612059) ranks amongst one of the top veggie joints ( wonder if there has been a ranking of VG joints yet!). Though the restaurant getup is nothing ornate , the location, taste and cost of the dishes more than make up for the lack of ambience ( But lookout for the nice oil painting of erstwhile Nanjing lu, just as you get out of the lift on the 8th floor). We ordered Spicy soup, bamboo shoots, tofu ( 2 varities), chilli brinjol, fried rice, noodle soups..etc. The veggies in our group devoured everything and did acknowledge the spread laid out.

Xin Nian Kuai Le! 2007

2007-02-18T01:21:00.001-08:00

Chinese New Year Eve is kinda like Diwali! All the similarities are there ( family get-together, gift exchanges, fruit baskets , Fireworks, gala-dinner etc). The roads of Shanghai are empty and streets are deserted. Incase someone lands up in Shanghai in CNY eve, they are sure to look around and suspect something amiss.

The chinese fireworks are 'la jawab' ..They are precise, cheap and give a good bang for the money spent. Good bye dog and welcome ye Pigs! The chinese population and wealth is all set to explode this year.

Roger Waters - The Dark Side of Moon - World Tour

2007-02-18T01:12:00.001-08:00

The sixties rocked! There is some kind of magic about '60s music which still persists and manages to fill up a stadium. Eric Clapton and now Pink Floyd - both had the crowd eating out of their hands. The contrast between the 2 artists was quite pronounced. While EC (Eric Clapton) was clinical and stuck to his new music and guitaring feats, RG ( Roger Waters ) was humane , his show had a theme - America, Iran War, GB etc. The excellent video / lighting & acoustics ( not to mention the inflatable moon walker and pig) - was something which the Shanghainese may have come across for the first time. RG belted out all the popular numbers..people especially liked his new Lebanon song. THE WALL anthem was sung secong last - and when it came , all the people in the stadium sang along on the top of their voice..i call it an anthem 'coz everyone seems to know it by heart.

Eric Clapton - Shanghai

2007-01-20T16:16:00.000-08:00

Who is the most popular artist amongst the following:

- David Copperfield
- Air Supply
- Eric Clapton
- Deep Purple

Judging from the crowd which turned up yesterday at Grand Theater, in the misty rain, Eric Clapton sure has a star rating amongst the Shanghainse. The Grand Theater was full of expats who swayed to prodigal guitaring of the trio on stage ( Eric Clapton, Doyle Brahma - Guitar II, Derek Trucks). Unfortunately EC did not play 2 of their most popular songs - Cocaine & Layla.

Toys R Us

2007-01-07T14:59:00.000-08:00

70541928.jpg
Originally uploaded by Ek Chin Tan.

Finally, Toys r Us makes its debut in Shanghai. Located in Super brand Mall (Chanda guanghang) in Pudond, the store has toys which have chinese instructions to go with. Thus, the range is somewhat limited. However, from the crowd thronging there, i wont be surprised if they open another one within the year in Puxi.

New Years Eve

2007-01-02T18:54:00.000-08:00

Its been a long time since the last blog. Shall try to be more frequent with weblogs in 2007. The new Years Bukhara party rocked... what with black and silver sashays and p'pino maids doing the rounds. Though , the wings came out after the clock struck 12. 70 -80 odd gatherings tapped to DJ Bosco's music. Happy New Year to all.. May this year be prosperous and Peaceful for all on earth!

Tennis Masters 2006

2006-11-27T17:10:00.000-08:00

Tennis Masters in Shanghai has become one of the major sports events in Shanghai / China. Federer and James Blake were the finalists this year. Took the kids also this time to check out the way top players calibre. Well, federer creamed James in 3 straight sets and left him gasping for breath. I think Roger F is undoubtedly the best tennis player of this century. His shots and calmness on the court in unnerving for any opponent. The stadium is a master piece and if you have an opportunity, go and see it.

3rd Shanghai Indian Association Golf

2006-11-27T17:00:00.000-08:00

The Third IA Golf tournament was held last Sunday at the Tomson Golf course. A total of 14 golfers registered for the tournament. This time the tournament was thrown open to other natives of other SE Asia countries also. Despite incessant rain in the previous days, all the registered members turned up and luckily the weather held and the round finnsihed without a drop of rain falling on our heads. There were many new golfers and some of those including uddin scalped a couple of prizes. Vinay came up trumps despite his home turf advanrage and shot his second best course record of 86. The dinner and tournament organisation went of without a hitch and the wifeys also were seen smiling at the dinner party held at Bukhara. Check out some of the pics from the days events

Food court in carrefour

2006-11-18T17:48:00.000-08:00

Food court in carrefour
Originally uploaded by Ek Chin Tan.

Run by Da shi food company..has a range of japanese, chinese, korean, singapore foodstuff. Pay 100 rmb and take a card. ..pickup whatever u like and the card gets debited. A unique experience..

Air India takes off from Shanghai

2006-11-18T16:54:00.000-08:00

All good times are ephemeral...and so was Vinit's stint in Shanghai. One of the most to-the-point, practical and helping kind of guy...who has helped many Indians in Shanghai with their flights in & out of Shanghai as well as in other fields and his deft handling of Indian Association program will be missed when VG takes off Calicut ( his new posting ). Shanghai's loss ..Calicuts gain. The cocktails concotions doled out by Anthony Bhai was a smash hit. Next time you go Bukhara ..ask for a B52 or Deccan Queen.

HSBC Shanghai Open 2006 - Indian Challenge

2006-11-11T07:30:00.000-08:00

The HSBC Shanghai Open Championship is currently under way at the Sheshan Club. Sheshan is one of the best course in China. The course is dotted with some amazing luxury villas.

The day started with Jyoti Randhawa at the top of the leaderboard and teeing of with Tiger and Goosen..what a proud moment for Jyoti and India! The chinese crowd of about 7-8000 followed Tiger around the course, maybe because he was the only name they recognised. That left other players like cambell, montgomerie and many others free for our access. Saw tiger from close proximity and realised why he is, what he is. The man plays under tremendous pressure with regular buzzing from the surrounding crowd and manages to come up trumps. Unfortunately, he had a water hazard penalty at the 18th hole today and slipped to the 5th position. Jyoti also did not played so well today and slipped to 3rd position. Yang (Korea) and Goosen played really well. Yang, Goosen and Jyoti will be the lead pairing for tomorrow's final round. With tiger gone from the lead pair , jyoti should be able to breath a little easily and play his natural game tomorrow.

The most heartening part of the golf championship was commendable display of the Indian contingent. All 4 playes ( Jeev Milkha Singh, Shiv Kapur & Gaurav Ghei) were within 7 strokes of the leader.

Hope Jyoti is able to come up trumps tomorrow and the others improve their position.

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

Most popular Hindi songs in China

2006-11-07T17:12:00.000-08:00

Most popular Hindi songs in China
Originally uploaded by Ek Chin Tan.

Today while driving from taiyuan to Guxian in a lexus, our host played a hindi cd. I realised that the following songs must be the most populsr hindi songs in china

- Ankhein khuli ho ya ke band

- Awara hoon

Bollywood lai la!

Air Supply in Shanghai

2006-10-28T09:14:00.000-07:00

Offlate quite a few, over the hill rock bands from yester-years are dropping into Shanghai. Today, went for the Air Supply concert at Shanghai Centre with a couple of friends. This 70's band was quite popular but honestly , did not recall their songs till the show.. and then realised that they had quite a few #1 under their belt. The duo of Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell enthralled chinese crowd which turned up and danced to their songs.

Diwali 2006

2006-10-21T22:21:00.000-07:00

Morning started with inaugural diwali brunch at Bukhara. The spread in both veg and non-veg was quite exhaustive. Vinodji, as usual was the bride father for the day and took personal care of each invitee. Nowadays , with increasing Indian expat population, the number of parties being held in the city has also increased. Some of the highly mobile people (HMP), make an attempt at attending as many parties as possible. India lane had couple of parties and the crackers were heard till Sun morning. Even, the security guard in Kingswell started wishing every Indian who passed "Happi Deewali". Some pics of Diwali celebration in Kingswell are in this album..

Diwali

Ladki Badi Anjani Hai - Malaysian Version

2006-10-17T20:26:00.000-07:00

Bollywood movies and songs are making an inroad into Far East also. Check out this performance of Ladki Badi Anjani Hai by the Malaysian Chinese.

Nikon D50

2006-10-17T00:28:00.000-07:00

Nikon D50 is one the best entry level Digital SLR cameras. After D80 launch, price of D50 and its accessories have fallen. For those who do not know terms like White balance , Noise etc. This is the right camera. Nikon has also created a nice tutorial for teaching all the nikonians on use of their products.

Diwali Party 2006 - AMIT+SUMIT KUMAR

2006-10-16T23:36:00.000-07:00

This years Diwali Party was held at Pudong Shangri-la. Amazing, how things fall into place at the right moment. No wonder, most of the successful event managers are baldies. The evening saw brisk sale of tickets and overall there were about 500 attendees. By the time AMIT KUMAR made his appearance on the stage the crowd was restive and waiting eagerly to shake a leg. AK had no choice but to make a mid course correction and belt out some foot tapping numbers. AK takes on Kishore Kumar in every way ( even after a couple of pegs). His yoodling ( a KK patented term) is par excellence. In order to ensure that people stayed late and danced their heart out, dinner was served at 10:30pm. Some felt, last years fare was better than this time. Who cares!....DJ Sarin tried his best to prolong the session....pity, the next day was a Monday!!

Lion King

2006-10-04T07:51:00.000-07:00

Lion King
Originally uploaded by Ek Chin Tan.

This broadway show has been running for 3 months in shanghai. While we were planning to see it all along, the prospect of missing it altogether, spurred us to make a dash for it today.

The show was par excellence and worth every kuai of 480 rmb per head. Its light, music, pumba, timona, mombasa, simba, rafiki and hakuma matata will remain etched in minds of the audiences. Dont miss it if u get a chance.

Fireworks Show in Century Park

2006-10-03T19:36:00.000-07:00

Fireworks Show in Century Park
Originally uploaded by Ek Chin Tan.

Century Park Fire worKs during the national day hols must be one of the most awaited event during the course of the week. The chinese have fine tuned the art n science of precision explosion in the sky. Do manage to cheer up the spirits of the hoi polloi albeit at a huge cost.

The new Xiang Yang Market

2006-10-02T03:07:00.000-07:00

The new avtar of Xiang Yang market is called Fenshine Market and is located at 580 Nanjing Xi Lu. Its swanky , air conditioned, has atm machines, cola dispensers and best of all same prices. But the charm of old XY Mkt was diff, eh?

Lage Raho Munna Bhai

2006-10-01T07:13:00.000-07:00

Finally saw LRMB, which has scaled the greatwall.. premiering in Shanghai tomorrow with an invitation only matinee show in bukhara. The movie does live upto its hype and billing. Has to be...many of my uncles & aunts went to a cinema hall after decades to see this movie. Do not really recall whether there was any other Indian movie with such a hit sequeal..rather a sequeal at all..pls share if you remember. Last heard..there is VV Chopra has already started on the third one.. "Bahut Hua Munna Bhai!"

F1 in Shanghai - 2006

2006-10-01T06:58:00.000-07:00

Another year , another F1. This time also , we tried our luck with the Huang niu's ( yellow cows!)- went to the Hong kou stadium , the touts were there for sure but it seemed like the combination of Schumi's retirement plans and championship battle had given much fillip to the black market prices. After haggling with the touts in our broken chinese and having a couple of cups of coffees.. we decided to go to the Jiading F1 stadium hoping that the slight drizzle would bring down the ticket prices. Picked up chicken biriyani from Bukhara on the way. Luckily, SJ had reached and managed to get Main Low ( pit front ) ticks for Yuan 1000 apeice.

Went in just 5 mins before the race started. Renaults in 1-2 lead with Schumi at no.6. Luckily for ferrai+schumi, the slight drizzle stopped and the tracks dried up as the race progressed. Schumi drove brilliantly and came back from behind to win the race, ending the Shanghai jinx. The chinese were also happy ..finally the only team they understand ..won!

Schumacher's replacement next season...

Made It!

2006-09-16T16:29:00.000-07:00

Here's some good news....

"As my dear close friends and well wishers, I
wanted to share some news with you from this part
of the world.

I have been promoted as a 'Business Director'
effective Oct 2, 2006. This means an increased
responsibility area within the McCormick US
consumer products division. Ofcourse alongwith
this comes the typical US corporate business
delivery pressures !!

Overall its exciting and challenging. Kushi iss
baat ki hai..ki ye gore logke desh me hum
hindustani ko samman mil raha hai..Jai Hind !! "

Hearty congratulations and best wishes from all of
us.

Satish Rao"

Lage Raho 'S Bhai....

Naiagara dekh liya !

2006-09-08T14:32:00.000-07:00

Not sure whether these raincoats helped us from getting wet from the fury of Naiagara falls

Dangerous Wife

2006-09-06T01:57:00.000-07:00

One of the person in our block has this signpost hanging on on the rear seat of his car. Now..if the wifey was really explosive would he dare display this?

68501911.jpg
Originally uploaded by Ek Chin Tan.

Hi5 Birthday!

2006-09-03T02:41:00.000-07:00

Ishu's Birthday!

2006-09-02T02:19:00.000-07:00

How time flies...kids growing up faster and people moving on to greener pasteurs.

Ishu's bday bash promises to be an eventful one.

Weekend blitz!

2006-09-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

Weekend blitz!
Originally uploaded by Ek Chin Tan.

Huai hai zhong Lu is the place where shanghainese like to hang out. Come friday evening the crossings esp one on huai hai zhong lu and shanxi nan lu becomes stage for fashion show. With xiang yang gone the crowd has thinned somewhat.

Indradhanush

2006-09-01T02:47:00.000-07:00

Managed to lay my hands on a few old issues of Indra Dhanush, the Indian Association, Shanghai's Newsletter...makes for good reading for old times sake.

Jan-Mar 2005 Sep 2006

Apr-Jun 2005

Aug-Sep 2005

Dec-Jan 2006

Vawna

2006-08-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

Vawna
Originally uploaded by Ek Chin Tan.

His stint as commercial consul in CGI, Shanghai has been one of the best. Leaving back for india on sep 2. zaijian...

Raja Bhau's Farewell

2006-08-27T05:13:00.000-07:00

Nehal's mouth watering customised designer food menu had all the guests licking their fingers starting with the starters. Voila - check it out..Pani Puri (pudina pani), samosa chat , raj kachori, fish tikka, kathi chicken, kima pav. After dinner shots! were made using Swiss Schnapps.

Check out the candid shots take by Shireesh.

Return Gift

2006-08-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

Return Gift
Originally uploaded by Ek Chin Tan.

Thought of picking up something for better half on my way back from shenzhen. ..imagine my plight when she discovered this on opening the package!

Squash

2006-08-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

Squash
Originally uploaded by Ek Chin Tan.

A great game, now a regular fixture for the weekends with gang of four..raja, manish, ashish

Feedback Anybody!

2006-08-23T06:31:00.000-07:00

Jack welch in his latest book mentioned, Key to success is to take constant feedback from everybody..and then decide what to do with it. JW takes feedback from his cook also!

We also had a feedback session last Sunday afternoon..and discovered why we were not Jack W

Super Weekend!!

2006-08-19T18:34:00.000-07:00

The Raos from US are in town for Rajas Farewell. Catching up and partying alongwith FM and peripheral activities are on. Today is Ruhan's 4th birthday. How time flies!

Chup chup

2006-07-24T21:06:00.000-07:00

A very nice comedy. Rajpal Yadav is unstoppable. Worth the time. Highly recommended!

Bangalore Art

2006-07-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

We met with a computer Leonardo da vinci at the Garuda Mall. While waiting for the shopping to finsih, we found a small vendor with a computer , cam & printer...who made this pencil sketch. Hope it does not put the real artists out of job.

One Night @ Call Centre

2006-05-17T16:47:00.000-07:00

Know who is the best selling author in Inda these days? Chetan Bhagat.

Both his books have become smash hits. CB picks his topics which have mass
market and ensures there will be a demand for his books. More at his
website.

Karandikars in USA

2006-05-13T16:21:00.000-07:00

Longest Bridge

2006-04-15T04:57:00.000-07:00

Longest Bridge
Originally uploaded by Ek Chin Tan.

Indian Association organised a cruise for all its members to see the longest bridge connecting lingang to yongshan island port. The bridge is 32 kms long and is an engineering marvel worth the trip.

Sur Shanghai II

2006-04-09T02:34:00.000-07:00

It was a day of dilemma. 2 major events in Shanghai on April 8, 2006. ROLLING STONES AND SUR SHANGHAI. Had to choose the later one over the RS 2006 tour as the oldies were clearly not in form. On hindsight it was a wise decision. All the hard work that the gang had put for the last 6 months and the midnight practice sessions bore fruit .The audience could not stop clapping after the inrto video was played. Nehal suggested audience be given a hand massage after the event. Frangipani? Take a look at the stars of the evening...

Consulate Bazaar

2006-04-02T17:59:00.000-07:00

Consulate Bazaar
Originally uploaded by Ek Chin Tan.

This years consulate wife bazaar was organized at Shanghai centre. While the turnout was quite overwhelming, the organizers choice of the venue was poor. There was less participation from the consulates. Saw an canadian staff selling T shirts emlazoned "Visa Section" :-)

The highlight of the show was Indian dance choreographed by bhavisha on "Dhol baje" number.

Bukara Grand Opening

2006-03-26T06:44:00.000-08:00

Finally the d-day arrived! What once started as a day dreaming concept by hum-panch on the Wa-bar drinking session became a reality today. Bukhara- Indian Grill and Lounge made its mark on the Shanghai fine dining scene today. Whole of shanghai Indian community came trooping and danced till midnight on foot thumping bollywood numbers. As usual Raja bhai took the centre stage followed by Manish ,Bhavisha, Preetiji and a very flexible argentinian middle aged baldy who showed what dancing was all about. The spacious expanse coupled with the nice ambience of the place wowed everyone present. Food was par excellence esp. the Biriyani and the mutton curry -rounded up with hot jalebis and gulab jamuns. Guess what the most amazing transformation was - DD moving around sober without a glass in hand and taking care of all the guests. Aisa bhi hota hai!! Slideshow