DalianDalian.com

 So after Kim's excellent post about his journey to Lushun, I thought I'd post a little about my recent venture out there as well.  Well technically, I only got to a park just outside of Lushun. We sorta headed north towards the airport, and hung a left jest before getting there.  Not sure how to describe the park or how to get there, but lets just say we drove for quite a while, and stopped when we saw a big dragon on the right side of the road.  

 At that point me and my friends drove down to the seaside where there were some people swimming and bbqin' and playin' mahjong. We cooked up some food as well, thanks to our Korean friend who knows how to barbeque in style!

 Check out this short clip:

GraemeNicol posted a photo:

I'd been near the front of the queue and lucky enough to get a seat. No sooner had I made myself comfortable, when an awful fuss and commotion blew up in the aisle on my right. The doors of the bus slammed shut. The driver shouted something I coudln't make out. We sat there for two minutes. What on earth ?

I got up out of my prized seat and went to ask the driver what was happening, why we weren't moving. Immediately I heard the rustle of clothes and a thud as an opportunist slid himself into what had been my seat. I glared at him. He knew. The bus driver told me that we were waiting for the police to come - a passenger had sounded the alarm about a mobile phone being pickpocketed, we would all be searched as we got off the bus to find the thief. I looked back round at my own thief, sitting in my seat. I looked again, and an alarm bell sounded in my head. He had been so quick to slide in, perhaps even only I had noticed him. I stared at him again. He looked back guiltily, but guilty of what ?

The police arrived two minutes later, and as a foreigner, I was considered an unlikely enough a suspect to be allowed off without being searched. I standed outside and waited, watching other passengers slinking off the bus, as more police arrive and board the bus. After another minute or two, they emerged from the empty bus with a man in handcuffs, and sure enough it was the exact same man who had stolen my seat.

Dalian, September 2008

GraemeNicol posted a photo:

Owner Wang Yuhua outside her boutique clothing store in Dalian's business district.

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Thirty years ago, the only shop in Dalian to sell foreign goods was its branch of the infamous state-run Friendship Store, located on People's Road. It was only open to foreigners and high-ranking cadres. Today however, the city centre is, like many wealthier cities in China, a shrine to consumerism, and imported foreign brands have permeated every aspect of Chinese urban life from Nokia phones, i-pods, Nike superstores, Loius Vuitton handbags.

The People's Road Friendship Store still operates, now at the heart of what has become Dalian's high-rise financial district, it's presence a quaint reminder of a China before capitalism. However, in a quiet back street behind the store, a new kind of foreign import is arriving, for a new type of customer and a new type of shop; the European-style clothing boutique.

The presence of such small shops, representing a move away from big brands to a more diverse and personal slant on globalisation is hardly breaking news to those familiar with Beijing or Shanghai, but it's a more recent new trend in second-tier cities like Dalian.

The owner of this shop is 61-year old Wang Yuhua, a retired hospital worker. She originally located here in 2004, using her savings to open a store for childrens clothes made from non-toxic dyes, but then after her son went to study in France and described the small boutiques in Paris, she decided in 2006 to open up a similar boutique next to her children's clothes shop. It's name "Romantic House" comes from a South Korean TV drama popular in China. At that time South Korean fashion was also very popular.

In 2008 though European styles are preferred, and so these days most of her clothes are imported from France, Italy and Spain, some also from the USA, bought direct through contacts at the factories themselves, but she wouldn't say any more, laughing and telling me "It's a secret". She prides herself on offering up to date styles that can't be found elsewhere in Dalian, that are well made and use good material. This means her clothes are a little more expensive than their Chinese-made equivalents, but being so close to the business district, she has regular customers from the banks and offices, who have money to spend on their lunch breaks and on the way home from work. Most of her cutstomers are regulars, coming back often to check the new batch of clothes that arrive usually every ten days or so.

As well as Wang Yuhua's shop, there is another boutique next door, which was already opened when she arrived. Its owner doesn't have the overseas contacts, and mostly sells clothes designed and made in China, slightly cheaper. She says there is a little competition between the two shops, but their ranges are slightly different, so really they co-operate more than they compete, and have become good friends. She said she opened the shop for fun and to provide a service, and it certainly seems she is succeeding on both counts.

This is a sample of what happens at the Sunday quiz night.

Takes place at Brooklyn Bar on BuLao Street, at 9pm.

 view video here:

http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/zno2sIhCyYw

Foreigners who have driving license issued by their home countries can apply for a temporary driving license and drive in China without having to take related tests, according to a clause in a regulation issued by the Ministry of Public Security following a quick hour-long traffic law briefing.
Your license, however, will be time-limited.Actually getting a license may be complicated because the Chinese laws say that foreign residents can have driver's licences and that an IDP ( International Driver's Permit ) converted to a local licence, possibly with an additional examination.
Sometimes you can be excused the actual driving test if you have a foreign license, sometimes not. The particular complications seem to vary from place to place and over time. Some people have been asked to use a computer, some take a written theory test in Chinese. Others get a bilingual test form, or are allowed to bring a translator, (90 answers out of 100 correct) and that takes 30 - 45 minutes. If you are able to pass this test, they will convert the license for you to a chinese license.
What you need and what happens when you get your driving license..
A) A copy of the passport page
B) A copy of the valid Chinese visa
C) A copy of the latest entry stamp in your passport
D) Original overseas driving license
E) 8 one-inch color pictures (on white background, without earrings, glasses)
F) Your Chinese name, weight and height
G) Move from one buliing to another A LOT

Prices to get a driving license are about...........................
Sorry I do have a Chinese Driving License but I didn't paid, so I can't tell you how much but I THINK it was less the 500 rmb
The official driving code is called the Road Traffic Safety Law. It applies to all vehicles except military vehicles who may not follow any rules and may not stop at a red light or go the wrong direction.
Increasingly, Chinese Police tend to accept very much on their on-the-spot judgment of the driver being sufficiently skilled and experienced to drive safely with respect to his own and others safety.In case of an accident, if it is minor as a scrape, most people just drive on, but it is also common that the failing driver pay about 100RMB or so to the other driver, and that is then the end of the matter.
If you disagree, you must not move the cars until the police arrive, which can take time. They usually check registration and licenses, and photograph the incident.
Beware of large black luxury cars because they may belong to relatives of senior party or other officials and consider themselves to be above the law.
If you suspect that the police of taken bribes, make them aware that you know about the Ministry of Supervision (which ruthlessly deals with corruption), the Olympic Committee or the Tourist Complaint Board. It can have a profound effect on procedures.

The physical condition of roads and road maintenance varies greatly. WARNING to drivers and cyclists: it is not uncommon to find an open man hole cover or large crevice on a otherwise smooth road.
On the City Roads traffic is often congested, even on the ring roads. The congestion is far more complex than that in Western countries with Bicycles, Motorcycles and an odd Horse and cart turning up

Dangers

Rule of thumb - busses never stop at the lights or slow down whilst turning. Do not assume that Chinese drivers will follow any rule you know.
Chinese drivers in general are very dangerous and drive in a highly illogical way. They adopt a highly offensive and ignorant driving style. However, this is no place for being angry for being cut off, if someone drives against the red light or on the wrong side of the road. You simply yield, and carry on as if nothing had happened because there is just too many to fight with. It is not uncommon to see cars drive on the Pavement/sidewalk (at speed).
Every car/driver has a "body language" which predicts what they will do next. It is essential to learn this "body language" and drive by it. If you are driving down a four lane road, and the lane in front of the taxi to the right of you and slightly ahead of you is blocked, your lane ahead is free, immediately assume the taxi will move left into your lane without any warning. There is no way to predict or learn the "body language".

My neighbourhood in downtown Dalian has a new little teashop that has jauntily named itself “Jocund Hut”. That’s a pretty funky name and I guess the owner got that obscure and odd adjective from an electronic dictionary, and I also wonder how many native speakers - even - know what it means.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone actually utter the word, but I know it well coz Wordsworth used it in “Daffodils”, one of the most famous poems in the English language. When speaking of the gleeful dancing daffydillies he emoted

A poet could not but be gay, / In such a jocund company

which couples, so to speak, an archaic usage of “gay” with our equally archaic “word for today.”

And I also half-remembered Conrad using it in “Heart of Darkness” for a grimly humoured description of some skulls on poles, but when I checked the quote I found

a head that seemed to sleep at the top of that pole, and, with the shrunken dry lips showing a narrow white line of the teeth, was smiling, too, smiling continuously at some endless and jocose dream of that eternal slumber.

so it was jocose, not jocund. And who the hell uses “jocose” these days? it must be even more obscure than “jocund.” I guess that’s why it’s not a “Jocose Hut” round the corner from where I live.

And then I also remembered that English was Conrad’s third language and that he was wont to use it somewhat eccentrically from time to time; a habit that led to literary critic FR Leavis’ catty comment that “Conrad’s sea smells of Roget’s Thesaurus”.

Anyways, maybe Chinese and Japanese electronic dictionaries are going to resurrect a few long dormant and/or incredibly obscure words and blazon them on the shopfronts and T-shirts of the Pacific rim. And then we English teachers over here will have to find out what they mean.

Have a jocund day!

K.

Dalian is a peaceful city, the last place I'd expect to see two forklifts having a bash at each other!

Chris posted about this last year, and I thought I'd resurrect the topic as it's quite useful. There are a bunch of places in Dalian where you can access wireless internet for free. Here's a few, and I hope that if you have some to contribute you might add them in the comments.

Hopefully we can assemble a nice useful list for everyone.
NOTE: I'm putting a [?] next to places that have had wifi in the past, but may or may not still have it. i.e. yet to be confirmed.

Brooklyn Bar and Restaurant
Didn't expect them to put wifi in a bar, but pleasantly surprised that they did. They're closed on Mondays, but are open 5:30pm to 2am Tuesday to Sunday (or when everybody leaves).

Amici Cafe
Xi'an Road, Friendship Square's Manhatten Building, Victory Plaza, Heishijiao Locations. Reliable internet access in a comfortable setting.

Barbeque Chicken in Roosevelt Plaza
This place must be new or something,but it's not bad.  This just might replace Amici as my local place to hang out and sip juice and do internet stuff. On the fourth floor near Golden Hans and the movie theatre.

Starbucks Coffee
Renmin Road location, Olympic Square location, Software Park Location, Senmao Building location.

Tina Coffee Shop
Located in Peace Plaza shopping mall on 4F.

Echo Coffee
They have wifi, just ask for the password at the counter. They also have a hammock in their beer garden!

I55
This place goes on the list, though with their recent price hikes I'm reluctant to recommend them. On Gao'erji Road, just south of Renmin Square.

Leshoshu Bar 乐活书吧 
Haven't been here yet.  But I heard from a reliable source that they have wifi. Heping XiandaiCheng, Building C, 3F, #1, 中山路552号和平现代城C座3楼1号 phone: 82920321 84377566 see on dianping

The following places might have wifi:

Dalian Airport
A friend of mine tells me they have it, but I have yet to confirm.

West Coast Coffee [?]
In the high tech zone, way out yonder... Update: Can someone confirm that this place still has wifi? A friend says that it did not back in July.

The Box [?]
Last few times I've gone, the wifi was hit-and-miss. Feel free to ask the staff if you can't get a signal.

UBC Cafe [?]
The city is littered with these big yellow buggers. Not a fan of UBC, but they stay open late, and they should have wifi. (Emphasis on "should") I've been in one before where it just wouldn't function. Click here to see some of their locations on google maps.

All's Well Cafe [?]  UPDATE: No wifi at All's Well Cafe anymore.