Mad About Shanghai

Ways to Help (Part 2)

Help through direct bank deposit

The Red Cross has set up a bank account for donations that will go directly to help the victims of the SiChuan quake. Please use the following account information to give whatever amount you can to help.

Account name: Red Cross Society of China
开户单位：中国红十字会总会

For those who want to donate in RMB: you can send money to the RMB account at the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China branch below:
人民币开户行: 中国工商银行 北京分行东四南支行
人民币账号: 0200001009014413252

For those who want to donate in foreign currency, you can send money to the foreign currency account at the CITIC Bank branch below:
外币开户行：中信银行酒仙桥支行
外币账号: 7112111482600000209

Hotline: (8610) 65139999
Online donations: Red Cross Society of China website: www.redcross.org.cn

Ways to Help (Part 1)

It hasnt been a good past few weeks for the world at large.

First, the cyclone in Myanmar and then the massive earthquake in Sichuan. More than 100,000 lives are lost,with millions affected.

My heart and prayers goes to the families, loved ones and victims of those affected by these disasters.

For Sichuan, the quake situation is far from settled.  More than 300 aftershocks occurred within 10 hours of the earthquake.

Some of my colleagues in Chengdu, though not affected directly by the quake, have difficulties resting as well. They have been on constant alert, for fear that the aftershocks may hit them too.

I appeal to all our readers to donate generously to aid in the relief efforts.

Though no amount of money can lessen the grief and hurt of those affected, it is a simple way to extend your compassion and comfort to them.

By donating quickly, it allows aid agencies to utilise much needed funds to swiftly procure urgent essentials and devise a plan for helping in the rebuilding and reconstruction.

To extend your helping hand to those affected by the two natural disasters, please make your donation through the International Red Cross or Mercy Corps here:

http://www.mercycorps.org

http://www.ifrc.org/

Announcement 1 - A New Look

This is a very late announcement.

In case you havent notice, we have switch to a new look -a new banner with a new colour scheme.

After slightly more than a year, its time for a change.

This is our 4th look with the last update done on Valentine's Day 14 Feb 2007.

Heres a look at the old design:

You can check out our previous designs here.

Announcements ! Announcements !

1 May, May Day, International Labour Day. Public holiday in Shanghai.

I would start this month with a few announcements relating to this blog.

Facebook

A colleague of mine recently introduced me to Facebook. I tried it just to find out what the fuss is all about (Yes. I know I am way behind on this). And wow! I think this is a real killer web application.

Now I know why Microsoft is willing to pay US$240 million for a small stake in it. And the founder refused a US$1.4 billion offer from Yahoo to sell it. The company is now valued at a whopping US$15 billion.

They made social networking  so much easier and fun. I had so much fun locating old long lost friends as well as making new ones that I stopped using the rest of my social networking applications like Friendster and Hi5. I even found my old crush from school and we established contact yet again. The last time we saw each other was 18 years ago ! The world wide web is really amazing isnt it? Put the scenario 15 years back and I am sure our paths would probably have never crossed again.

If you are not on Facebook yet, get on it. For those of you on it, there is a user group for Shanghai here. Useful for enlarging your network.

I would be setting up a usergroup for Mad About Shanghai soon. Watch this space.

We are rated...

9.1 out of 10 to be exact !

Mad About Shanghai has been reviewed and rated by the folks at Blogged.com with a score of 9.1 ! out of 10.

Our blog is currently in the Top 20 under the category "Entertainment & Recreation /Travel".

And oh, not too long ago, we had a mention on Intelligent Travel from National Geographic Traveler too (Incidentally,  my favorite magazine).

You can find the posting here.

Wishing all our readers a Happy Chinese New Year !

Nokia 6500c vs Nokia E51

To kick start this new year, I thought it would be appropriate to do a (very short) review on two new mobile phones in the Nokia line up. I am not sure if they are slated for launch in mainland China yet cos I havent been seeing any teaser ads for them on the Nokia China site. If they are,  their official launch dates are a mystery to me too.

Nonetheless, I got my hands on these two chic models, the Nokia 6500c and Nokia E51, and managed a fling with both of them for quite a few days. For the gadget conscious out there, these are 2 new models that are sure to whet your appetite for 2008.

The 6500c made a good first impression out of the box (The "c" stands for classic, there is another model with sliding function). This slinky model is Slim with a capital "S" , even thinner than her cousin, the already anorexic Nokia 6300. The tactile feel is good having been finished with a metallic casing for most parts. Holding it, it feels like an iPOD Nano. It tucks comfortably and neatly into any shirt and jeans pocket.

Usage wise, the software and functions are very Nokia- intuitive. Existing Nokia users wont feel lost in this one. The in-built camera come with an optional flash too for those desperate situations without  proper photographic equipment.

After using it for a few days, this is what I think of the phone:

Verdict on the Nokia 6500c

I like:
- The thin and slim form factor
- Pretty looks
- 1GB memory space
- Doubles as a memory card
- Slightly more intuitive software than the Nokia 6300
- USB cable/charger as standard

I dont like:
- Pathetic battery life
- Battery charger not compatible with most of other Nokia  phones. It is USB based

The E51, on the other hand, is a direct replacement of the E50. On first usage, it comes across as a Nokia E90 Communicator that has just gone to the slimming center.  Feature packed, the E51 is a business phone that comes with almost anything you need out of the office. Internet access, email synchronizations, Adobe Reader,  Word, Spreadsheet and World Time etc etc. You name it, this powerpak has it. It even has a function to hide your call log with anyone you specify. Hows that for a bit of business confidentiality ? The only bugbear is that it comes with Symbian OS, which takes a while to get used to.

Verdict on the Nokia E51

I like:
- Good battery life
- Symbian OS
- Built in 802.11 g
- Internet access on the go
- Optional USB charger
- No nonsense, would get the job done phone
- An office in a phone

I dont like:
- Symbian OS
- Bulky feel
- Confusing functions and buttons

Conclusion

Well, its a tough fight between beauty and performance.  I like the Nokia 6500c cos I feel just so comfortable with it. However, the short battery life is too much of a irritant at times. Imagine a long day away from home or office and the battery runs out of power when you need to meet some friends for late night coffee.

The E51 on the other hand, is a more robust phone that makes sure you are reachable and reach those you want to reach when you need to - via voice, texts, email or video. I like the in-built 802.11g wireless that allows you to surf the net even without a SIM card. Its like carrying a ultra mini laptop with you. Great for  situations when you need a laptop but do not have one.

Let me name one hypothetical situation. Saturday night out, your date and you want to try out a cosy coffee house in Pudong after dinner. Both of you have forgotten the name and address.  This is where the E51 is in it element.

I pick the E51 in this battle of beauty and performance. For me, I can live with the confusing OS but not a short battery life.

What about you?

Trip Down Memory Lane

1 Jan 2008.

First day of the new year and I received a very pleasant surprise today.

This came from an ex classmate of mine whom we have not been in touch with for some time.  This guy,  sent me some of the old photos taken during our college days way back in 1996. Taken more than 10 years ago !

Those were the days whereby digital cameras were not so prevalent. This chap has taken the effort to scan them one by one. Those were the pictures I was looking for all these years . I had initially thought they were lost !

As I went through the photos,  I couldn't stop smiling and laughing at our hairstyles then. Sorry folks, I would rather not show them here.  :P

Great memories. Those were the carefree days.

Thanks Bernard !

Merry Christmas!

Heres wishing all our readers a Blessed and Merry Christmas !

(Pic taken at Superbrand Mall in Pudong)