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Shanghai Nights Part 4 - Education, English & Eats


Singaporean parents aren't the only kiasu ones in the world when it comes to their children's education. We were talking about school stuff with our local friends who have a son who is the same age as the boy. We explained that he goes to a school within walking distance of our place and we chose it largely because of this convenience. To that, they said that for them, distance was nothing. It didn't matter how far away a school was but their child had to go to a good school. Sounds so Singaporean. There have been people who thought we were crazy to 'give up' an almost assured place in a 'better' school for one in the 'average' school nearer to us. As for their son, not only does he go to a good school some distance away, he also attends enrichment lessons after school, such as English classes. Nothing is more important than a good education, we were told.

Well, we all know that China is making a mega effort to get people to use the English language. Singaporeans who think we are worlds ahead because English is the lingua franca here had also better think again. We have met many Chinese who can use English fluently. That makes them effectively bilingual in both English and Mandarin, which is much more than I can say for some Singaporeans who are not really effective in either English or Mandarin, even after some 10 or more years of bilingual education. Very disgraceful. And guess what? Some Chinese are not stopping at two but are moving on to learning other languages.

Sure, there will be many instances when you catch the Chinese using English very strangely, such as in the 'Entrance for Ridding' (should be 'riding') signboard above. We also had a very interesting room serves menu which featured dishes such as patato shreds with green pepper and vagetable in serson. Still, the Chinese have made great headway in the use of English in general. For example, they have their own English daily, and English news station, which you can catch on channel 97 if you have it. Just take a look at the website and you will know what I mean.

Eating out in Shanghai is certainly affordable, compared to what you would pay in Singapore. For example, S$1 gets you about 6-8 xiao long bao (steamed dumplings), a fraction of what it costs here. In fact, some years back when we were in Guangzhou, people treated us to dumplings (with different types of fillings) which they ordered by the basins!! Small basins, no doubt, but basins.

If you are used to local (Singaporean, i.e.) fare, the food in general shouldn't be a problem. Even Nanjing specialities to which we were treated here (above the MacDonald's):

were delicious. But I wouldn't be too adventurous. Some of our Singaporean friends who were also in China recently were treated at some famous Chongqing hotpot restaurant and they said they nearly puked. On my first trip to China, we were taken to a restaurant in Beijing for an imperial banquet and that was easily the worst ever meal I have ever had. Nothing too exotic for our Southern taste buds, I suppose.

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