Cartoon fair

The CICAF, the China International Cartoon and Animation Festival will be held in Hangzhou every spring. I couldn't manage to visit it this year but this is on the wishes-list for next year.

http://www.cicaf.com/english/

China and marketing strategies...

In the last 5 years the considerable increase of the wages of the white collars in the cities has made possible to many Chinese to buy exclusive luxory fashion brands products such as bags, clothes and accessories. In shopping malls, airport duty-frees, taxi, even in restaurants!, there are videos running all day showing the latest creations of Gabbana, Gucci, Armani, Dior, Chanel, Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton... Young Chinese, influenced from these campaigns, want to dress the westerner style and are willing  to pay the same price as in European shops, and sometimes even more. 

Another sector in which Chinese starts to be very interested in is the tourism industry. If 10 years ago only the Chinese elite could afford a Europe-travel, now a great number of Chinese can visit the places that the government never printed in school books: Siena, Florence, San Gimignano, Paris, London are put on show in videos running as entertainment in Chinese flight companies.

Even coffee has become a common drink among Chinese. Many coffee chains have opened in Shanghai, Bejing and in the all tourist spots around China (I have drunk one of the best coffee of my life in Yangshuo, a place among the hills of southern China). Apart from Starbucks, there are many other chains which are sharing this growing market. 

Bier and wine are still behind compared to coffee (probably because Chinese do not like cold drinks). 

Gelato is not loved among Chinese, too cold. The few ice shops in Shanghai and Bejing are just opened for the expatriates.

Bread is quickly appearing on many Chinese tables. Chinese like french bread (which contains more lard than the Italian bread) and many stores have opened in Shanghai selling baguette.

***

China has a population of 1 milliard and 330 millions people and the buying power, together with the wages, is growing everyday. There will be a considerable increase of Chinese tourism in Europe in the coming two years with a considerable increase in the need of Chinese speaking staff at the hotel reception and tourist information centres. People who want to be competitive in the tourism industry should better train their staff in speaking Chinese.

Is China cheaper than Italy?

No. Even the quality rice is in Italy cheaper...

Prices at 14 April 2009.

High quality rice

Italy: Riso superfino carniaroli, 500gr. 1.82 Euro. (Coop)

China: 静里含香 (jing li han xiang), 500gr. 2.09 Euro. (19 RMB, Carrefour)

High quality fresh Milk

Italy: Lattebusche, 1 L, 0.90 Euro

China: Ubest, 1 L, 1.35 Euro

Coffe at the bar

Venezia: 2,23 Euro to sit at Piazza San Marco, which is the most expensive bar in Italy (read here). 0.88 Cents to drink it on the bar. 

Shanghai: 2,68 Euro, at Changning Street, no view, only traffic and smog. Take away, the same price. The price is the same in all Shanghai, and also in touristic places outside the metropole.

Shoes repair

Italy: TicTac, change of the gummi under the shoes, 12 Euros.

China: shopping mall, 26 Euros.

Secretary (able to speak a couple of foreign languages)

Italy: 900 Euro

China: 1008 Euro (9000 RMB)

I have a lot of hope for Italy. I forecast that in a couple of years Italy will become the China of the new decade. I start to appreciate Italy has I have never done before!

Organic food Shanghai

I am interested in buying certified organic food in Shanghai.

I am looking forward fresh eggs, fresh meat, fresh milk (also goat milk), fresh vegetables.

I found these places in the Internet. Does anybody have experience with these suppliers? (Just to let you know, I have been buying from farmers since I am a child, so I have some experience in checking the quality of the products).

Tongchu

Greenlife

Organic Valley

Organic?

Bauernstube

Elders

Guilin and Yangshuo

We are leaving for Guilin this Wednesday, so I thought to publish the program in my blog and add suggestions to this posting when I am back. 

At the beginning I wanted to stay in Yangshuo, as the hotels seem to be more private and personal as the big cement blocks in Guilin. Unfortunately Yangshuo is too far away from Guilin, so I had to book a room in Hotel , with lake view.

1st Day (Wednesday): 

• Arrive in Guilin, information office (taxis, buses, cruises, guided tours, Chinese teachers, taichi, opera... hopefully in English). 

Famous tourist spots: 

• Elephant Trunk Hill (south-west Guilin, from here you can see the confluence of the Li River with the Peach Blossom River)
  
• Water Moon Cave (which is close to the river)
  
• climb Fubo Whirlpool Hill (300 steps, to enjoy the view)
  
• Seven Star Park, 1.5 Km from the village. 
  

2nd/3rd Day (Thursday): 

• Visit remaining tourist spots in Guilin.
  
• Hiking tour with private Chinese speaking guide.

3rd Day (Friday): 

• Cruise boat to Yangshuo, on the river Li (departure from Zhujian Pier, it takes 5 hours). 
  
• If we are lucky we will see the fishermen with the cormorans. I must ask how long this will take. 
  
• Afternoon in Yangshuo, if it doesn't rain bike tour in the coutryside (farms, rice fields, clear water).
  
• Back to Guilin by bus.

4th Day (Thursday): To Longsheng (from Guilin 2 hours by bus). I have read that Longsheng has the most spectacular rice fields of China. Amazing is the view in spring and in winter, with the terraces covered with snow. From Longsheng there are buses to different spots of the Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces. In Longsheng there are plenty of hotsprings and the water is said to the very healthy. There are villages worht seeing everywhere. It is probably advisable to get a private taxi to be able to view all the villages and the different ethnic groups that are living in this part of China.

As the weather is probably not the best (they have forcast heavy rains) we will get a private tai-chi and Chinese teacher or just stroll around in the many shops.

Things I want by in Guilin:

- Puercha (普洱茶）

missing parmigiano, salami and fiorentina

I have been "on the road" 11 years, living and working in many countries, from Europe Australia: I have never missed the Italian food. In all countries in which I have been living I always found, almost immediately, something tasty and interesting to eat that have prevented me to miss any of the fabulous Italian dishes. 

When in Austria I loved to eat Leberknoedel (liver dumplings), Spaetzli (a sort of egg noodles), Roastbraten (roastbeef), Kaesnudeln, Kaiserschmarren, Kernoel (pumpkinseedoil) and Kartoffeln. In Bayern Weisswurst and Kraut (with senf seeds, they are simply fantastic). I have been probably the only Italian who has enjoyed the English Cuisine, going crazy for sheperdpie, (a particulare sort of cabbage of which I do not remember the name) and applepie. In Australia I soon got used to the flavour of the different barbeque meats, which I have enjoyed with my collegues in the monthly barbies. The best of all in Australia was the delicious tasmanian meat that I used to buy in the village's shop. 

Since I am in Shanghai I have lost the happiness of food. I do not know where to buy a good roastbeef, a good piece of cheese, fresh eggs (the so-called fresh eggs of the supermarket are at least one month old...). My "flavour" life has imploded and I get tears in my eyes when I think about  the meat I used to have at home, in Italy, the fresh and fragant piece of parmigiano or just the piece of home-made salami the relatives used to bring us at a certain point of the year. For the first time in my life I am missing parmigiano, salami and fiorentina and this surprises myself a lot as I am really feeling ... Italian.

I am aware that the freshness and quality of goods is a problem of every big city, so I would be really grateful if somebody out there could tell me where I can buy a good steak, fresh eggs and genuine potatoes in Shanghai.

Packed on/Best before: China and supermarket food safety

I have always thought to be an attentive buyer and to be able to recognise the good food from the bad simply looking at and touching it. This ability enabled me to fully enjoy my staying in different European countries, also in the southern hemisphere. Well, since I am in China I have lost the confidence in my ability and I have adopted a (quasi paranoid) behavior of looking at the food labels. The reason for this is that since my arrival (4 months) I have been sick three times, with diarrhea, vomit and two very expensive hospital check-ups. Two days ago I had my very worst experience, with the symptoms described above together with high fever and a flesh on the face (with small black spots around the eyes). The worst thing for me is that I did not get sick eating in restaurants, but cooking and eating at home (and for an Italian this is a very demotivating experience).

So I feel like to list some advices for my self (so I hope to remember how to behave next time) and for the Italians (relatives, friends, compatriots) that are coming to China for a visit or for a long staying:

1. If you like to cook fish and meat, buy food in Metro. According to many people the products there are better than in other places (I still have to check it out).
2. At home and in restaurants avoid to eat any raw meat and raw fish unless you are really sure about its quality.
   
3. Always look at the expire date of the products. The food may be already went bad and still be on sell on the supermarket shelf. 

These advices are probably obvious for the majority of buyers, but unfortunately not for me as, as Italian, I grew up in a country where supermarkets have to undergo high hygiene and quality controls and goods are thouroughly checked before being put on the shelf and also after. I still have a lot to learn to make my Chinese experience a comfortable one but I am confident I am on the right way.