How to top up your mobile in China

I thought I'd write a quick post for anyone who wants to know how to top up their mobile phone in China because today was the first time I managed to!

This is for China Mobile which is much easier to top up than China Unicom so a tip is try to get a China Mobile simcard if possible. All convenience stores will have China Mobile vouchers to top up either 50RMB or 100RMB.

A slip of paper is given to you and it is a little misleading as usually China Mobile contacts you via a number 10086 but if you see the slip of paper you need to call the number circled in red:

There is an option to hear the service in English. You want to choose the option to make an "advance payment" and you can choose this mobile number or another one. You are asked to type in the code which you reveal on the left hand side and have to enter this long long number. You will get a confirmation if you are successful and which amount has been added.

For China Unicom I found the only place I could top it up was by going to a hotel! But it is basically the same system but I'm unsure if there is an English service as the hotel staff are kind enough to help me out.

I'm using my unlocked iPhone this time but I'm finding internet usage to be rather costly. Also I cannot get a 3G signal...

Anyway, it is pretty easy to top up although I know just before I left in June I struggled with my friend to do this and it was a kind stranger who helped us out in the end ^^

Hopefully the end of jetlag!

My jetlag has been so bad (or it could be my insomnia is back) and I find myself awake at 3am-6am and fall asleep for a few hours only this time I didn't wake until 5pm. I felt very depressed as I always do when I sleep past 12pm and was in two minds about going out. I told myself I needed to go to Carrefour and pick up a clothes horse since I was here for longer I don't think hanging my laundry across the window would be a good idea now that there is a new housemate and I used to use the balcony in that room.

So I took the Metro to Zhongshan Park and thought I'd go to Secret Recipe but there was such a big queue I decided to go to Pizza Hut.

It's taken some getting used to eating out on my own again but I'm slowly getting there. It's also quite fun to people watch whilst eating. Pizza Hut currently have a happy hour and the waiters are constantly coming over to ask me if I want an alcoholic drink instead. 28RMB for Sangria and 22RMB for caramel Baileys ^^

I still find it overwhelming sometimes being surrounded by Mandarin again I wonder how I managed before. I'm trying very hard to listen and respond but sometimes I panic.

Carrefour wasn't too busy which was a relief and I had many choices of clothes horse to pick from. It seems the ready built ones cost over 400RMB! That is insane! For convenience sake I chose one in a box with a handle for 199RMB but I would soon realise why I probably should have picked a ready made one...

I took a taxi back for only 18RMB and got to my flat. It took a good 10 minutes just to open the stupid box! And inside I'm greeted with various poles and the instructions on the back are entirely in Chinese. Now normally I don't even read the instructions but I couldn't work out how some of it attached. Then being on my own and trying to balance this it collapsed several times and I figured my laundry would be finished before I'd build this rack!

Somehow I managed to do most of it but part of it needed a screwdriver and as prepared as I usually am, I don't have a big enough one (only a tiny one for glasses!). So until I get one it'll have to do as it is but it is rather big so I wonder if I need to get a different one.... I guess it was just an amusing experience....!

I'm very excited I have bought tickets to see Jay Chou vs Kobe Bryant doing charity basketball next week! ^^ I hope it is worth the 880RMB tickets ;)

 

All in Chinese - d'oh!

 Good enough I guess!

Sherpas is my lifesaver

I really struggled to get up this morning as my jetlag kicked in around 3-6am where I lay awake and drifted in and out of sleep from 6-8am when my alarm went off. I underestimated how long it would take me to get ready and dashed out the door around 8.30am where I made a quick stop to the convenience store to buy a drink and then wave for a taxi.

I waited on one side of the road and saw many taxis on the other side (sods law!). A taxi driver saw me and circled round to pick me up and when I gave the address he circled back round the other way! I thought it was odd as normally when I go to Jing'An Temple they take the overpass. The traffic was slow and painful and I panicked I would be late. It cost me 23RMB to get to my class.

Turns out class started at 9.30am so I had a half hour to wait. Was a bit frustrating nobody gave me something to do or brought me a drink so I sat alone, in silence, for half an hour. I joined this class but they are already finishing the book so I found it super difficult. Later the teacher told me the price has changed as she suggests I do 4 hour classes every day for 4 weeks! It is rather insane just thinking about it as 3 hours today almost killed me. I so badly wanted to walk out it is very frustrating to feel at such a low level again and I wonder how I had the strength and focus like before.

I'm also very frustrated at the constant change in price and how my teacher tries to be very persuasive. So now I'm currently wondering if I should pay the extra cost of around 800RMB or look for another class but I have such little time if I intend to do a summer course. I wonder if there would be any way to convince the teacher I don't need so many hours...

After class I went to the food court with Yuki which is located in the basement of Jing'An Temple Metro. The other entrance is now open as before it was closed and quite annoying to redirect. I had some noodles with pork katsu and Yuki had some pho and dumplings. It was really good to catch up with her again and she walked me to the bus stop and helped me read it. Bus stops in Shanghai are all written in characters but inside the bus the announcements also show in pinyin. At 2RMB it was much cheaper than a taxi and takes me close enough to my flat so it will be more convenient to take this if I continue classes there.

My jetlag slowly creeps up and I find myself short-tempered so I ordered some take away from Sherpa's who were open today (they closed yesterday due to the typhoon) and ordered enough to last me tomorrow which will save on delivery prices. Tomorrow I have a free day to sleep and perhaps look for a new school as well as stock up on bits and pieces that have gone missing in the flat....

 

The scroll hanging in the classroom

Noodles in soup with pork cutlets

Typhoon Haikui

I think I arrived just in time to Shanghai as later in the evening Typhoon Haikui was heading our way. All through the night there were strong winds and so much rain. I think the last time I witnessed something like this was in Hong Kong one year and the electricity went out and we were all forced to sleep around 7pm.

I didn't get to my class today due to the weather and also due to my jetlag. I slept until about 1pm and saw the rain was still very bad I decided to stay indoors. Checking the news it seemed the typhoon had moved on and didn't directly hit Shanghai which was lucky enough. Many flights this morning were cancelled which reminded me of February when I was lucky to even fly out of England due to the snow - I seem to make some close calls!

By 5pm my housemate text and asked if I wanted to go to dinner at the local fish place we like so much. Glancing out the window at the torrential rain I was in two minds but I was also starving as I hadn't eaten a proper meal (plane doesn't count!) since Sunday lunch. She did assure me the rain would let up by the time she got back to the flat.

Around 7pm we went out and got super dressed up in waterproof gear. The alleyway around our flat was so windy our umbrella broke but we thankfully brought another with us. It reminds me to get a bigger umbrella as they have a smaller chance of turning inside out.

The food was good, a big roasted fish in a tray of spicy soup - like a hot pot and we cooked other bits and pieces inside. Came up to 62RMB each which wasn't bad for a big fish. The rain is currently still going but nowhere near as bad as before - and with a little luck I may even begin my summer course tomorrow ;)

The lady who turned up yesterday I found out was the landlady - I somehow wish I'd known and been a bit nicer to her but it was hard enough to understand what she was saying to me in my jet-lagged state of mind. In fact even in this state I'd confused the date and missed the premiere of Shanghai Calling which I'd thought was tonight, not yesterday...

It is very humid here, especially in the flat that when I leave my cool AC room and go into the kitchen my glasses are all steamed up! The evenings are a little better but with the rain and humidity you feel rather gross and just want to jump in the shower. Not much to do now except stay awake until a reasonable hour and then sleep and hope to be feeling up to class tomorrow.

Arrived back in Shanghai

I have arrived back in Shanghai and finding things to be familiar. The flight was 10.5 hours on Virgin Atlantic. The flight itself wasn't as good as previous flights - usually there would be midnight snacks handed out to those who were still awake like cookies or ice cream but this time there wasn't any and also not many drinks handed out.

I took a taxi from the airport - a good tip is to head to the arrivals instead of the designated taxi rank (which I believe is located on the ground floor so instead head to the 3rd floor). Many taxis are dropping people off and are pretty keen to drive back to Puxi. Taxi ride can take about an hour and on average costs 200RMB.

The taxi driver guessed I was from Hong Kong - something about my accent when I speak Chinese. The security guard to the flat thought I was Japanese. Its rather fun people guessing where I'm from and when I say "England" they raise their eyebrows at me. 

Being back in my flat has been comforting. Even being back in this area - when the taxi drove past the Grand Gateway shopping centre I felt happy inside thinking of all the memories I have. I feel safe in Shanghai and despite what other people have told me about other cities in China, I find people here to be friendly and helpful most of the time.

I had a random encounter with a neighbour this evening when she asked for my flatmate but I wasn't sure which one as I don't know their last names! She basically was telling me she got a call about a fruit basket for collection and she wasn't sure who it was from or if it was for my flatemate. She was kind of asking permission to eat the fruit if nobody claimed it! I'm also unsure why she wanted to exchange phone numbers and I don't even know her name as she wrote it all in Chinese!

I have such trouble sleeping on the plane - I slept about 30 minutes so when I got settled in I slept about 4 hours. My class tomorrow will begin at 9am and I'm thinking I should sleep again soon. I have been offered a ticket to the premiere of Shanghai Calling and to the after party tomorrow - I'm really hoping I can go although I'm worried how jet-lagged I'll be! But what an amazing experience to be on the red carpet with all the stars!