Im going to shanghai and need some advise?

Question

im going to shanghai after school for the summer for about 2 months, and i was wondering what kind of things, activities there are to do in shanghai, and not just tourism stuff. also, what paper work would i need, and 1 more thing, i was wondering how i could enroll as a foreign exchange student for 12th grade in 2009. hanks for all your help.

Answer 1

well it depends.

if you are a white guy bring the usual.

cash and condoms.

if you are a female there are lots of open markets and shopping centers. a camera is great.

its a mixture of very old and nery modern.

be prepared to sample lots of food.

last time i went to china the paper work was very laxed. all i needed was a passport and even that they barely looked at.

foreign student exchange... no idea sorry.

Answer 2

Shikumen

     Renovated shikumen lanes in Xintiandi,

     this tribute to old Shanghai

     is now a high end restaurant and shopping center.

One uniquely Shanghainese cultural element is the shikumen (石库门) residences, which are two or three-story townhouses, with the front yard protected by a high brick wall. Each residence is connected and arranged in straight alleys, known as a lòngtang (弄堂), pronounced longdang in Shanghainese. The entrance to each alley is usually surmounted by a stylistic stone arch. The whole resembles terrace houses or townhouses commonly seen in Anglo-American countries, but distinguished by the tall, heavy brick wall in front of each house. The name "shikumen" literally means "stone storage door", referring to the strong gateway to each house.

The shikumen is a cultural blend of elements found in Western architecture with traditional Lower Yangtze (Jiangnan) Chinese architecture and social behavior. All traditional Chinese dwellings had a courtyard, and the shikumen was no exception. Yet, to compromise with its urban nature, it was much smaller and provided an "interior haven" to the commotions in the streets, allowing for raindrops to fall and vegetation to grow freely within a residence. The courtyard also allowed sunlight and adequate ventilation into the rooms.

This style of housing originally developed when local developers adapted terrace houses to Chinese conditions. The wall was added to protect against fighting and looting during the Taiping rebellion, and later burglars and vandals during the social upheavals of the early twentieth century. By World War II, more than 80% of the population in the city lived in these kinds of dwellings. Many of these were hastily built and were akin to slums, while others were of sturdier construction and featured all modern amenities such as the flush toilet.

During and after World War II, massive population increases in Shanghai led many shikumen houses to be heavily subdivided. For example, the spacious living room is often divided into three or four rooms, each lent out to a family. These cramped conditions continue to exist in many of the shikumen districts that have survived recent development.

The landlords who leased (subletted) the shikumen out to other families were called "erfangdong"(二房东), or "second landlord" as many of them acquired the shikumen buildings from its original owner ("dafangdong"大房东). These landlords families usually share the same shikumen building with the tenants.

Answer 3

You would have to talk to individual schools or someone at your school if they have a connection in Shanghai.  You need a passport and a visa, as well as necessary paper work for the specific school.

Chi Pu Lu, and Nanjing Lu, and Sichuan Lu are great shopping places.  There's a revolving restaurant in the Pearl Tower that is a little pricey, but it's worth it, you can get a view of the whole city at night.  Huai Hai Lu is a club district.  They have great clubs and bars everywhere.  There's a hookah bar called Murals that makes the best pina coladas, but I don't know if there's a different name for the club in Chinese or not.  There's also the Shanghai Zoo, so you can go home telling your friends you saw pandas in China.  :)  Don't be afraid to eat cafeteria food or food from vendors over there.  Despite what many people seem to think, that is where some of the best food is to be found.  There is Luxun Park in the Hangkou District.  People go to Luxun Park to exercise, like do fan dancing, ballroom dancing, taiqi, etc.  There are other parks too, but I can't remember their names.  There's a restaurant that has a mask dancer that's awesome.  If I find out the names of the places, I listed, I'll edit or e-mail them to you.  But you'll have a lot of fun.  :)