How to Make the Most of Your Shanghai Commute

How to Make the Most of Your Shanghai Commute
By Andrea Scarlatelli , eChinacities.com

Waiting in traffic is a part of life, especially when living in a big city like Shanghai. We've all experienced the boredom of sitting on the metro, waiting for a train or riding alone in a taxi. And with the increasingly long commutes that workers experience every day, the issue isn't going anywhere. Luckily there are a few things that can make that downtime a bit more enjoyable in Shanghai. Below are some tips to keep you occupied, from old-fashioned books to high tech gadgets – because sometimes life needs a distraction!

Read
I might as well start off with the obvious suggestion. Catching up on your favorite author or discovering brand new ones is a great way to pass the time during your daily commute. But if you just don't feel like hauling a multitude of heavy books in your briefcase while changing stations at the metro, you can always go hi-tech and invest in an iPad. The latest in Apple's mouth-watering offerings, the iPad allows you to download the free iBooks application. You can instantly receive books right on your screen, without the bulk of paperbacks. The application includes books from both the iBookstore and The New York Times bestseller list, some of which (but not many) are completely free. Here are a few local bookstore and hi-tech reader recommendations.

Shanghai Foreign Language Bookstore 上海外文书店 View In Map
Add: 390 Fuzhou Lu, near Shangxi Nan Lu, Shanghai
地址:上海黄浦区福州路390,近陕西南路
Tel: 021 2320 4994
Opening hours: Daily, 9.30-19:00
Website: www.sbt.com.cn

Chaterhouse Booktrader 三联书店 View In Map
Add: 2F, Shanghai Center, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Xikang Lu, Shanghai
地址:静安区南京西路1376号上海商城2楼202B号店(近西康路)
Tel: 021 6279 7633
Opening hours: Daily, 9:00-21:00
Website: www.chaterhouse.com.cn

The Apple StoreView In Map
Add: Unit 27, LG2/F, IFC Mall, 8 Century Ave, near Lujiazui Huan Lu, Shanghai
地址:上海逝世纪大道8号, 国金中心IFC商场B1楼,近陆家嘴环路
Tel: 021 6084 6800
Open: Daily, 10:00-22:00
Website: www.apple.com.cn/retail/pudong

Play
Handheld video games are always a fun, if mindless, way to get through Shanghai traffic with your sanity still intact. The Sony PSPgo is the latest portable version of PlayStation 2 and it's smaller and lighter than ever. Its content is entirely digital, which means you don't have to carry around extra games for it. The 16GB of memory on the PSPgo doesn't hurt either. But my favorite part about it is that it has a built in microphone and Bluetooth technology that allow you to use Skype. No better time to call your family and friends abroad than when sitting in a taxi during rush hour! The Nintendo DS Lite is also a fun system and perfect for slipping into a briefcase or purse. It's less than two-thirds the size of the last DS system, weighs 20% less and now has four levels of brightness for the screen, which means you can play in even the worst lit metro stations or driving through tunnels. And lest you think gaming is only for boys, this one can come in pink. See! Equal opportunity gaming. Here are a few recommendations for purchasing gaming devices.

Best Buy (branch) 百思特 View In Map
Add: 1F, 1065 Zhaojiabang Lu, near Tianyaoqiao Lu, Shanghai
地址:上海市徐汇区肇家浜路1065号1楼(近天钥桥路口)
Tel: 021 400 886 8800
Opening hours: Mon-Fri, 10:30-21:30; Sat-Sun, 10:00-21:30
Website: www.bestbuy.com.cn

Metro City  美罗城 View In Map
Add: 1111 Zhaojiabang Lu, near Caoxi Bei Lu, Shanghai
地址:上海市徐汇区肇嘉浜路1111号
Tel: 021 6426 8888
Opening hours: Daily, 10:00-22:00

Pacific Digital PlazaView In Map
Add: 1117 Zhaojiabang Lu, near Caoxi Bei Lu, Shanghai
地址:上海市徐汇区肇嘉浜路1117号
Tel: 021 5490 5900
Opening hours:  Daily, 10:00am-8:00pm

Listen
While there are plenty of iPod knock-offs for sale in Shanghai, I'm of the opinion that nothing beats the real thing, especially when it comes to the 16 GB iPod Nano. Not only can you listen to music and watch videos, but this minuscule thing even has a built in video camera and microphone. The official website recommends you use this to record lectures in class, but I imagine Chinese youth will get a bit more creative in their video-making pursuits. While there are plenty of ways to entertain yourself during your daily downtime, there are also many ways to educate yourself. Chinese Pod is the extremely popular foreign language podcast that has helped many a laowai in need. There are three different subscription levels: the Basic Subscription (about 95 RMB/month), which lets you use their entire database of 1,400 audio lessons with capability to upload the lessons to your phone; the Premium Subscription (about 200 RMB/month) also opens up access to their study tools (they recommend using this if you have a teacher); or Praxis Pass (about 270 RMB/month), which gives you full access to all five of their language “pods”, including Chinese, Spanish, French, Italian and English. This program has been recommended again and again, so it's definitely worth a shot. If you're looking for a cheaper or even free alternative, check out Chinese Class 101. It contains over 1,000 audio and video lessons available for download and like Chinese Pod, you can listen to these lessons on the computer, any mp3 player or as an application on your iPhone. Here are a few recommendations for listening programs and devices.

Next City 数码下一城 View In Map
Add: Unit 1C, 267 Wujiang Lu, near Maoming Beilu, Shanghai
地址:上海市静安区吴江路267号1C单元(近茂名北路)
Tel: 021 6136 1418
Opening hours: Daily, 10:30-22:00

Chinese Pod
Website: http://chinesepod.com/

Chinese Class 101
Website: http://www.chineseclass101.com/

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Keywords: Transportation Entertainment Shanghai Shanghai Transportation Tips Make Most of Shanghai Commute Easy Commute Shanghai

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