September sort of sneaked up on me. It doesn't feel like autumn yet in Shanghai - my whole family managed to get a good sunburn at the swimming pool on Saturday (always nice to end the season a little crispy). But the weather has certainly broken and we're no longer having 35-40 degree days and you can actually tell that the temperature went down a few degrees at night. So autumn is on its way and I better get organized as Mooncake Season is upon us.
The Mid-Autumn Festival lands on September 22 this year and rather than one day off, the government is closing shop for 3 days (September 22-24). In its wacky way, to give 3 consecutive days, the government obliges folks to work September 19 (Sunday) and September 25 (Saturday) in order to compensate the 23rd and 24th. This really doesn't mean much to the traveler or visitor to China as hotels, tourist attractions, shops and restaurants will all be open for business as usual. It just means school kids and office workers get 3 days off but have to go to school or work on the weekend.
Digression aside, you can already start buying your mooncakes to celebrate 中秋节 (Zhongqiujie - literally Mid-Autumn Festival). There's the traditional giant one in my grocery store reminding everyone to order up. Time to pass around those little cakes to show appreciation for the moon and such.
October Holidays are also around the corner. October 1st is China's National Day (61 in 2010, happy anniversary!) and workers and students will be getting a whole 7 consecutive days for this one. (Compensated on the September 26 and October 9 of course.) This holiday may impact travelers a little more as fares do increase and hotels get crowded. Plan early.
Read more:
It had been on my mind to start getting some information on tour companies on this web site for a while. A reader had written in complaining (rightly) that I didn't cover this subject well and I had been mulling over how best to do it when a kind operator (and also blog reader) from China Odyssey Tours wrote to see if I would review their services. As my dear readers know, I was planning a trip with my family anyway so I took them up on their offer.
Since I've been in China for so long, I'm wary of tour companies. (I have a - sometimes false - sense that I don't need any help and can do it all myself when it comes to trip planning.) Using a tour company has 2 components. One is the planning component and if you've got someone helping you who has good suggestions and is willing to work with you and your needs, then this is a sign of a good agency. China Odyssey Tours scores very high here. The other aspect is your guide and with any tour, you could be in a great location with a bad guide or a bad location with a great guide. This will color your tour significantly. We enjoyed our guide and thought he did well despite our last-minute changes and needs.
Being such a fan, I'm thrilled Song Fang has more outlets. But if you have the time, do try to go to the tea house in the former French Concession to sit and sample.
First off, Qingdao is home to the 
The best part of our tour was simply enjoying the local feel of the city away from scenic spots and hoards of tourists. Another of Qingdao's unique qualities is the charming way you buy beer from the local shop. Just show up and buy a bag. They have a knack for pouring it from the bag into mugs (not sure I could do it). Marcus also introduced us to local cuisine la gala. We had these spicy clams for lunch and liked them so much, we had them again at dinner.