There's definitely a level of snobbery when it comes to travel. I have to laugh at some of the online reviews of some of my favorite restaurants in Shanghai when diners whine about being among "too many foreigners". Or when visitors to the city tell me they don't want to go see the sights because they're too touristy.

I do get it and I've been there. I understand wanting to soak up the vibe of a place instead of jumping from sight to sight (...with the frequency of a shortwave radio) all the while snapping pictures and trying to catch what the guide says from the back of a crowd of thirty overzealous tourists. But I've always told people who come to China - and it's my belief about every place you travel - almost any experience you have is "authentic" because you're having it in a foreign country. Sitting in Starbucks in Shanghai is authentic because you're in...Shanghai. Sure you'll see lots of laowai faces, but you'll see lots of Chinese faces too. By all means, don't spend all your time abroad in the comfy familiarity of known brands and places, but don't beat yourself up about it either. Grab your coffee and then get out and walk the neighborhoods.

There's an interesting article dealing with authenticity in travel by Daisann McLane on National Geographic Traveler. She joins a Chinese tour group and experiences authenticity, China-style.

The good folks at Urbanatomy have recently put together a great list featuring many of Shanghai's bath houses. What's great about the list is that it includes not only reviews but also some etiquette pointers (see "Manners in the Mist") as well as average visit price for a visit. I've touted Xiao Nan Guo as one of the greatest pampering experiences ever but Urbanantomy's list gives you the scoop on many more.

Now that it's officially winter, get yourself out to one of these steamy sections of paradise and enjoy. It's a good remedy for any cold.

Read More:

• My review of Xiao Nan Guo Spa
• Urbanatomy's Bath Houses in Shanghai Full Article

Photo: Xiao Nan Guo's lobby. Photo property of XNG group. All rights reserved.

If you've booked your China Travel with a tour group, then you'll follow the flag-waving guide and group check-in to your next destination. You might wonder what MU stands for (China Eastern Airlines) but you probably won't pay much attention. But if you're doing your own booking - which is getting ever-easier with fantastic booking sites like Travelzen, CTrip and eLong, then you may want to know a little about the airline with which you'll be taking on Beijing or Xi'an.

Check out this handy listing of China's major domestic airlines. I've even given you the Mandarin pronunciations so you can hang out in the gate testing your Chinese. A little tip: the word for airline sounds just like "Hong Kong" to the untrained ear...but not everyone's traveling to Xiang Gang (Hong Kong in Mandarin). OK, we'll leave the Chinese lesson for later.

Photo: China Photos / Getty Images.

Well, reader responses are in and 80% of you know that the World Expo is happening in Shanghai next year. 63% of you have been to an Expo and might even travel for one. (Only 1 person admitted to not knowing what Expo is.) So that's a much higher understanding rate than I would have imagined. Although if you're reading my blog, you're interested in China, so that makes you (not only really very cool) but also in the know.

One commenter mentioned how much he's not looking forward to living in Shanghai and living through all the security checks, traffic and other hassles that are sure to follow. While I see his point, those of us living here are already suffering constant construction and seemingly endless renovations, so I have to say I'm looking forward to seeing it all finished. But yes, random security checks on the subway, increased surveillance and all that is tiresome. But still, it'll be nice to hear the sound of silent drills. (Or is that just wishful thinking on my part?)

More to come here about the Shangai Expo that's on from May-October 2010. If you're interested in learning more about it elsewhere, check out the official English language site: http://en.expo2010.cn/

I was thrilled to read last week in the Shanghai Daily about a government-sanctioned gay bar set to open in Dali, Yunnan Province, a tourist / backpacker town near Lijiang, the UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was hard for me to believe since unfortunately, acceptance of gay culture is not very advanced here. Shanghai's own Gay Pride Week last spring, while low-key, had several events shut down or canceled by authorities in this relatively cosmopolitan city.

So I wasn't surprised when three days later, the paper reported that the bar was forced to close. While supposedly supported by the local government, local discrimination against the gay community and volunteers at the bar have forced the bar to shut its doors before it was even really open.

Happily, there are some outwardly gay-friendly places in China. Our Gay & Lesbian Travel Guide has them outlined here in his directory of Gay Travel in China.

That's right, your Beijing Duck might not even be fully digested from last Thursday's Thanksgiving, China-style, but the Christmas decorations are going up with full force. Christmas markets are starting - the first being this weekend at Shanghai's Paulaner. Get your fill of gluewein, shopping and Santa at the German-themed Christmas Market and check out what else is happening over the holidays.

Read more:

• Christmas in Pictures
• Guide to Christmas in China

Photo: Christmas in Shanghai, © 2008 Sara Naumann, licensed to About.com.

Just thought I'd throw out a couple of questions out to my dear readers. Are you aware that Shanghai is hosting the World Expo in 2010? Are you interested in Expo? The reason I ask is that Shanghai is currently getting a face lift of mammoth proportions. The construction and renovation isn't just localized to the (enormous) Expo site where many countries are building pavilions to showcase their country's exports and innovations. No, the upheaval extends all over the city from the Bund (currently un-walkable) to the back alleys (lane houses three alleys back, completely invisible from the street, are getting spruced up and painted) to the citizens of Shanghai themselves, with a campaign against them wearing the customary outdoor pajamas to do errands.

So I thought I'd throw a little poll out there to see what you know and who's interested before I write more about it (which I will...)

I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

I don't know if it was my last blog that got me hungry for Xinjiang food or just coincidence; but either way, a friend and I headed off to the Friday Muslim Street Market in north Jing'an district last Friday to get a fix.

Held outside the Huxi Mosque, a modest place of worship at 1328 Changde Road, vendors from China's Xinjiang Province gather to sell their wares. Any Shanghai resident is used to seeing men pushing their carts full of raisins and almonds around the streets in the fall, but here at the market, these folks gather en force. Buyer beware, it's hard to get away from these friendly folks once they offer up a sample of dried apricots or raisins. After select sampling, I walked off with at least a kilo of almonds, plump yellow raisins and tangy apricots. (I had to say no to the walnuts and dried melon, though I was tempted.)

Also for sale at the market are "fox" fur skins died in all sorts of ridiculous patterns as well as made up into hats, vests, jackets and even knee pads (fur on the inside for added comfort and warmth), music, rugs, stone carvings, mutton (fresh or frozen), fruits and all kinds of breads, pastries and meat pies.

We had a wander down the alley into the mosque where very friendly gentlemen sitting outside allowed us to have a look around the courtyard. There's a Halal butcher just outside where plenty of people were buying their meat. After looking around, we found the ready-made food stalls and bought a bowl of yangrou fan 羊肉饭, (literally mutton rice), cooked rice with spices and carrots topped with pieces of cooked mutton, a dish of super spicy veggies and glass noodles and lamb pastries. It was a delicious and cheap lunch and a fun way to spend the morning.

• Muslim Street Market
• Every Friday morning till early afternoon
• On Changde Road near Aomen Road （常德路近澳门路）
• See Photos

Photo: A dried fruit vendor displays his wares at the Friday Muslim Street Market in Shanghai. © 2009 Sara Naumann, licensed to About.com.

A reader recently asked how and where to eat Halal food during a business trip to Shanghai. China has a large population of Muslim peoples who are part of ten ethnic groups. The largest group is the Uigher minority from Xinjiang Province in China's far west. These folks have brought their delicious cuisine east and you can find their restaurants from large venues to tiny dives all over Chinese cities. So in essence, it is relatively easy to find Muslim restaurants in China.

But if you don't have time to wander and your hotel concierge is scratching his head, IslamChina.com have a great web site on the history and culture of Islamic peoples in China and also list restaurants for various Islamic ethnic cuisines by city, e.g. Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen.

Definitely add Islamic foods such as Xinjiang or Hui cuisine to your culinary itinerary while in China. The spices and flavors are utterly different from the foods you'll find from other locations and you'll probably find yourself craving lamb kebabs after your first experience. I do.

Photo: A Halal butcher outside the Huxi Mosque in Shanghai. The neighborhood around the mosque holds a Friday street market. © 2009 Sara Naumann, licensed to About.com.

After six years in Shanghai, a city I used to think was relatively inexpensive, I'm finding costs creeping farther up. Little white stickers are appearing in more and more restaurant menus covering old prices and indicating new ones. As Shanghai becomes more cosmopolitan and developed, so are the prices.

But that shouldn't get the traveler down. There are still plenty of things to do that don't cost a fortune. In fact, I've put together a little list just for this sake. Take in the free stuff and spend your money on treasure for home and delicious food. But even food doesn't have to break the bank - there are plenty of cheap and yummy eats in Shanghai.

Read more:

• Free things to do in Shanghai
• Eating cheap (and yummy) in Shanghai
• Inexpensive downtown hotels in Shanghai