2) Taxis are easy to get and cheap. Again, not really a car seat kind of culture, but Shanghai is more organized than Beijing and therefore less of a strain on the heart if you are a parent traveling with your child. Your hotel will give you the "I am a moron, please return to ____________ if lost" card, of which I had several tucked into several pockets in my bag. You can also have your concierge write down where you want to go, as mentioned above.
3) Local convenience stores don't stock nappies but you can buy milk and juices from any of your corner shops. Due to the recent issues with Chinese milk, make sure not to buy powdered milk and to check the seals and expiration dates. A full range of baby supplies is widely available at Lotus Supermarkets, present in Shanghai and Beijing. These were fun because Karam spent half an hour entertaining himself looking at the fish and crab stations (he has yet to learn the difference between a zoo and a live station).
4) Karam lived on the local staple of fried rice for the duration of our four day trip. It's easy to get in any restaurant and delicious enough for the whole family to share. He also enjoyed dumplings although I preferred not to give him the seafood ones. There are also a host of fast food chains (McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut) as well as italian and pizza restaurants if Chinese food gets a bit much.
5) The Chinese LOVE kids. No, not like kids. LOVE kids. A friend suggested that it might be because of the "One child" rule that they are beginning to see a dearth of kids. Whatever it is, people were stopping us to take pictures of Karam (freaky if you are in the web world and aware of what can happen to ostensibly harmless digital photos) and everyone tried to engage and play with him. If you are a parent with even minor germophobia, beware, because the chinese will send you bathing in your hand sanitizer. They will touch your baby's face and hands, kiss him/her, and generally violate all boundaries set out for even family members in most Western countries. After you get over the initial shock, however, it's kind of refreshing to watch that unbridled affection and enjoyment of something we may take for granted.
6) Finally, massages are very much part of Chinese culture and available at a fraction of the price compared with many other countries, late into the night. After putting K to bed, I put dad on babysitting duty and went for a two-hour massage at 11 pm to Dragonfly in Shanghai. I paid RMB 530 (under USD 100) and slept like a baby that night. Makes all the international travel totally worth it!
Other posts in the Shanghai series:
Shanghai, China: Best Baby Shopping
Shanghai, China: For the Art-Loving Parent
Six Reasons NEVER to Fly Air China (even without a child)
Packing for China: My All-Inclusive List
Air China: Most Baby-UNfriendly airline!
