SHANGHAIology

Small Talk With...A Taxi Cab Star
Does his floppy ginger hair seem familiar? We caught up with Alex Cureton-Griffiths, a contestant on Quest China, to see what it's like to be on TVs and in cabs all over China.

We've seen you on cab TVs all over the city, how's it feel to be famous? Only the mini version of the show is in Jinjiang taxis, the full version is actually being shown on IPTV in several cities around China. I'm still getting used the to the publicity though. We filmed this in September of last year and then everything went quiet for a few months--long enough to move on with my life, and then everyone started recognizing me. Is that a good or bad thing? It's a great experience, though a bit surreal. What's it feel like to see yourself in cabs? I actually haven't even seen myself in one yet! So, what made you want to try out for Quest China in the first place? I was surfing around Facebook, saw the producers asking for candidates and thought, "Why not?" It's not every day an opportunity to make a fool of yourself on TV comes along. What was the best part of the show? I'd have to say chilling out at a spa near Chongqing. We'd really been run ragged by that time--doing 12 challenges in four cities in 11 days really takes it out of you. Any "behind-the-scenes" gossip to share? We all got on really well, but there was the time that my team-mate Brian and I ended up in the public lavatories taking our clothes off ... It was purely innocent. Honest! Really, we were just switching clothes for the final scene of our James Bond movie, where he gets cosmetic surgery and becomes James Wong.

Everyone Is Talking About...Bridging the Gap

The world's longest oceanic bridge cuts down the distance between Shanghai and Ningbo
While the impending construction of the monolithic Shanghai Center has drawn much attention, this is only the most recent of Shanghai's forays into the field of "biggest" engineering feats. Now the limelight of architectural machismo turns from "tallest" to "longest" with the May 1 opening of the Hangzhou Bay Bridge, a sprawling six-lane, 36km S-shaped bridge linking Cixi City just west of Ningbo to Jiaxing in Shanghai. Reaching out across Hangzhou Bay and the East China Sea, the bridge can legitimately claim its rightful place as the longest trans-oceanic bridge in the world, though the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana, USA, still holds the title of longest bridge-Cso close.

Cutting the distance between Shanghai and Ningbo by 120km, travel time between the two cities has been reduced from nearly four hours to just over an hour (depending on your departure point and Shanghai traffic, of course). Though completed in 2007, the bridge is only now being opened to public traffic. Not purely opened for the convenience of travelers, the bridge is also expected to aid in the development of the Ningbo and Shanghai port authorities, particularly the port of Beilun and the Yangshan Deep-water Port.

In true fashion, the opening of Shanghai's latest achievement coincides with another event of pomp and prestige-the Olympic Torch Relay. The torch will pass from Zhejiang Province into Shanghai via the Hangzhou Bay Bridge on May 20 before proceeding on through the various Shanghai districts. But, regardless of whether it's all for show, convenience or economics, the opening of the Hangzhou Bay Bridge leads us to one irrefutable conclusion-CNingbo has just become a hot destination for weekend travelers.

News You Can Use

City Weekend Reader's Choice Awards
City Weekend is getting ready to award the city's best and most cherished establishments on the bar and restaurant scene for all their hard work and dedication, not to mention the delicious food and raucous nights they've provided throughout the past year. Cast your vote for your favorites online at http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/shsurvey or by texting "V," [space] and then the venue name to CW Guanxi (1066-9588-2929). Cast your vote by May 15! Awards will be given out at a riot of a party on June 5.

F-You
Those in China on F visas may find it particularly difficult to stick around. In the run-up to the Olympics, the government appears to be tightening restrictions on the issuance of F (short-term) visas, particularly renewals for people already within the Chinese mainland. Further complicating matters, Hong Kong is no longer issuing six month renewals or multiple entry F visas, only single or double entries for a period of 30 days. If your visa is set to expire, we suggest you start working on that extension now as costs may continue to rise and regulations may continue to change.

Satellite Sweep
Shanghai government departments are trying to launch a year-long campaign to crack down on illegal TV satellites that are able to receive foreign TV channels. Satellites are only allowed in military or government compounds and some expat residential areas. If you're not in that trifecta, hide or take down your satellite dish before they do. Or, invest in a Slingbox.