Trip To Guangzhou - Final Part

I totally agreed that shopping in Guangzhou was indeed a pleasant experience that will surely be able to attract even those who are not inclined to shop whatever catches their fancy. After been here for the last 3 days, succinct for me to say that this city had some extremely magnificent malls and streets, which offered you almost anything that you might desire.

Since it was our last day in Guangzhou and we would be leaving for home tonight, it definitely be the electronic and digital products center that I will be heading for in the morning, while afternoon will be time for packing. But sadly to admit, I felt disappointed and dismayed as it was not as what I had been expecting. Obviously, I overrated Guangzhou's electronic products highly after seeing some impressive China-made gadgets owned by friends back home like the dual-sim card mobile phone, mini-TV, GPS, tab etc. But perhaps given more time, I might have a different view on this as I only spent half a day at here.

When buying modern electronic goods especially IT related products, be extra careful as some people complained of having paid exorbitant sums only to recognize that they have got Chinese products and not the original branded items. If you are a great fan of Apple product like me, I would not recommend you to buy it here unless you are really sure that it's really a genuine Apple's dealer. But then again, for this kind of product, you can have a better deal or package back home in Malaysia.

If there are things that I would not recommend you to buy in Guangzhou, it is locally-made IT related products. If you are not careful, you could easily be cheated as there had been many cases reported. I could only say that I learned this through my own experienced here. I would not want to dwell further on this but please google and read for yourself somewhere else in the internet.

Apart from small items like headset, power bank, USB cable, charger etc, the best purchased that I got myself here is a non-branded telephoto zoom lens for my iPhone 5 which feature a 20x zoom magnification. It came with a sleek, matte black iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 case that could be twisted the lens onto. To compose the shot just twist the grip on the lens' manual focus ring to make it sharp and snap. I had seen quite similar product at KL's Low Yat and Singapore's Sim Lim Square at a much more expensive price.

As soon as we arrived in KL, I tried the zoom lens taking a shot at some housing estate nearby from quite a distance at our home, and also brought it to take some shots at CIMB Classic Golf at KLGCC. It came out satisfactory as below.

Considered as a very modern and vibrant city, Guangzhou to me is still worth a visit, if only you are prepared with well-planned itinerary and be extra careful when exploring the city abounds with fabulous shopping areas.

If you have any intention of making a trip to Guangzhou soon, below are some of the things that worthwhile for me to share:

- Communication can be a problem. Chinese people though industrious and business minded, generally does not speak English and if you are lucky, you will find some speak only little English. It would be of great help to pay English-speaking tourist or shopping guide.

- Do not take private cars for taxi especially if you are traveling alone and not quite sure exactly where your destinations is. Possibility they may drop you half way. And also at some point of time, taxi can be difficult to get, that will leave you with not much choice but to go on a tricycle of which Ana and I frequently used while we were here.

- Print all the relevant destinations like hotel, consulate, malls etc in Chinese language (it can be different in English), it's important to have just in case you get lost and can show that to taxi driver. The hotel card is easily available and they encourage you to have it all along.

- If you thought toilets in Malaysia are dirty, wait till you enter Guangzhou's public toilet. Be prepared for the smell, because it can be so terrible, yuck! And also they don't provide tissue in toilets.

- Be careful with currency exchange. Never change your money on the streets or exchange booths, they will cheat you by giving you fake money or less amount of money and you won't even realize it.

4D3N trip to Guangzhou was just nice for us, but if you are thinking of more visits to tourist or historical sites, advisable you should stay longer. Shopping will be taking much of your time as you can be spoiled of choice here.

Checking-in for a flight home is easy and straight forward. As we were shopping only for our own domestic or personal use, we didn't face any problem with Malaysian Custom and Excise upon arrival at LCCT. I was a bit worry with my oversized golf luggage, but apparently golf items did not bother custom officers at all. Our luggage (we went with 2 and came back with 7), were not even touched or asked by them. I like that.

Ana and I were so glad that, after years of contemplating about it, we finally had a chance to visit Guangzhou, our first trip to mainland China. And making things better, we were traveling with a group of friendly and understanding peoples in our group tour. Despite all the not so good things that we discovered in Guangzhou, we still looking forward to have another opportunity like this in future and by that time, we should know our way better.

All the best.

Trip To Guangzhou - Part 4

Huaisheng Mosque in Guangzhou, built about 1300 years ago is one of the oldest mosques in China and is an excellent place to visit if you want to learn about Islamic culture in China. With traditional Guangdong architecture, it still plays a very important role in Muslim life in Guangzhou, welcoming Muslims from all over the world, including tourist and businessmen who are here either on leisure or  business trip.

Located at one of the quieter part of the city, this place is kind of hidden with serene ambiance and surrounded with several halal enterprises nearby, making it a must-visit to Muslims visiting Guangzhou. Our group spent a bit of time here to shop for food especially tit-bits at the halal supermarket across the road.

After the muslim site-tour program in the morning, top on the list of our itinerary today was shopping at fabric and textile market. And of course you-know-who was really looking forward to this kind of stop-over.

If you thought Jakel or along Jalan Masjid India KL was the bomb for shopping for fabric and textile, wait till you head to this area in Guangzhou.  Zhongda fabric market with other trading building nearby is really one of the largest markets I could ever access.

Technically, the storefronts in the building were showrooms for factories so if they do not have existing stock, they might offer for you to collect or send to you in a minimum order quantity in a few hours or the next day. Most were for wholesale business, so it's understandable that the price for small cuts of existing stock and mass production will be different. Keep in mind that many shops might not keep their existing stock in the store itself so its always the case they needed between an hour to one day to bring the fabric to the shopfront for you. And if you were to collect later, check thoroughly to make sure its the same as what you had placed order earlier.

Generally, the fabric in this building that we went to pertain to apparel making. Here you will find pure cotton, blends, silk, waterproof polyster, etc. Floors and floors of fabric swatches line the corridors of the building. Ana and I wasn't really sure where to begin. We were a little worried that the store owners would ignore us since we weren't really there to buy wholesale, so Ana took some time looking through the swatches.

While Ana going gaga over the fabrics and silk clothing available, naughty me took a bit of time to have my photo taken with some not so pretty salesgirls, which I thought if they were to come working in Malaysia, they could be made a good golf's caddies.

Just a reminder, be very careful to watch where you're going, even if you are in the building or mall, something we were not familiar with in our own country. There were a lot of bicycles, motorcycles and tricycle carrying fabric goods moving along swiftly and you definitely don't want to get in their way. I am sure most of us were not accustomed or never experienced to having a bicycle or motorcycle in the same lift.

The next time you're in Guangzhou, lady in particular, take some time to visit this fabric market. You should be prepared to wait for the fabric delivery. The roads could be congested and what the store owners promised may not be true, but if you're patient you could uncover some really pretty fabric.

In the afternoon, we had our own individual program, continued exploring, going here and there in Guangzhou's busy central commercial centre, with more confidence after been here for the last 2 days. You might not have must choice but to use tricycle as traffic can be terribly bad here.

Later in the evening, we went to Shang Xia Jiu Lu pedestrian street, a place bright with neon lights. I honestly think this place is good to visit for experience but nothing fantastic at this location. We just strolled along the street which was quite a long walk.

So many shops, so many restaurants and cafe along the street. Nothing here appeal much to both Ana and I. Imitation products and cheap quality clothing usually found here and the place was also very crowded and filled mostly with locals so it's definitely harder to bargain if you are foreigner or can't speak Chinese.

Anyway, it's still worth coming here since this could be said as part of the Chinese culture, that is being in the crowded place with the Chinese people. In short, I could only say this, not worth to shop, worth to explore.

Next will be the Final Part of our Trip To Guangzhou. Have a good day ahead.

Trip To Guangzhou - Part 3

We began our 2nd day with a visit to the maqam of Sa'ad ibn Abi Waqqas, the maternal uncle of Nabi Muhammad SAW, and who ignited the flame of Islam in China. Shop as much as you wish in Guangzhou, but if you are a muslim, it will be worth to spare some time to visit China's must-see muslim attraction sites. The visit will give opportunity to know Islam in China and how different their mosques and graves as compared to what we Malaysian are accustomed to.

Here, we have our group photo and this is probably the only group photo we took together with the full members of the group tour. And again I want to say, so glad that we were traveling with a group of nice, friendly and understanding people, mainly from Semenanjung with a couple from Sabah and we were the only couple from Sarawak, which made our maiden trip to China an interesting, fruitful and enjoyable one.

Another Muslim attraction site in our tour itinerary is Huaisheng Mosque, nested away in one of the quieter streets of Guangzhou, which we visited on the 3rd day.

By 10.00 am, we made our way to Zhang Xi Lu Plaza which is near to the railway and bus station and  a clothing wholesale market having many well-known manufacturers, and also one of the main clothing distribution center in Guangzhou.

There is a huge number of clothing and garment wholesale markets here. Fashion, casual wear, bags and accessories could be found in the multiple markets around here. We were warned of pickpockets and be extra careful with our hand-carry bag.

Traveling away from home is always about food. Ana and I was finally relief to find a decent and clean halal food outlet here, located just next to the main ladies clothing complex where we both had a good nasi bryiani lunch.

Later in the afternoon, we were given option to go on our own. Instead of going to electronic centre which had been in my mind ever since I step foot in Guangzhou, I had to give in to Ana's favorite shopping place, the leather product district. We were amazed by the number of buildings and malls selling specifically only leather goods. You can spend several days in this area, browsing through all the different buildings and side streets. Finally we went into the Baiyun World Leather Trading Centre.

It is a modern, extensive and international trading centre for leather products of different grades and designs. This building is a good starting point in our quest for handbags, belts and accessories. The quality is good and easily can find many different grades and designs.

And the moment I step into this complex, I only have this to say. If you are handbag lovers, or fan of leather goods, you can get crazy exciting experience here. Don't get me wrong. I am not condoning business selling fake products but the high quality of imitation were impressive and very tempting.

You will find that the price of leather products vary greatly, along with the quality. Provided that your negotiation skills are sharp, you should be able to get a reasonable price.

Later in the evening, our dinner was at the famous Abdullah Qinghai Muslim Restaurant. This restaurant is very popular among Malaysian visiting Guangzhou.

Our last program for the day after dinner is walking on the Beijing Lu, in the the city center which is simultaneously fashionable and traditional.

Shopping and walking through Beijing Lu is an experience in itself. It's not just shopping but also about experiencing the rich culture of China and getting a taste of the nation's famed charm while dealing with business matters.

Beijing Lu is a very long stretch of road, flanked by many shops on both sides of the road, mostly middle-class fashion brands and a few local sports wear brand. Just be prepared to be annoyed by people harassing you to buy iPhone and watches with picture cards. Just ignore them.

The good thing about this place is that it is mixed with some significant history where they discovered the original road beneath during excavations, dated from 690AD. They have retained sections of the road and covered it for display in the middle, as you can see in the picture above.

It was an interesting-exciting-exhausting second day in Guangzhou and looking forward to a more bustling next day especially going to Garment and Textile Trading Centre and the place I really aim to go, that is the Electronic, Digital and Mobile Market.

Trip to Guangzhou - Part 2

Guangzhou is said to be the third largest city in China with a population of 12.8 million based on 2010 census.  Just for comparison, KL population is 1.6 million and population of Malaysia is 28.3 million.

One of the reason for us to join this trip is the fact that Guangzhou has long been acclaimed as a shopping paradise, famous for its many wholesales centre of all sorts. There are seas of shopping centre and malls, as well as the wholesale market, with tens of thousands of various products including clothing, electronic and IT related products, textile, leather goods, toys etc etc and the best part is, most of it are at very low price.

Below are some of the pictures that I had taken with my simple and reliable iPhone camera on our way to various shopping complexes.

Our first shopping stop-over on our arrival day is at the must-go place called One-Link Plaza, located  at Yide Road near the Haizu Square. At the first glance, I thought it's a common shopping mall but it is actually a wholesale market. If you are fan of accessories and looking for varieties, this is the place. One-Link Plaza is heaven place to shop for gift, home decor, clips, household furnitures, table clothes, pretty bedsheets, interior designed goods and other things beyond imagination.

Shops in One Link Plaza are mainly for whole-seller and business-minded traveler. Simple business principle apply here. If you buy many, they give you very cheap price. As we were not buying in bulk, Ana and I had to really bargain it hardly to get a cheaper price, but it still worth as it is cheaper since we are buying directly from the wholesaler, with more choices. Prices were reasonable and attractive, and unlike some other parts of Guangzhou, shop owners here were basically not pushing and it made shopping here a breeze and pleasant experienced.

Our 4 hours stop-over definitely were not sufficient, especially most of us were first-timer to China. While resting and waiting for our pick-up, we took the opportunity to interact and got to know each other better. Glad that members of this tour group were friendly, open-minded and understanding. That's something Ana and I really appreciate during this trip.

After a tiring and exhausting first day, it's time for our first dinner . As a muslim, halal food is of course a big concern and is a need. In Guangzhou, they're really quite a number of places which would be suitable for muslim and knowing the Chinese halal characters would be of help.

Apart from One Link Plaza, our group tour itinerary also includes going to Zhang Xi Lu, textile and fabric market, Shang Xia Jiu Lu, Beijing Lu and options to go to leather mall and trading centre, electronic centre and kids market. There were also visits to some popular muslim tourist attraction. Those pictorial stories will be posted later in other part of this blog.

Here are few things worth mentioning about Guangzhou, or China in some instances, in case you are not aware about it yet.

1. The Chinese Authority aggressively censors the internet, routinely deleting online posting and blocking access to websites it deems inappropriate or politically sensitive. So there is no Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, You Tube, Blogspot and some other US social media and news online. At least it's a good break if you are a hardcore and 'very active' face bookers.

2. In Guangzhou (and may be some other parts of China), well-known Western fast-food chains like McDonald's and KFC are not halal.

3. Motorcycles are banned, partly because of theft and security. Of course there some other reasons for it.

My first day impression of Guangzhou, it is a must-go city for those who have not been here. At least you should experienced it once. And of course, if you are in a wholesale business, this is the place.

Have a good day ahead.

Trip To Guangzhou - Part 1

We touched down around 9.30 am local time at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, one of the three largest air hubs in China, being the 2nd busiest in passenger traffic and the 3rd busiest in cargo handling.  The weather was great, equally humid as my home place and not as cold as what I had expected.

Perhaps I need to mention that the red colour of my jacket was mere coincidence, resembling China's red colour flag which is so closely associated with Communism. And for the whole period of my stayed  here, I don't need that jacket.

This airport also boasts very convenient ground transportation system which is mainly made up of subway, intercity bus, taxi and shuttle bus. Just a simple advice, don't follow anyone offering transportation as a decent Chinese taxi driver will wait in his car in line and not walk into the arrival hall. Just ignore them. Better to be prepared and have your accommodation address in Chinese as most taxi driver does not speaks English. 

Being in the tour group which consist of 33 peoples, shuttle bus waited for us, about 10 minutes walk from the arriving hall and it took about 45 minutes to reach our hotel. 

The lady with that sweet smiling face in the bus is my travel companion, who took care of me and making sure that I have enough rest, will not spend unnecessarily on things that I don't need, especially on gadgets and golf accessories. She is, of course, my beloved wife.

Upon arriving at our hotel, the checked-in process run smoothly. I must say, our tour agent especially Firdous did a good job as we didn't have to wait long for our room key, and especially when we were tired and exhausted.

Our accommodation, Jinjiang Inn, located at Yuexiu District may not be a luxurious hotel, but it's good enough for the two of us., after all I am not a 5-Star traveller. The room is clean, that's very important to us, with basic facilities like water heater though without mini bar. And the best part, it has free Wifi in the room.

After checking-in, we had ample time to rest before exploring the city which has a long history of trade and business and known more for it's economy and proximity to Hong Kong than for being the major tourist destination. It was a good idea to depart at 5.30 am from LCCT as we were able to fully utilised our first day with the program started at 2 pm.

A friend back home did warned me that Guangzhou is a terrible place for tourist. There is mistrust in the air, everyone is paranoid about the money and is hostile and rude. It has serious societal issues and widespread moral defect. Don't expect any service standards or social grace of any kind, it doesn't exist in their culture. That's what I was told.

I am about to find out how true all these is in my 4 days 3 nights stay here.

Everyone seems cheerful and excited to start the first day. That story will be in Part 2.

Take care.

Guangzhou Trip - Departure

I had been to few parts of the world, but not China. So, it's understandble that I am nervous and also excited. For the last few days, I been spending time surfing and googling anything on Guangzhou.

Our Air Asia flight expected to depart 0535 hrs today (18 Oct 2013), we were at the LCCT by 0330 hrs. First thing first, short and quick briefing by the tour agent.

If you are a frequent traveller, this part is nothing much. It's just mentioning checking-in, boarding, filling-in arrival form etc.

Then we proceed to drop-in luggage as all of us had been checked-in by the agent before hand. It's a bit messy here.

If you are used to travel by Air Asia, you should know how 'friendly' and conducive LCCT is.

I am updating this blog while waiting to board the aircraft and time running short. Got to go now and hopefully will be able to update again once we settle down in Guangzhou. Wish us safe and enjoyable trip. Cheers

I am back blogging

Hi, my name is Udin bin Bujang, 50 years old, married and blessed with 3 lovely daughters. Am a proud Sarawakian, family origin from Rajang, born in Sibu and now living in Kuching.

That's just a simple-quick introduction, at least to give you idea who is behind this blog. Chances is that, you may to get to know me more if you follow this blog.

So what does the title of this blog mean?

Sometimes we try to satisfy people around us by walking a particular path in spite our own mind advises otherwise. Life is too short to spend all our time trying to make everyone else happy. Besides, it's impossible to please everyone all the time. At some point, we've got to stop caring about what everyone else wants for us, and start actually living for ourself. Make choices that take our mind, body, and soul into consideration. We are the only person who knows what's best for ourself.

Accept that someone else's opinion on us is NOT our problem. So, let's move on.