Madhattan

I will be flying to Okinawa for only 4 days. This is more of a mini-trip inside 3 weeks in Taiwan.

China Airlines has super cheap flights from Taipei to Okinawa. (like under 300 round trip!)

Since it is only a 4 day trip, do you think I would have time to see the islands? Or should I just hang out on the main island and call it a day?

Anyone can recommend a nice beach-side hotel?

PS: That ice cream place looks really delicious

http://en.blueseal.co.jp/

I will be in Okinawa, with my girlfriend, in December for the week of Christmas.

So far, I have zero concrete plans, but have been told the following must-do's:

1. Go to the aquarium

2. Pick a hotel on the beach

please write your recommendations, tips, and stories.

NYC Street food is all about the Halal carts.

You wanna get a mixed on basmati with white, hot, and a pita.

What does this mean?

You get lamb, chicken, and salad on top of a bed of basmati rice with white sauce and hot sauce. Then the dude will fry up a pita, chop it up, and throw it on top. Some dudes will even throw in some fries and a falafel ball. All this for around $5-6? = perfect recession food.

My friends and I are always in constant debate over which cart is best.

My personal favorite is the truck that sits in front of the old Ziff Davis building on 27th st and Madison Ave. Here you will find one of two alternating trucks: a yellow one, and a large silver one. Both are good, but the yellow one is a little better...

Shanghai is where it's at.

Beijing is great, but it's too large and too spread out to get anything done. You'll spend most of your day in a small cab and walking in and through police barricades. Other Chinese cities are also amazing but if you are new to China Shanghai is a perfect intro.

Shanghai is huge and has a million small neighborhoods you can walk around in all day. Some are high class like Xian Tian Di where you can fill up on expensive Western and 'Asian Inspired' dishes and feel real classy doing so. Or you can head out to the more local neighborhoods like the French Concession and get a great mix of local shops and designer stores.

Nightlife:

You have to hit up the SHELTER. It's in a underground old school bomb shelter and it's always packed with expat kids and a huge number of Shanghai's local creative community. Everyone is having a great time and the music is more hit than miss.

Also, check out Cotton's on An ting lu. It's an old embassy, gutted, and re done into a elegant bar/resto with great drinks and food. The owner, Cotton, is an amazing woman who started the place through pure grit and determination. It also has a huge, candle-lit, out door area where you can drink undisturbed and listen to quite music, the street, and a mix of conversations in all languages.

A must do: rent, borrow, or even buy a bike and ride around the whole city. You can buy a used / old bike for around 80 to 100 RMB (and that's if your a foreigner) and buy a cheap (15 RMB) lock. Bike around to all the different neighborhoods and great bars. If your ride gets stolen--big deal. You lose 10 bucks but it's a great way to get around.

FOOD:

You must go to one of the street Kebab restaurants. You can pick out a huge assortments of Kebabs and watch them cook outside on a small plastic chair. Enjoy them with a cold 24 oz Tsingtao or Reeb and relax and enjoy the sites. You won't get sick! These kebabs are grilled all the way through and are far better than any expensive restaurant. Your bill will be 40 RMB and the MOST.

Avoid the Window's Bar chains. Cheap beer for expats but it's just like a bar back home. Avoid it unless your really really homesick.

Gotta have a little mix of both to fully appreciate either.

I spend 99% of my time in cities, but those rare trips out to nowhere make everything better.

When you google "leg exercises"

Magic Hat and Guinness.

Kayak is really good because it pulls from so many other services, but some agents may get you better deals.

Last time I went to China, I went to a travel agency in China Town and they found me a better price than kayak.

Iron Giant.

I would love to install it myself, but I dont want to solder to little points on a Slim PS2 Motherboard And it is hard to buy Mods in the USA anymore.

Last time I was in HK, I went to a mall that only sold bootleg games and movies. You would go up to a booth and they would have pictures of movies and games with numbers underneath. You would write the numbers on a paper and give it to the guy. He would send a kid out of the mall, and 20 mins later, you would have a brown bag with some DVD-Rs in it for like 3 bucks a piece.

Anyway, while I was i there, someone yelled that the police were coming, and everyone started running. All the metal gates went down and most of the people disapeared. I was scared shitless, but half an hour later the mall was fully bumpin again.

Most people try penguin village in the Elizabeth mall basement, or J and L across the street from there, but the best spot is in East Broadway mall on the first floor.

Anyone know of a good video game or electronics shop in either city that will install mod chips into consoles for a decent price?

The best price I can get here in Manhattan China Town in $100...

I thought that the i.t sale shop was in Silverchord mall???

I found a great guide to a few select shops in Hong Kong.

Here

Has anyone come across something similar for Shanghai or Beijing in their

internets exploration?

I went to Athens in 2001. At the time, they hated Americans because of the Kosovo, Serbia thing. I was treated like ass till I wised up and told everyone I was from Canada.

Is Athens still a city thats hard for Americans to chillin?

BTW: its all about the seafood and Acropolis

In 2003, I spent a month in Hong Kong. I had an amazing time. The problem was that when I got home (NYC), I noticed that all of the clothing I got there, I could find here. I did buy a Euro Carhartt jacket there, but its not Chinese.

This winter, I will be in Shanghai for 2 weeks, Beijing for 4 days, and Hong Kong for 1 week. What are some interesting shops or brands that are things that I can not find in Manhattan?

I will be staying with friends for the whole trip, so I got sight seeing, food, clubs, etc pretty much covered. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

I went to Hair Mates for the first time last week based on what I heard about it on here. It was great. Ive paid over $100 for similar service and will never make that mistake again. Everyone took their time even though the place was packed.

I tipped the lady 10 and the washer 3.