Shanghai with Kids: Transportation

Shanghai with Kids: Transportation


Hello! Long awaited blog post on our recent Shanghai trip WITH kids. Tak sure nak start dari mana, but I would like to remind you that this Shanghai trip is not anything close to "bajet seribu travel seminggu lima orang" kind of thing. 2 adults 2 kids 1 baby, budget kepada medium to high tapi tak la lavish, ada benda jimat ada benda tak jimat hehe. Tak jimat macam perkara-perkara lagha dekat Disney Store haha, ngan Mummy sama naik hah, lepas tu dok keluar masuk Starbucks :P Ini bukan backpacker style, bukan ikat perut, bukan kalut jalan merata nak cover all places and jadi orang nomad from one place to another, alrite? Priority: 3 children.


I start dengan transportation lah, nanti next entry kita share cerita China visa and accommodation okeh? Ramai juga yang DM minta emailkan itinerary Shanghai, tapi sesungguhnya tiada. Trip ni agak last minute, I cuma listkan places-to-go and how-to dalam notes iPhone, tapi tak ada specific time wajib pergi sini pada sekian-sekian hari dan masa. Maksudnya cuma ada list, mana nak pergi tu kita orang decide lepas breakfast, everyday. Tengok cuaca macam mana, then pilih la location mana yang sesuai. I tak suka travel follow itinerary haha sebab rasa macam kalut teruk, or maybe with children, nak relax-relax je.

  • FLIGHT
Ok, ni pilih la mana-mana yang sesuai and kena dengan budget you all. MAS ada, Airasia ada, Shanghai Airlines, China Eastern, kena try and error la ok tengok harga. Nak aman damai makan minum, MAS and Airasia lah kan. Airasia pun not cheap juga (maybe slightly cheaper than MAS) sebab kalau family ni, kena add-on luggage, seat (takkan nak duduk separate dari anak-anak), meals, entertainment (gatal sewa RM50 one ipad one way, haromm bosan content dia) and etc. So do your own math tengok yang mana suit budget.

Kita orang naik Airasia, dah itu yang paling murah konon-konon masa beli ticket, sekali labuu lepas add on segala macam, murah dua cebis jer dari MAS haha. Pasrah di situ sekejap.

But the cool thing about Airasia is, you beli ticket promo now, nanti later add seat, bulan lain add nasi lemak, bulan lain lagi add luggage allowance, paham? Ala-ala installment dok add items sikit-sikit hahah tapi last skali total sadakallah juga. And flight murah takpe, yang penting apartment/hotel selesa, katil untuk 7 hari lagi penting dari kerusi kapal terbang 5 jam. Giteww.


Kita travel time winter and I dah habis "travel light" sebab tak bawa winter jacket banyak untuk OOTD for one week, ada baby ni tak kuasa la ok. Total luggage tengok kat check in counter hari tu around 65-70kg. Siap sekali luggage makanan Aiman hehe. Purchased 90kg, pastu rasa rugi tak penuhkan hahaha, perangaikann. Stroller carry masuk cabin, sebab jenis compact-fold.


You remember this orange suitcase that went viral on FB, ini bag ahkak la dik oi. Dalam gambar ni,  luggage ni bawa pergi Tokyo. Ada jugak komen-komen kecam, "bawak semua baik duduk rumah la, pemalas tak nak research tempat makan halal la, tak happening la taknak makan dekat negara orang la, membazir luggage allowance la and tah apa lagi haha." Tapi yang mana travel with kids, kebanyakkan dua kali lima I jugak luggage makanan dia orang, ada siap bawa blender dengan rice cooker lagi hahah kau hado?


Kali ni lebih kurang juga la menu dia, Brahims wajib ada. Senang masuk microwave and senang kalau nak bawa bekal.


Usually yang kecam teruk ni, dia travel sorang, bawak body sendiri ja. Tapi yang travel with kids, nak selesa, usually will bring stocks makanan, untuk keamanan seluruh ahli keluarga sebelum keluar berjalan. Certain places, halal eateries are not easily accessible, some kena jalan, some lalu lorong or naik tangga yang leceh if ada stroller, reti? In my case, usually morning kita makan nasi siap-siap, lunch makan dekat luar (if dapat jumpa halal food, if not ada bekal) and dinner tapau siap-siap dari kedai halal tadi. Kalau tak jumpa tempat tapau dinner, sebab gagal nak locate through Google Maps, jangan risau, Pakcik Brahims sedia menanti dekat apartment. Korang yang travel bujang, jangan expect budak-budak boleh ikat perut lapar jalan merata, tidak ok? They get hungry like every 2 hours haha. So itu guna dia makanan yang bawak tu. Sekian. Above all, jimat masa dari kesesatan mencari kedai halal yang tak jumpa-jumpa or dah pindah hahaa (it happens dekat Shanghai hari tu hehe).

  • TRAIN
Train service dekat Shanghai senang faham and paling penting, dia color coded. Nak beli ticket pun ada option English so alhamdulillah selamat sejahtera.

Cuma masa first time beli tu macam bongok sikit hahah sebab tanya service counter pun alahai depa tak reti English ok, not even a simple English. Contoh kita nak pergi Disneyland, kena tukar train 3 kali, kita ni pun 3 kali la beli ticket. Naik train, turun train, beli ticket, naik lagi train, turun camtu ulang 3 kali hahaha. Sebenarnya tak payah. Beli je terus ticket ke destination kita, tukar train ikut platform yang betul, tak payah keluar gate pun, sebab ticket tu dah charge price ke destination kita nak pergi. Kanak-kanak FREE. Below 140cm, basically Adam Aiman free. Dia ada 3 day pass tapi kita orang tak guna tu, sebab travel dengan baby, so tak certain nak guna train all the time or guna taxi, so kita beli je ticket if rasa nak naik train.

The route you boleh check on Shanghai Metro website, key in saja from which station to which station. FROM tu boleh tanya dekat receptionist hotel/apartment you stay, your nearest metro station. TO pulak, boleh check dekat Google, tempat kita nak pergi apa nearest metro station dia.


Example: FROM our apartment Modena Fraser Putuo (depan apartment ni je Langao Station) to Disney Resort.

Key in je detail dekat website, dia bagi route option (train line berapa, color apa, station mana nak turun and tukar) and rate stated RMB6 tu maknanya sampai ke Disney Resort. Punya jauh journey, RM3.60 je ok one way? Crazy cheap. Kalau naik taxi roughly RMB120-150 dalam RM70-RM90, so beza gila price naik taxi and train.


TAPI. Naik train (just like any other train service dekat negara lain), ada masa kena guna tangga bila nak change platform. Cari lift tak jumpa, or terlalu jauh nak jalan semata nak guna lift, so kena la gigih fold-unfold stroller haha, penat la sikit di situ. And if time peak hour, train dia akan sangat penuh. Gila. Maksudnya, dah 4-5 kali train berenti depan muka pun, hang tetap tak dapat langkah masuk hahaa (kesian kita orang) and with stroller lagi, memang no way to step in.


What we did, the next train sampai, I masuk dengan Alana (itu je muat ok?) and Kown bawak stroller (folded) and Adam Aiman on the other train yang sampai. Sampai macam tu la, punya padat rakyat depa. Basically kalau peak hour memang susah nak board the train and tipis harapan nak duduk (lantok ler walau dengan baby) walaupun train dia macam panjang tak berpenghujung, tetaplah padat. Serious. Dua hari ja kita orang guna train, hahaha lepas tu Kown dah nak jadi raksaksa hijau, so kita guna mode transport lain hehe. Tapi nak cakap jugak, train fares dia amat murah, cuma kalau dengan stroller, mohon bertenang aja. :P 

Kown tak boleh, pada dia dah kerja penat dekat KL, apa hal datang holiday and trouble yourself with this public transport thing? Haha. Yang I pulak, masa ni la nak rasa and experience benda yang bukan rutin kita dekat KL.




  • TAXI
Kita guna sekali saja, susah sikit, sebab tak reti nak bagitau driver tempat mana kita nak pergi. Dia orang tak reti English, even nak bagitau nama hotel pun, dia tetap nak baca dalam tulisan dia, hahah dah camnanya. Lepas tu driver taxi ni dia suka hati je nak stop kan kau di mana-mana haha, tak semestinya dia akan stop exactly depan destinasi anda ye, so pandai-pandai lah hah.

The people pulak, perangai agak kasar ok. Jenis cakap kuat macam nak marah, lepas tu kita confuse dia ni marah ke nak cakap ke, nak gaduh ke apa? haha, tapi tak, memang depa jenis bercakap macam nak cari pasal ngan orang.

TIPS: Pergi dekat reception counter, mintak staff hotel tulis kan dekat kertas, tempat-tempat yang kita nak pergi in Chinese, nama hotel and address sekali, baru senang sikit. Simpan kertas elok-elok, jangan buang pulak. Nak selamat, bawak buku tiga-lima hehehe settle.

  • DIDI 
Ha comel kan nama? Bukan Didi & Friends ok. Ini macam Grab dia orang dekat sana. Selepas dua hari guna train and sebab taknak Kown tukar jadi raksaksa pada hari ketiga haha kita orang mula guna Didi sampai la balik. Sebab stay bukan exactly dalam city center (macam Bangsar to KLCC gitu), rate sehala usually around RM30-RM40 tengok traffic. Ok lah, average rate, tapi demi keamanan sejagat, kita guna je. Total guna Didi untuk travel dari city ke apartment (vice versa) around 300 yuan, dalam RM180. 


TAPI. Didi ni tak terima cash. Dekat Didi app tu kena pilih payment option, so ada debit/credit card, pilih itu. Provided you dah authorize your card untuk overseas transaction. Usually credit card tak perlu, debit card yes, sebelum travel, kena buat temporary authorization untuk overseas transaction (dekat atm or website).


Unless you have WeChat Pay. Dekat Shanghai, WeChat Pay ni antara medium pembayaran utama ok? Beggar pun minta duit guna app ok, kau mampu? Takde cash takpe, sila transfer duit seikhlas hati from app haha gitu sekali. Malaysia takde, WeChat adalah tempat yang mampu membuat otak jadi bongok sekejap. Tapi kan, dekat sana Whatsapp/IG/FB and tah apa lagi kena block, tapi tu nanti cerita lain ok.

So untuk kami, memang Didi lah sepanjang masa, lepas dua hari je survive guna train. Driver berhemah and kereta bersih, pleasant experience lah senang cerita.

TIPS: Before book Didi tu, you cari lah tempat yang senang driver nak locate and driver senang pickup, sebab tak semua tempat boleh suka suki nak berhenti hehe.


  • AIRPORT TRANSFER
Ok, since kita orang sampai sana past midnight, makanya naik Maglev dah tak boleh. So either naik taxi or Didi. Tapi tengah nak godek-godek app Didi tu first time, akan ada driver-driver yang approach kita. Pandai-pandailah nak straight away say no ke, or dengar dia nak offer apa and paling penting, survey dulu sebelum datang berapa reasonable-rate airport transfer, so kalau ada yang hentam harga mahal, dah boleh say no terus.

Untuk kami, 2 dewasa 2 kanak-kanak 1 baby, 3 suitcases, 2 backpacks, 1 strollers hahaha ok sila imagine, kita kena naik jenis premier car (mpv lah). Kereta even Mercedes tak muat nak sumbat semua haha. So rate dari Pudong Airport to Modena Fraser Putuo, at 1.30AM, was 450 yuan (RM270). Airport transfer on the way back pula, Didi pickup 8PM, 405 yuan (RM240). Both kereta macam Vellfire, ke memang Vellfire or Alphard entah lah tak skodeng pulak. Sampai terus masuk je haha. Ok, done lah part 1 on transportation dekat Shanghai. Ini paling orang ramai nak tau sebab kita orang tak guna package, pandai-pandai guna kuasa handphone untuk navigate ke sana sini hehe. Till the next entry, harap-harap tak lama sangat lah. :P


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ShilaShower
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New! Clean and Minimal Blog Design

New! Clean and Minimal Blog Design


Hello everyone! It's been a little silent on here but hey, I'm back, this time with a new blog look, clean and minimal. Ok maintain a bit of pastel-rosy shade, to maintain the mommy (or most of the time Mombie) mood and all other kids, travel, food and home and living content. Wanted to make it black, tapi macam serious pulak, tak sesuai dengan personality I hehe.

I really think that I need to start writing again, on this blog, bukan IG or FB, on daily basis (macam dulu but haha so ambitious kan) if not, weekly basis. Need to find the missing part of "old me" sebab being caught up with kids activities, baking, party works and endless housechores, kadang-kadang jadi penat and stress and macam not being my true-self. Let alone nak pergi spa or salon kan. 

This morning, in the midst of Monday morning chaos, Alana boleh datang dekat I and tunjuk dia baru tabur Koko Crunch satu rumah, tadaaaa meri krismes Mummy! Nak marah ke nangis pun taktau la haha.

Then tiba-tiba dapat ilham, jom la revamp blog ni. Like tiba-tiba out of blue kan haha. Padahal tengah banyak kerja sangat-sangat kot, and it's Monday! 

Ok lah. Nanti sambung lagi. Rasanya memang akan rajinlah lepas ni, sebab macam suka je rupa blog yang baru ni hehe.







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ShilaShower
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11 Streets Shopping Madness! TODAY!

11 Streets Shopping Madness! TODAY!




Spent hours browsing the website, checking countless of great offers and flash deals sampai macam ohmaiii banyaknya benda nak beli. But of course, being a mom *Asian pulak* haha mestilah nak stock up barang Alana, mainly formula milk and diapers. Then some household items and grocery.

Macam I, I browse through the brands sale, macam Nestle, Unicharm, sebab senang dah tau barang apa ada bawah brands tu. And senang tengok sebab each brand ada their own offering jugak, contoh Nestle ada 30% cart discount. Banyak ok?


Or in my case, memang lepas compare usual buying price dengan promo yang kadang-kadang ada online, nothing beats today's discounted price on 11 STREET untuk susu formula Alana. RM300 for 5+1 tins. RM60 je ok satu tin? Normal price dok beli RM87 haha sangat lah jimat weyy. Baby fair pun takda offer macam ni. (Don't forget to choose yang ada FREE SHIPPING hehee, kata nak jimat habis-habisan). 

Ni contoh, barang yang memang every month kena stock up, belum lagi barang dapur, home equipments macam cari toaster baru sebab yang lama rosak, new external disk and more. Time ni nak cari benda-benda yang diperlukan, sebab dapat banyak discount.

Tak cool lagi?

Travel items pun ada. Discount yang amat banyak untuk tickets macam Aquaria RM21 OMG, Sunway Lagoon RM70 OMG! and banyak lagi dalam and luar negara. Banyaklah, tak tersenarai, and lebih afdal korang browse sendiri. Kan nak cuti sekolah dah, sesuai la borong tickets theme parks and holiday package sementara tengah murah. Paling murah so far yang I dah compare. 


Ok? Malas nak type 11 Street takpe, nak click je sini 11 STREET SHOPPING MADNESS terus boleh pergi shopping online. Jangan cakap Sis tak share hehehehe. Bab penjimatan mak-mak, mesti share punya. Last but not least, jangan lupa download coupon macam ni. Dah la discount price, then guna coupon dapat discount lagi, kalau dapat free shipping, haaa memang win lah!


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ShilaShower
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Babyshop The Curve

Babyshop The Curve


Babyshop tu nama kedai ok. Yang SANGAT BEST. Babyshop ni kira leading baby store dekat Middle East la, started in Bahrain and lepas tu ke negara-negara lain.

Masa mula-mula kedai ni buka dekat The Curve, macam takda orang masuk pun. Like seriously kosong je, tak crowded pun even during weekend. Then ada hari bila tah I pergi The Curve, tiba-tiba tengok banner "SALE 60%". Ohmaiiii 60%! Dasar suka benda discout kan haha. So I masuk la kedai tu for the first time.

Surprisingly, the original price tags (most of the items) tak mahal punnn. Shirts, pants, prewalker shoes banyak je below RM50. Maybe sebab rupa dia very wow or the brand itself belum famous dekat Malaysia, so orang tak masuk, kot?

The best part is the toy section dekat bahagian belakang kedai. Macam orang tak tengok pun. Padahallll that whole place ada super cool toys at discount! Again, even tak discount still very cheap. Kalau rasa Barbie, Nerf, Hotwheels macam tu mahal, come get something similar to it (in term of design and quallity) dekat sini. Masa I pergi ni tengah 30% sale pulak, apa lagi borong laaaa. For future kononnya haha. Hopefully Alana berminat main doll la, jangan buat hal nak main Marvel toys ke Nerf ke apa pulak.



For mommy to be, this is shop is a must visit ok? Baby blanket comel, baby outfit comel, bedding, bathing items semua comel ok. And again, stroller dia murah. Stroller lawa tapi baru 400+. I dah terpengaruh ngan stroller pink ni, tapi we already have like ermmm 3 strollers at home.


And this is my favourite place now sebab I boleh beli macam-macam accessories dekat Alana, bracelet, hairband, necklace all in toddler size. Biasalah Mummy selalu over hehe.


Nah, gambar for reference. Lepas tu pergi visit sendiri ok kedai dia. Hari tu I tolong few of my IG followers beli dolls from Babyshop ni, sampai nak clear satu rak haha. Datang lagi lepas tu, staff dia dah kenal muka sisthur Shilashower ini hehe. :P
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ShilaShower
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PINKFONG Baby Shark Ice Cream

PINKFONG Baby Shark Ice Cream


"Baby Shark doo doo, doo doo doo doo" this song has been stuck in my head for months! Thanks Alana. You watch the video, Mummy dengan Abang-Abang nak makan PINKFONG Baby Shark ice cream dulu. You baby, cannot eat ice cream hehe.

Yup, you read it right. There's a new yummylicious ice cream in town and it is PINKFONG Baby Shark Ice Cream! Taste like strawberry milk in icy form hehe. Sedap and my kids love it. Every week mesti nak beli from the Uncle jual ice cream depan sekolah Adam & Aiman tu. Kadang-kadang beli dekat Speedmart (cheaper than stated retail price hehe), sometime dekat Petronas or Shell, basically senang jumpa la ice cream ni.




Last month, ada mini concert PINKFONG Baby Sharks dekat One Utama. Kita orang pergi hari Khamis, so crowd tak pack sangat. Still quite a lot of people but bearable, of course la kan it was Pinkfong, Baby Shark and friends, even the parents pun nak tengok sama. Excited Alana, first time tengok Baby Shark mascot right in front of her eyes, ok well so did the rest of us. And the highlight of the event of course masa sing dan dance the Baby Shark song tu la. Now dah ada baby, macam ni la activity kita orang hehe.


Last week baru I explore few PINKFONG's educational games and video apps on Apple Store. Download la satu dua app, untuk spare dalam kereta on the way balik raya kan. This household tiada iPad because Mummy says so haha so apps tu download dalam my phone. Adam dengan Aiman pun, sorang ada satu game je dalam my phone, strict much? Maybe. :P

Mula-mula tu I ingat ok Baby Shark dance on Youtube je, rupanya there's a lot of PINKFONG's educational games and videos apps as well. Not sure if its the catchy music, or the dance, or the characters itself but Alana memang hook habis dengan Baby Shark ni. She gave me this "mehhhh" face everytime I try to switch the video to the one macam "Hush Little Baby" hhahaha, macam so yesterday sangat lagu tu. Its Baby Shark era now. 

Try la download. I guna iphone, so download from App Store la. Kalau phone lain tak sure ehehehe.


Ni balik kampung raya ni, memang sesuai la stock up PINKFONG Baby Shark ice cream dalam fridge. Banyak anak sedara boleh bagi rasa. Harga pun tak mahal. RM1.80 je. Sebab sekarang cuaca panas, having PINKFONG Baby Shark ice cream as a treat to the little guests, memang win lah kan. But I bet, the parents will love it too. Sebab I suka, rasa macam frozenkan susu strawberry. :P

P/S: Dah alang alang korang download new apps from PINKFONG, apa kata korang try dengar lagu baru diaorang. Best tau, catchy gila! Click je link dekat bawah ni.





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ShilaShower
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