Recently I had a chance to spend four days in Shanghai. It was a wonderful experience and I was not at all surprised to see that Shanghai is really a city which is developing itself prosperously and positively.

I was staying in a three-star hotel in which you can see as many foreign visitors as you can in a HK hotel. When I had chances to go shopping in one of busiest shopping streets, I found that things sold in HK can also almost all be found there, except that if you were expecting things to be there cheaper, then you would be absolutely disappointed.

All meals I had were served in Shanghainese style - 8 cold appetizers followed my 8 hot dishes. All were very delicious. One would notice that Shanghai people are not meat-eaters in HK. They tend to serve quite a few vegetarian dishes, except that they are able to think of many different styles of frying them in different sauces like cabbage in black bean sauce, stir fry green beans, various mushrooms fried in oyster sauce, etc. Do ask for more chopsticks and spoons if you want to be more hygienic since it seems that they do not have practice as in HK of using a pair of shared chopsticks for everyone.

They seem to like serving dessert in middle of each meal and a soup would come at end. Tea is not served in same way as in HK. Tea would be served but if you want a refill, you will have to ask for it and so this only can make waitress busy enough.

“A world in one country” is way South Africa is often described, but this statement can so easily be attributed to Cape Town alone.

Cape Town is one of top destinations world-wide for vacations these days and now that South Africa has managed 10 years with relative stability and economic growth, people are rushing to take a look at this magnificent city.

Based in Southern Hemisphere, its summer months are those of December, January and February; winter months, June, July and August. For those of us in Northern Hemisphere, destination for winter warmth is second to none.

What can you expect to see and do?

Mountains and sea dominate landscape and shape Cape Town’s character.

One of first ports of call is Table Mountain, which fills skyline with its impressive edifice and flat-topped surface. Everywhere you go in Cape Town is in shadow of Mountain, whose face changes as sun moves around – it’s something you never get bored of.