Travel Guide - ThePointsOfLife

Yang’s Dumpling Shanghai: Still #1

thepointsoflife

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July 1, 2016

This is a Food Review of Yang’s Dumpling which is part of the Tahiti Triumph Trip Report. It covers the following cities:

See the Picture Preview here and see how this $60,000 trip cost $1999 here. Be sure to check out TPOL’s Map, the best feature of the blog.

Location: Yang’s is located in the walking street off of Nanjing Xi Lu. The address is 269 Wujiang Rd, Jing’an, Shanghai, China

Yang has come up. He used to live in a shack on West Nanjing Road on the second floor. Like everything in Shanghai, Yang has modernized. It’s sort of a shame because the old restaurant used to have a long line, nowhere to sit, and an illegible menu. Back then a menu was not needed since patrons would just signal with their fingers how many dumplings they required. The good news about Yang’s Dumpling is that the quality has not gone down. That is a relief since there it has become increasingly difficult to find street restaurants that make sheng jian bao (pan-fried dumplings). Indeed Nanjing Xi Lu used to be full of mom and pop dumpling joints. Now, it’s been overrun by high-rise buildings and Krispy Kremes. That is very sad. If you’re confused on how to eat xiao long bao or sheng jian bao, consult this guide in preparation for an orgasmic experience.

Twelve at Hengshan Shanghai: The Best Breakfast in the World

thepointsoflife

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June 30, 2016

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Twelve at Hengshan Shanghai: The Best Breakfast in the World

This is the Twelve Hengshan Hotel Review which is part of the Tahiti Triumph Trip Report. It covers the following cities:

See the Picture Preview here and see how this $60,000 trip cost $1999 here. Be sure to check out TPOL’s Map, the best feature of the blog.

Getting There: Take the Maglev and then Uber from there.

Shanghai is my favorite city in the world. It also is home to some of the best hotels in the world. One of my new favorite hotels is Twelve at Hengshan which is part of the SPG Luxury Collection. It’s located in the French Concession right next to the metro station. I could spend hours wandering the neighborhood around the hotel with no certain destination in mind.

2016-05-02 17.17.58 — Twelve at Hengshan

The Hotel This hotel is special because it is small and intimate. While bigger hotels like the Park Hyatt Shanghai may dominate the skyline, Twelve at Hengshan is noteworthy because of its unassuming luxury. From the lobby to the courtyard, the hotel is remarkable in its simplicity.

The Room I loved the room. Crazy, noisy Shanghai was right outside my door but I would never know it from the tranquility of the room.

The Bathroom A bathtub, a piping hot shower, and soft robes are a prerequisite for a great bathroom at a luxury hotel. Twelve at Hengshan had all three along with a heated toilet.

The Breakfast This hotel has the best breakfast in the world. I will qualify this statement by saying that Shanghai dumplings are one of my favorite foods. They are best prepared in the street and are usually a disappointment in upscale restaurants. Besides the dumplings, the breakfast included Chinese soup which also tastes best when served in a styrofoam bowl and costs next to nothing. That’s why I was surprised that both tasted authentic. After loading up on the Chinese treats, I also had an omelette along with the usuals. For dessert, there was amazing ice cream. Before heading off to explore more of the city, I went out on the beautiful patio to observe a rarity in Shanghai, a crystal blue sky. While sipping on a bold espresso, the head chef approached me to ask me about the breakfast. I’m guessing he had noticed that I had tried everything on the menu and was curious what I thought. I gave him my feedback and remarked at how great the dumplings were. He said that his goal for the breakfast was to combine the best of Shanghai’s street food with top quality ingredients. Clearly, his vision had become a reality.

a table with plates of food and drinks — Our table

Overall If I could live at this hotel and have breakfast here every day, I would be a happy man. The location can’t be beat and the small size makes it more like a cozy apartment than an impersonal business hotel.

JetBlue Not Honoring the Deal?

The Deal Ticker

thepointsoflife

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June 30, 2016

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Earlier I had written a couple of posts where I had weighed the value of converting SPG points to Virgin to take advantage of the JetBlue promo. Now, according to Dan’s Deals, the discussion is moot as they appear not to be honoring the deal. The lesson I learned from today was to fully research the terms and conditions of all programs involved well in advance and take advantage of such offers before a company changes its promotion. My analysis of whether it was a good deal or a bad deal was too incomplete both for me to write a useful post and for me to pull the trigger. From now on, I’ll sit out on both unless I have all the information needed to make a meaningful assessment. One thing I did learn was that Virgin Atlantic has a terrible award chart compared to Virgin America. It’s 80k RT on Virgin Atlantic to London from the US versus 35k on Virgin America.

Virgin's Salt & Peppa — Virgin’s Salt & Peppa

China 144-hour Visa-Free Transit: It Worked the 1st Time

thepointsoflife

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June 28, 2016

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China 144-hour Visa-Free Transit: It Worked the 1st Time

This post is part of the Tahiti Triumph Trip Report. It covers the following cities:

See the Picture Preview here and see how this $60,000 trip cost $1999 here.

Little did I know of the trouble that I would encounter at the Shanghai airport weeks later when I tried to return and utilize the China 144-hour Visa-Free Transit for the second time. (full breakdown of rules here and me not reading my own post here) This time around I managed to get it right which is why I’m writing a post to show how easy it is when it does work. Since I was coming from Dubai to Shanghai and leaving from Shanghai (the flight has to come and go directly to/from Shanghai) to a different country than the UAE (New Zealand), I could enter Shanghai for 144 hours without a visa. It’s that simple. The only hold up at the immigration counter was because I didn’t have a printed copy of my itinerary and the guy couldn’t figure out how to photocopy my Blackberry screen. Note: TPOL recommends getting the 10 year visa regardless if this mechanism works for you. It’s just not worth the stress and uncertainty if plans change.

Look mom, I'm in Shanghai (legally) — Look mom, I’m in Shanghai (legally)

Emirates First Class to Shanghai: Don’t Stop the Party

thepointsoflife

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June 28, 2016

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Emirates First Class to Shanghai: Don’t Stop the Party

This is the Emirates First Class Review of DXB-PVG which is part of the Tahiti Triumph Trip Report. It covers the following cities:

See the Picture Preview here and see how this $60,000 trip cost $1999 here.

Does anyone want to see the same photos that I just posted on my flight from JFK to DXB? I thought not. Instead, I’ll focus on what made this flight unique. For starters, I had the caviar and the mezze and some cham… Okay, so maybe it won’t be that different but I have to post it to keep the Tahiti Triumph storybook going. I’ll yield to pictures to tell the story. There was no music video this time and I even skipped the shower experience.

emirates first class dxb pvg flight review — Panda, Panda Panda, Panda, Panda, Panda, Panda

2016-05-02 02.51.04 — Predicting the Brexit

2016-05-02 04.26.29 — Caviar in better lighting

2016-05-02 04.52.59 — How could I eat after that lounge you may be asking

2016-05-02 07.25.56 — Espresso martini and legit dessert

emirates first class a380 dxb pvg flight review — Bloody Mary and breakfast

So long Emirates! We had a good time. Perhaps I will parlay my Arab roots to make enough money to fly first again. Perhaps I’ll just churn more.

Emirates First Class Lounge Dubai: Yum, Yum

thepointsoflife

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June 28, 2016

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Emirates First Class Lounge Dubai: Yum, Yum

This is the Emirates First Class Lounge Dubai Review which is part of the Tahiti Triumph Trip Report. It covers the following cities:

See the Picture Preview here and see how this $60,000 trip cost $1999 here.

I’ve been reading about the Emirates First Class Lounge in Dubai for quite some time. Last time I took this flight I did not have a long layover so I ended up in the smaller lounge. This time I made sure to get there well in advance of my departure time and am very happy that I did. Those of you who know me already are aware of my nickname, The Fat Guy in the Lounge. I’m a buffet restaurant’s worst nightmare because I bite off more and continue to chew. (see Burger Contest 1, see Burger Contest 2, see Hot Dog Contest, see Fat Guy in the Lounge: Tahiti Edition) The Emirates Lounge was no exception. I went through the buffet, ordered off the menu, and ordered some more. Overall, the food was great but it could not compete with SQ VIP Lounge in Changi Airport. I spent the rest of the time in the lounge in my fat man’s coma, ready to board for another first class Emirates experience to Shanghai.

2016-05-01 22.49.48 — 11PM at the empty lounge

2016-05-01 22.50.06 — A terminal of places to sit

2016-05-01 22.50.25 — A rose for my rose

2016-05-01 23.37.11 — Retaining my fat man title

2016-05-01 23.49.26 — Some cigs, champagne, and zzz before Shanghai

Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah: Pass On It

thepointsoflife

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June 28, 2016

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Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah: Pass On It

This is the Waldorf Astoria Palm Jumeirah Dubai Hotel Review which is part of the Tahiti Triumph Trip Report. It covers the following cities:

See the Picture Preview here and see how this $60,000 trip cost $1999 here.

Getting There: It’s about 45 minutes from the airport. I took a taxi and it cost me $35 while an Uber on the way back was $30.

Going to Dubai is like a scene of out of Coming to America: Taxi: Do you want to go to Queens? Rich fellows should be in Manhattan. Stay at the Waldorf or the Palace. Me: Take us to the most common part. Taxi: That’s easy. If there’s one thing Queens got a lot of, it’s common parts. Only in Dubai the common parts are gaudy luxury and stupid man-made islands that serve no purpose. After an interminable journey, we finally arrived at the Waldorf Astoria Dubai which sits isolated at the very end of the Palm Jumeirah. I’ll be the first to admit that I made a mistake booking this hotel for the less than one day layover we had in Dubai. If you’re in Dubai for a short period of time, it makes more sense to stay in the city center so you can go see more of the absurdities of this desert playground for the wealthy. At the same time, there was nothing impressive about this hotel. It can’t be that old but somehow it looked dated. Unlike the Waldorf Shanghai or the Waldorf Chicago, this hotel had no charm. It felt like an impersonal JW Marriott. The Hotel Itself It’s not that the inside isn’t nice, it’s just that I wasn’t impressed. The words ‘too much’ comes to mind.

2016-05-01 02.28.33 — Obviously, this is nice

2016-05-01 02.32.23 — But it’s more of the same

The Pool

The Beach The beach was a joke. I get that’s it man-made but why make it at all if it’s going to be so crammed.

2016-05-01 04.06.35 — My home on an another man-made island

The Breakfast I’ll continue my rant about Dubai by blasting the Waldorf’s breakfast. I understand that I’m in a Western hotel but why not have some Arabic choices in the buffet? At Le Meridien Pyramids, there was a great combination of Middle Eastern and Western cuisine. Countries like the UAE and Qatar have become so fixated on being ‘the biggest this’ that they have forgotten their identities. It wasn’t long ago that pearls were Dubai’s principal source of revenue.

2016-05-01 11.03.30 — Sunny-side up, how authentic

The Room The negativity ends here. The room was beautiful.

The Bathroom

The Extras

2016-05-01 11.19.54 — I’ll never get the 2 decaf pods

Waldorf Astoria Palm Jumeirah Dubai Hotel Review: — Waldorf Dubai

Overall This is another Dubai inspired hotel for tourists. There’s nothing to see or do here.

Emirates Shower Class JFK-DXB: One More Time

thepointsoflife

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June 28, 2016

4

Emirates Shower Class JFK-DXB: One More Time

This is the Emirates First Class JFK to DXB Flight Review which is part of the Tahiti Triumph Trip Report. It covers the following cities:

See the Picture Preview here and see how this $60,000 trip cost $1999 here.

One more time We’re gonna celebrate Oh yeah, all right Don’t stop the dancing

What else can go through your head as you board a first class flight on an Emirates A380? After the customary greetings and the initial glass of champagne, I settled into my seat and heard the announcement: the flight would be delayed due to an electrical issue at JFK. The good news was that adventure had yet to begin and I was already in heaven despite being on the ground. The bad news was that the Dom could not be opened until we were up in the air. The purser, Daniel from Ghana, came by in the interim to introduce himself and, as he would throughout the flight, make sure that we would want for nothing.

The Plane

The A380 is a beautiful plane. It looks sweet and innocent from the outside but she truly is the queen of the sky. I couldn’t help but take photo after photo to pay tribute to her one-of-a-kind looks.

2016-04-30 11.24.59 — The beautiful A380

2016-04-30 11.24.17 — Then there’s Sun Country to Cancun

2016-04-30 11.21.50 — One more for my dear

The Cabin

Perhaps if you fly Emirates Shower Class all of the time you could be come desensitized to its opulence. I know I took the exact same pictures before but could not help take them again.

It's Gold Jerry! Gold! — It’s Gold Jerry! Gold!

2016-04-30 11.59.06 — Then moved to the adjoining suite

2016-04-30 12.02.22 — Best way for 2 to travel next to SQ double bed

The Drinks Life should be in French. Champagne and cognac should be the only drinks consumed apart from Evian water. On Emirates, neither stop flowing.

2016-04-30 13.01.37 — Today’s Flight…will not be long enough

The Bar

Last time I flew Emirates, I didn’t even head back to the border of business class and first class to check out the bar. I was having too much fun. Vanity is the only reason I did so this time i.e., I wanted a photo as the bartender.

Before we headed there, Daniel cautioned us that they did not have Dom at the bar. Moments later he returned with a full bottle to take back with us. What a guy!

2016-04-30 15.24.33 — Rough going in business class

While trying to capture the perfect shot, I was told by the flight attendants that the captain had turned on the fasten seat-belt sign and was not amused by our bar antics. There’s a camera of the bar area that the captain monitors from the cockpit to make sure that no one gets out of line.

Seated with a full bottle of Dom and two glasses, I carefully popped the cork. I blame the elevation for the mess that I caused which explains this classy photo.

I can't take you anywhere TPOL. — I can’t take you anywhere TPOL.

The Drinks

Looking at the menu, I noticed Johnnie Walker Blue Label. I always order Blue Label where available because I would not buy it otherwise. After a couple Johnnies, I realized that I actually do not like Scotch no matter what color it is. I skimmed the menu to find my favorite drink, cognac also available. But this was not just a high-end XO cognac, this was Hennessy Paradis, a bottle that sells for $800. Now we’re talking.

2016-04-30 21.08.57 — Look familiar? It’s TPOL’s logo: Living Doesn’t Have to Suck Indeed

The Food

Emirates has great food. The highlights are the caviar and the mezze. The main courses, though tasty, are not as good as Etihad where my private chef, Alex made some memorable entrees and desserts.

2016-04-30 19.51.09 — Steak which was actually tender

The Entertainment

The ICE system makes it impossible to get to sleep. There is an infinite selection of movies, TV shows, and music.

2016-04-30 12.38.30 — I want those 11 hours and 41 minutes back

For the TV show, I went with the obvious.

For music, I made a well-received A380 Silent Disco Video.

2016-04-30 22.31.06 — Boom! Shake the Room

The Seat & The Bed

The suite is very comfortable. It’s not as big as Singapore Airlines but the coziness factor makes you feel like you are in your own fort.

2016-04-30 21.27.29 — Hey, Timon, ever wonder what those sparkly dots are up there?

2016-04-30 15.37.44 — What more is there?

The Amenities

The smelling salts remind me of another episode of Sunny. You snort one to become alert and another to get some rest.

I love the Bvlgari cologne. It’s TPOL’s scent of choice when he’s on the road.

The Shower

What’s a flight without a shower? It’s a Delta flight. Channeling my inner Jennifer Aniston, I took my waterproof Samsung S7 Edge to the shower, threw on some Kanye, and made another hit.

2016-04-30 11.39.47 — How many times has this photo been posted?

2016-04-30 11.42.14 — One more for the toilet

2016-04-30 22.56.50 — 5 minutes of hot water means you have to be judicious

2016-04-30 22.56.56 — No idea what these pictures mean

The End Where did the time go? It seemed like so long ago that I found availability from JFK-DXB for $19 and 100k Alaska miles. Now we were making our decent to Dubai and the anxiety of leaving the plane was starting to set in. That only lasted for a moment as I realized I was going to do the whole thing over again in a few hours when I went DXB-PVG.

2016-05-01 00.04.25 — Good Feeling! Good Feeling!

One more time We’re gonna celebrate Oh yeah, all right Don’t stop the dancing

One more time…

Citi ThankYou Points Disappear

thepointsoflife

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June 27, 2016

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Another points disappearing act thanks to Citi ThankYou happened over the weekend. I had closed a Prestige only to reopen it and was assured that my points were safe. On my points dashboard it did not show that the points were in danger of expiring.

Well true to Citi’s word, the points are gone and Citi’s computers have been down all weekend. (That’s another enigma in itself.) I don’t understand why Citi has different ThankYou points depending on the account. There’s one for the ThankYou card, one for the Prestige, one for the CitiGold, and probably a different kind for my downgraded ThankYou card. The final one may or may not transfer to airlines depending on who I talk to.

What’s the reason for this nonsense apart from confusing consumers and forcing them to pay annual fees to preserve the points. Sure I could transfer them and not worry about it but the risk of deval or expiring points (think SQ) make that an unattractive option.

Short of consolidating the points program like Chase and Amex do, I see no other solution for this madness. It’s not me, it’s you Citi.

If they transferred to Eq I'd send them all there! — If they transferred to EK I’d send them all there!

TPOL’s Travel Guide Coloring Book

The Deal Ticker

thepointsoflife

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June 26, 2016

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I hope you are enjoying TPOL’s revamped website. As I said, there’s still plenty of revisions to be made but so far so good. Today I added my favorite feature thus far, an interactive map that does more than show where in the world I’ve been. Readers can click on the country for all the posts relevant for that country. Readers can also click on specific cities within a country for even more insight. I believe that a blog must be accessible and that a reader shouldn’t have to hit the search button every time he or she wants to find something. Hopefully this map streamlines that process. Worst case, it’s pretty to look at depending on your classification of what is or is not beautiful. The Map can be found in the main menu bar and right below. I should point out that the coloring is complete but the links, the most critical part are not.