Corporette.com

Updated: Oct 31, 2018 37 Comments · by

Weekend Open Thread

Weekend Open Thread

This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Splendid Open CardiganSomething on your mind? Chat about it here. Happy New Year's, guys! Santa brought me this cardigan in red, and I love it for kicking around the house. It's machine washable, super thick and warm, and so so soft. It's part of Nordstrom's killer clearance sale (through Jan. 4), with two colors left: black and navy. Hmmn, maybe I need a black one too. It was $98, but is now marked to $58.80. Splendid Open Cardigan (L-3)

Sales of note for 9.10.24

Some of our latest posts here at Corporette…

RSS Error: WP HTTP Error: cURL error 60: Issuer certificate is invalid.

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

About Kat

Kat Griffin is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Corporette. You can read more about her here.

Comments

  1. Circe

    Does anyone have private tour companies for China to recommend? I’ll be in Beijing for a wedding and want to set up some stuff to do/get help with bookings.

    I got the recommendation for Compass India tours from a commenter on this site (sorry, I have forgotten who it was who recommended Compass, but *thank you*), and it was a wonderful time. We told them of our dates and they arranged private drivers, hotels, site visits, internal flights, and tour guides (with no group tours, everything was personalized to us). Absolutely a superior experience and way more cost-effective than I would have thought. Can’t recommend them enough.

    If you have any tips on China and a trustworthy service please let me know. Thank you and Happy New Year!

    • Marie

      While I was studying abroad and then living in China, I arranged a couple trips for me and my visiting father through China Odyssey Tours, specifically through the travel agent Sophie Lu. She was very helpful in setting up hotel reservations and train/air transportation, as well as arranging for private English-speaking local guides in each city. We did one trip through her in Shanghai/Xi’An/Beijing and two years later she set up a really cool trip to Huangshan and the surrounding area. You can reach her directly at sophie at chinaodyssey dot net or just check out their website.

    • Gail the Goldfish

      Apologies for the novel, but I just went this summer (also for a wedding), so I have a lot of suggestions.

      I had basically no time to plan my trip, so we booked a trip through a travel agent, who in turn went through GoWay travel (out of California), who then used a local Chinese travel company, China International Travel Service (CITS). If you are an experienced international traveler (and it sounds like you are), I wouldn’t recommend these guys. They seemed like they deal best with large tour groups of older tourists, not two sub-30 experienced travelers. On the one hand, I had a lot of ideas on our itinerary and they were very flexible with what we wanted and we had private guides for all our tours. On the other hand, even with the private guides, I felt a little rushed on things and they made some changes to the itinerary after we got there that I wasn’t happy with (also, far too many unnecessary unscheduled “demonstrations” of traditional industries–silk, jade, etc-that were really just shopping excursions we neither planned nor wanted. The internet had warned me these were a thing, so I had specifically told the tour company we did not want any when we booked. This was ignored). They also had set meals for lunch, which in theory was fine, except that someone had obviously complained about the food at some point because each meal included a “western” option and a more traditional “chinese” option (that wasn’t that traditional), and the “western” option was always some version of fried chicken. We wanted more authentic options, so that was disappointing.

      If I was doing the trip over, I would book through Tours by Locals, or just find a company who could arrange a driver who speaks English and just get a driver to take me to the sites with set times/places for pick up. I do think you need at least a driver for Beijing because the city is hard to navigate and taxis can be extremely difficult to get (we tried for over an hour to get a cab one night. Our chinese friend later told us there is an app you can use to hail cabs in Beijing where you enter the tip up front, so you’re basically bidding on the cabs. Obviously, we didn’t have that). If you go to Shanghai, I think Shanghai would have been perfectly doable on your own. Shanghai’s subway system is amazing and very easy to navigate if you are at all used to cities/subways.

      As for specific things you must do, go to the Great Wall, and specifically go to the Mutianyu section, not the Badaling section. It’s further from Beijing, but this also means it’s less touristy. There was basically no one there when we went in July. I saw a friend’s pictures who had gone to the Badaling section earlier in the month and it looked like there were so many people that he couldn’t move. My pictures are basically an empty wall. (Also-do lots of cardio before your trip, because those steps at the end are deceptively higher and much harder to climb than they look). If you do go to Shanghai, we took a day trip to Suzhou, which is about an hour by train from Shanghai. It had the one factory/shopping experience I actually wanted-the Silk Embroidery Institute, which, if you have any interest in handicrafts, is amazing because of the level of detail/skill it takes. Suzhou also has nice gardens, so it might be worth a day trip if you have the time. If you do go to Shanghai, I liked our guide in Shanghai and I think he does private tours. I can dig up his email if you’d like it.

      Let me know if you have any questions, or want to see the itinerary I put together for ideas, and I can email it to you. We were there for I think 11 days and did Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, Guangzhou (for our friend’s wedding), and Hong Kong, so we covered a lot of ground in little time.

      • Senior Attorney

        I haven’t been to Beijing, but I can give a big +1 for Tours by Locals. I’ve used them in Vietnam and Japan and been very very pleased.

    • Former Partner, Now In-House

      If you go to Shanghai, please consider taking this not-quite-one-full-day tour of the Jewish history of Shanghai. It is given by Dvir Bar-Gal, an Israeli journalist who has researched and lived in China for years. You can take the tour in English, Hebrew or Chinese, and it is one of the best researched and best presented tours I have taken anywhere in the world.

      We knew about the history of Jews escaping Europe in the 30s and 40s (and it was striking to walk through the tenements where they waited out the war and see the space on each doorpost where they had hung their mezuzahs, which you can still see because the doorposts haven’t been painted since!). But we didn’t know about the history of the Iraqi Jews from the late 1800s who basically built the Bund or the Russian Jews from the turn of the (last) century who escaped the pogroms by coming to China.

      Highly recommend.

      http://www.shanghai-jews.com/

      • Trixie

        I didn’t take that specific tour, but covered the area myself and did pretty well. BUT… If you don’t have time to do a lot of research (I did and had a pretty good grounding in the General Jewish history before I even got to the specific merchants, timeline,etc), do whatever you can to see it with this guide. It’s a wonderful experience according to friends.

    • Trixie

      ( I did comment a bit earlier about Shanghai, but thinking a bit more)….Before I offer any other info, a couple of questions: how long do you have, how much do you want to spend, and what kind of traveler are you are the questions you need to ask yourself before you start planning any tours. It’s a big country, so give yourself 2 weeks if you want to visit 5 cities and actually see something. (my first trip I went to Beijing, Xian (I can offer a the email of a good guide, if you’re interested), Nanjing, Suzhou and Shanghai…and flew in and out of Hong Kong because I was working as a journalist and wasn’t able to get a visa from the Chinese gov’t until just before my trip. Even though I was going over as a tourist, not working at all. China can be picky, so apply early (multi year visas are again available, so no reason to get a single visit one). Have your friends write a letter explaining that you’re coming over for the wedding and to be a tourist…include the dates of the wedding and when you plan to fly over and back in the letter and also where else you’ll be visiting. And make some hotel reservations, too. But don’t book a nonrefundable airline ticket until that visa is in hand. And also, as helpful as we all are, I’d also visit travel websites for travel advice. I used to be on the road 100K miles a year at least and am a million miler plus, but still turn to Flyertalk for advice on general travel stuff (they do have a china forum and you’ll find some guides listed there) and the fodors boards used to be good for trip planning info (don’t know if they still are). Trains are fine for short distances (as in Nanjing to Suzhou to Shanghai), but long distance travel is harder than you might think. Not like 3rd class trains in India, but the language barrier makes things difficult…I had no problems navigating Shanghai alone, but found myself the subject of curiosity as I wandered around Nanjing on my own (people wanted to touch my curly hair and have their photo taken with me). So…let me know how long you plan to be there and what type of things you’re interested in seeing. That will make it easier to give advice. Though I will suggest giving yourself a few days in Hong Kong on the way over or back…and perhaps landing in Beijing and leaving from Shanghai, if you can.

      • Gail the Goldfish

        On the visa, I don’t think they’re as picky as they used to be (though I imagine certain professions do slow down applications–like journalist), but you’ll need either an invitation letter or a copy of a round-trip plane ticket and hotel reservations. We went with the plane ticket/hotel reservation route rather than the invitation letter figuring it would be easier, which I think it was. Just make sure you follow all the instructions carefully (like the forms have to be typed). They also just started issuing visas that are good for 10 years, which are the same price as the others, so definitely get that (I annoyingly missed that by a few months, and their visas are pricey).

        • Trixie

          I second the bit about following all directions and instructions to the letter—- there is no “gray” when dealing with the Chinese government. If they say black ink, don’t use blue. If they say send a money order and not a check, do that. As for loosening up, some weeks they are, some weeks they’re more restrictive. You never know.

  3. LilyB86

    My assistant is going to have her first baby any day now. I’d like to send her a gift for the baby in the $100 range. I know the baby’s first name already (and it’s a boy). I’ve never gotten a baby gift before except things off a shower registry… ideas? I’d like it to be fairly personal.

    • jc

      Red Envelope has a personalized baby name book that I always give to new parents and I’ve had only great feedback about it. It’s about $30 so you’ll have to throw in a few other things too – maybe a height chart from Etsy?

    • Ellen

      Yay! Weekend Open Thread’s! I LOVE Weekend Open Thread’s! Re the OP, you could try ETSY like I did when I bought Margie and the Manageing Partner stuff for their new baby! YAY!!!! They were VERY happy with my selection and I did it all on line while workeing! Here’s the link to start at:

      https://www.etsy.com/search?q=baby&utm_source=google&utm_medium=sem&utm_geo=US&utm_term=+etsy%2B+baby&utm_campaign=Google|Etsy|Children|BMM&utm_ag=Baby|General

      Anyway, I have been at work ALL by myself since 9:30 this morning and have had virtueally NO work to do. So I opened up my files and was onley able to bill 15 hour’s to 5 cleint’s today on my existing cases. The manageing partner want’s me to woo some new cleint’s but I can NOT do that when he is not here b/c they know him and onley know me from when we went out to lunch at the Lamb’s Club. Beside’s, I got some celary stuck in my teeth and no one told me until later, and by then I am sure they were laugheing at me for haveing food in my teeth. But as a partner, it is my duty to bill and garner new cleint’s, and effective yesterday, I am the co-chair of our WC departement! YAY!!!!

      I ordered a nice new set of dishes from Bloomie’s today. Thank’s to Wildkitten for giveing me the encouragment to buy them even tho I am NOT married and do NOT have any prospect’s. Rosa also said I should not wait for my bridal shower for that stuff b/c many peeople do NOT care what I want. So I told Dad that I realy need this to be abel to cook at eat more stuff @ home, and he was fine with it. He also reopened my monthley charge account now that it is January. We had to wait until TODAY b/c yesterday was a bank holiday. YAY!!!

      I am very happy that 2015 is here and this will be my year according to this woman downstair’s who has given me busness and personal advise from time to time. She does NOT charge me b/c I bring her stuff from Crumbs all the time, so it’s kind of like a barter system. I buy alot of stuff from Crumb’s and do NOT eat it b/c of my tuchus, but still get the thrill of giveing it to someone who does NOT care about her tuchus. I supose when I am over 65, my tuchus will not be a priority, but for now, Dad has put it on the top of his list. So it is on the top of my list. With a svelte body and a small tuchus, I should be abel to get married this year, she says. I realy hope she is right b/c I have walked so much that my tuchus is a lot trimmer. I hope men will be abel to see this when the weather get’s warmer and they can see my tuchus. YAY!!!!

      • 3L Columbia Law

        Ellen, you’re great! Don’t worry about your tuchis. The guys in law are wimps. Get yourself a banker with bucks. Even a bald one is OK if he’s got a bank account. And try to stand up a bit more to daddy even though he controls your bank account. The old guy next door could be good for some good times and an outrageously expensive trip to Tahiti, but sex will be in the cards–of every flavor, so if he’s not interesting, best to look elsewhere. Happy new year!

      • GoldMedallion

        Hi Ellen – first of all, do not worry about your tuchus. Your tuchus is probably just fine, suits your needs, fills out a skirt nicely, and is comfortable to sit upon.

        There is no reason why you should deny yourself certain items b/c you’re not married. I just got married at the ripe olde age of 39, and when I hit 35 (and at the time was living off a severance after the market crash and had lost my job and boyfriend in the same week), I realized I had subconsciously delayed certain things b/c I was waiting for that “IT” to happen. Well, you know what? Good sheets are AWESOME. Good cookware is a joy to use. Good dishes are fun to use, and great for throwing parties when you can show off your culinary skills to your friends. When I found a new job, I decided to treat myself to certain things and not wait for “society” to tell me it’s okay to buy them for myself. My recommendation is to get a few excellent pieces of cookware, one or two very good knives, and a few great cookbooks/recipe sites to get comfortable unleashing your domestic goddess. So when Prince Charming reveals himself to be worth of your affection, you’ll have a few more things to bring to the table – literally – and you’ll enjoy the confidence that comes from making something that you might have thought was out of your reach. You want a KitchenAid Mixer? Get it. Good champagne goblets? Do it. Happy New Year and hoping that 2015 brings you wonderful stuff and wonderful people. :)

    • marketingchic

      Both of my kids have “lovies” (stuffed animal head, soft blanket body) embroidered with their names. They’ve slept with them for years. You could send something like that along with a gift card.

      • OCAssociate

        +1 My son was given a Royal Nursery “flatso” bunny, personalized with his name and birthday. He’s 3 now and still loves it. It’s less than $20, but Royal Baby/Royal Nursery also has amazing blankets – they’re called Little Giraffe. I’m still wishing for one for my newest baby.

    • Watermelon

      A couple of ideas
      -Really nice sleep sacks, like Baby DeeDee or, if you’re somewhere where homes may be chilly, Slumbersack (not as nice to use as DeeDee, but they make warmer ones).
      -meal delivery

      • Anon

        +1 for meal delivery. We have a local service that will pick up meals from nicer restaurants and I got a colleague a gift card and it went over really well.

  4. Jen

    I was also about to recommend something from Red Envelope but they have an ominous alert on the homepage that they are no longer taking orders . . . .

  5. Gail the Goldfish

    I added an edit about a visa service, but it told me it was marked as spam, so I’m not sure it went through? Anyway, we used China Visa Service Center, which has a slightly sketchy looking webs!te but was actually legit, quick and efficient, and cheap.

    • Gail the Goldfish

      That was for Circe. It seems like my entire comment has disappeared. Circe, I wrote you a long comment, if it doesn’t show up in a couple of hours, I’ll post it again.

  6. AttiredAttorney

    Wardrobing advice needed! I have a “black tie optional” work event coming up. It’s on a weeknight at a large convention center (so not a fancy hotel), and my date will be wearing a dark suit, not a tux. However, most of the women I know who are also attending are wearing long dresses. Would I be totally out of place in a deep purple, lace cocktail dress (link to similar below)?

  7. cbackson

    Anybody been to Oman and have thoughts about whether it’s safe for a solo female traveler? And/or tour operators to recommend? I’m fairly intrepid – in fact, Oman is probably more developed than many places I’ve been – but most of my developing-country travel has been in places where I spoke the language, and I don’t have any language skills (or cultural competency, generally) in the Gulf.

    • CDA

      I think it depends where, exactly, in Oman you are intending to go. In my experience, provided you obtain minimal cultural competency before you go (a must for any destination, not just the Middle East), you will do fine in Muscat and resort areas on your own. Hotels/restaurants/sites will have someone that speaks enough English to conduct any transaction you wish. If you intend to branch out beyond those locations, however, the language barrier will really come into play and English speakers and clear signage will be much more rare. If you choose to go the tour route, that will alleviate any concerns.
      Moving beyond language, I have not felt unsafe in Oman. That said, I have occasionally felt out of place (many areas have a much higher proportion of men than women so you will naturally “stick out”) and I have often felt very confused (there is usually no explanation given for why certain paperwork or delays are necessary or the hours change on something without warning). If you are willing to exercise basic street smarts and go with the flow on stuff like that, Oman is a beautiful – absolutely beautiful! – place to visit.

Back to Top

About

Work with Corporette®

Serious Stuff

work fashion blog press mentions