Two nights in Shanghai

This weekend was fairly busy, and I'm finally getting round to writing an update about it. On thursday and friday night Seigo and Jono were in Shanghai on their massive world tour from Moscow to Thailand. Thursday, being a work night, we went out for a respectable meal at a restaurent in town and tried to order food from the confused waitress in rubbish phrasebook Chinese (she didn't seem to understand any of the CHinese I'd learn over the past three weeks - or perhaps didn't want to tell me where she lived!). The meal was very interesting, a little boiling pot of broth which you put bits of meatinto to cook. No rice, no veg, no fuss, and some really nice sauces.


Friday night we'd heard about a club called bonbons that we were keen to check out. Entrance was RMB 120 (about £8), but once inside it was an open bar. This drew our attention pretty sharply, and after another pointy meal at a nearby joint we headed straight over.

The setup in the club was amazing. Once inside you swapped your ticket for a drink, then when you want another you swap your empty bottle or glass for the new one, saving them hassle with table cleaners! We got chatting to a Chinese guy who had had the forsight to make a reservation (for which you need a group of 10) and who had a table reserved in a quiet area. We joined them and played a few hours of entertaining drinking games, had a dance and chatted to some other people. Jono took lots of photos so in a few weeks I'm sure they'll be in my possession.

We left at about 4 and struggled to a nearby bar, but that was a bit quiet as well. We had to fight our way through crouds of child beggars and prostitutes (and also those cyncal flower sellers who approach couples and emotionally blackmail the man to buy a flower) to escape to the nearest taxis and get away.

Saturday day was mostly sleeping - I pity Jono and Sog who had to get a 12 o'clock ferry to head off to Japan. However, I'd arranged to go out with one of the expat lads from last week (Bonbons again), and another guy he'd befriended at the pub, plus a couple of girls we'd met later at a salsa bar. I invited the guy we'd met on Friday and all of the sudden we had a party! It started to rain as soon as I got off the underground, but Chinese are the true capitalists, within moments there were entrepreneurs selling umbrellas for 20 kwai. Again it was really good, the DJ had lots of competitions (trying to find the most beautiful woman in the club or something...) and we danced until very early in the morning.

After two all night bonanzas, Sunday was very relaxed. Me and a housemate had dinner at the local restaurent. It had about space for three tables and was basically in the middle of a maze field, but the food was very satisfying and inexpensive.