What a FRIDAY

Had Teppanyaki at this awesome place, it is hidden so it's a secret place my dear readers, PM me if you really want to know it, hehe. 100 kuai for all you can drink and all you can eat. The food is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!

After Teppanyaki a disco bus took us to this new club MAO, I think I was too shitfaced to check it out in detail. But it has several floors if I remember correct, pink/red lightning. After MAO we went to Bar Rouge (I don't like BR anymore, my statement), so I went home earlier than everyone else.

Today I've been to Carrefour, Freshmart (in the basement of City Plaza) and City shop to find ingredients for my big feast tomorrow. It's my aunt's 60 years old birthday and I'm going to make awesome Western food!!!

Partying the Chinese way

I'm in LOVE!!! With KTV. I have always been quite doubtful too that as I hate singing in front of others, but when we sat there and enjoyed the good all-you-can-eat food while singing cheesy Chinese love songs I really started to like it. I sang Boom Boom Boom Boom with Vengaboys (and they thought I was really good and that I hate a very sweet and cute voice, LOL, not a very hard song to sing hahaha), also American Pie, Mamma mia, Dancing Queen, etc.

I guess everyone just don't care if they sing well or bad, so you really loosen up and sing out real loud.
I looove it, I will have to do it again. It is also amazingly cheap!!! We were singing in Partyworld, one of the most famous KTV chainplaces. We sang for almost 5 hours and had buffet food. We spent 500 RMB, we were 10 girls.

I'm soo tired though. This week I haven't had much sleep at all.

One night in Mint

First time I went to Mint (ladies nights on weds) this time in Shanghai, it was quite good although the music is definitely NOT as good as before. Met a good friend who I haven't seen for 6 months now, I was soooooooo glad to see him. The crowd was ok, a lot of Swedes and French people (as usual)...

Best of the night: See my friends that I haven't seen for a long time!
Worst of the night: My feet were in PAIIIIIIIIN, so I couldn't really dance.
Funny: When I had to rate all the guys in Mint, and I gave a sarcastic 10 to a blond guy with a huge funny perm (I was sure that he wasn't Swedish but it turns out he was, surprise!!!).
Outfit: Zara top, Zara shorts and 100 kuai stilettos (will never ever wear them again)
Warning: This latino girl in XXS tank top which only cover up her breasts, who tries to snog every single guy at the place

Earlier that day I had an audition. We are 5 female bloggers who are competing for a position as a VJ presenting Shanghai through our perspective for one TV show based in Singapore.

I randomly met DASHAN in Bakerzin!!!

My friend M and I had dinner at Bakerzin last night around 6.30 pm in Raffles City Mall. (They have a 30% off on meals now campaign)

So...when we are sitting there I see this tall expat, I thought he looked really nerdy and familiar, but then I gave him a second glance and realized it was DASHAN (chinas most famous expat)!!! You know the nerdy western guy who might speak even better Chinese than my mum. He gives out tons of dictionaries, haoyoutong, doing commercials, etc. etc.

I look at him sometimes during our dinner and get a total of 3 long eye contacts with him!! tadaaa

So M and I get really excited, we want to take a picture of him so I can put it on my blog (top class stuff), so when we see they are paying their bills, we do too. Would be rude to disturb him during dinner.
They walk away, and we follow after...
M needs to go to the bathroom and we saw that they also are going to the bathroom!! But then we saw that they were going for the elevator instead!

So I actually take the gut to walk up to him and say in English, "aren't you dashan?" And he smiles nerdy (he looks a bit like my greek hallfriend back in SWE) and says hi, shakes our hand, but daaaaaaaaamn it, the elevator comes and he gets in and briefly says bye.

When M and I spoke to him very very briefly, his Chinese dinner friends said..oh, their English are pretty good.
I didn't have the time to take a picture

He has brown hair instead of blond (really ugly haircut), like wavy brown hair. he's very tall, and speaks Chinese with Beijing accent (M eavesdropped)

I have no idea why I'm admitting this, but i thought it was quite funny, he must have though we were two groupies who wanted to practice our English......lol

(by the way, Cold Stone in SH sucks compared to the American one)

Two nice dishes

This clementine thing is supposed to be a dessert, they have put sticky rice in it so it gets the Clementine flavor, it's really delicious and healthy, too bad I was so full so I couldn't have much of it.








Shengjian baozi is theeeeee shit!!! Sooo good, this is what I'm longing for everytime I'm not in SH. Xiao Yang Shen's is the best place to have it at, it's a chainstore and one of the store is on Wujiang Road. They are famous for their shengjian baozi.

Get double eyelids NOW!

It was three days ago I came across those tools Chinese girls use so that we can get more beautiful and bigger eyes. I had no clue that these things existed, for an example there are gels and tapes that you can use to create an artificial double eyelid.

During lunch at my work, all of us girls sit together and discuss either Desperate housewives, losing weight, ladyboys or make up. So I told them about this wonderful invention how to make eyes bigger, and they were all so surprised that I didn't know about it. One of them even brought her makeup bag and showed me a type of gel that she used every morning to make my eyes bigger and more beautiful.

So she tried it on me, and what can I say? WOW, 35 kuai a pop!!! I could pay several hundred for that. It really makes my eyes bigger and create a nice double eyelid. I have in my whole life been hearing from Chinese people that I should do eyelid surgery (fcuk em), but now I don't need surgery and can enjoy having double eyelids. Isn't world grand?

Wild weekend

On Friday, M and I went to have the best sushi dinner in Zhongshan Park (7th floor in Cloud 9 shopping mall), the place is called Taiyro Sushi, very very awesome and cheap!!!

Later on we went to this Midsummer Party in Jimix Pateo, felt like we were in Sweden with only Swedes, met A and his friends, had an awesome time, but later we went to Attica where there were sooooooo many Swedes. On out way to Attica we were in a car crash, first traffic accident I've ever experienced, hopefully the last one as well. it was crazy, Why the fcuk dont they have seat belts in the back?????????

On Saturday (what a HOT day), went shopping with I on Nanjing Xi Road Fake market, got home with a pair of pretty cool True Religion jeans for 200!!!

Later, went to H's housewarming party, had a half bottle of vodka (ooooooops), after that to a masquerade party (chav theme), and then at last to Tourist party, but unfortunately I can't remember a thing, if someone saw me there please tell me what I was doing!!!!!!!!!!!!

Going to the SPA with I now, my feet are all black. shiiit, lost my wallet yesterday, that's the consequence when you're a bit too shitfaced.

My grandmum tries to scare me

Every single time I come to China my grandmum tries to scare me so I won't dare to go out.
First time I ever went back to China, I believe I was 6 or 7 years old, my grandmum told me that there were people from the countryside who had some kind of special medicine powder, and if they touched my head I would be in an unconscious state where I listened to everything to what he said and follow him home. This was the way the kidnappers "bang jia" did, how they took kids from Shanghai to sell to some old man in the countryside. I actually believed her and was scared to shiiit. I never dared to walk alone, not even within our lane.
Next time I came here I was 8, she continued telling me about that story and I still believed her but started to not believe it but didn't dared to take the risk and not listen.

From last time I was here, the story about the medicine changed to bad people from the countryside who wanted to rape or steal from me, she said that everytime when I was sitting by the dinner table. She said that during fall/winter is the most dangerous time to be in Shanghai. This time she said that summer is the most dangerous time.

This morning she saw that I'm wearing a pair of silver earrings (like 30kuai from H&M) and said, be aware that those men from the countryside will drag the earrings from you.
I think those stories are hilarious, she really makes an effort to come up with things to scare me so I won't be on SH streets alone too much. She wants to me to go to work, come home from work, eat dinner with the family and go up studying and then at 9 o'clock sleep in bed. EVERYDAY.

shitfaced

I love the word shitfaced, it's extremely funny
I got soooo shitfaced last night!

I went to City Diner after I Love Shanghai, I think it's ok....their fries are awesome but the burger was so so. At the City Diner we met that cute Swedish boy and his friends. SH i sooooo small, I keep seeing people I know on the streets! On my way to work I saw a friend from last year on Tongren Road, on my way home from work in the bus I saw another friend cycling on the street of Huashan Road.

Unpredictable Shanghai

I guess one thing I really like about SH is that it is such an unpredictable city. You never know what is going to happen next. I've learned I should avoid plans while being here.

Tonight is Wednesday (little Saturday as some people call it). One friend is having a birthday party in I Love Shanghai, some friends are going to Zapatas, some friends are going to Mint.

I have no idea whatsoever about this Weekend, I just know that I wont stay indoor!

I heard about Tourist Party which is supposed to be the best party of the year with 14 DJs in one place. I might go to that party?

Since I arrived I haven't shopped much, it feels like I have no clothes at all to wear. There is an awesome Tshirt shop on Shaanxi Bei Road (kind of opposite to Gourmet Cafe/ Papa's Schnitzel House), there they sell Ramones Tshirts for only 89 rmb! Check it out!

Picture is taken from Plaza 66 in my cousin's office Melvery & Myers lawfirm on 39th floor.

Taking chinese courses

I just got a 30 minutes long preaching from my aunt a few days ago.
Basically she told me how important it was for a Chinese girl to understand Chinese.
My aunt from France called me up after hearing that I come home late at night/ early mornings partying with my yang guizi friends and told me that I have to use my time here in China to something important.

My aunt told me I was losing face as I speak broken Chinese while being a Chinese...hmmmm
So from next week I will take 2 hours Chinese classes on Beijing Xi Road 2 times a week.

YAY...
well, I look forward to go and learn Chinese by some professional teacher, but I just dont know if it will improve in just 2 months and I'm afraid that I will forget it once I'm back in Sweden.

One of the best weekends

What a great weekend I had!

On Friday after work I went to Tairyo Teppanyaki (opposite Azul viva) to meet my British friend, his friends from England just arrived that day so we planned to take them to Attica later. The food was soooooooooooo awesome, and I finished 2 jars of sake myself (ooops!!!), later we went to 4live (old Fabrique) some punk band was supposed to play, I happened to pour beer into my bag!!!

Afterwards we took a taxi to Attica, and we didn't get in, because one guy wore shorts and another guy wore sandals. OUCH! After, we decided to go to Park97 instead, I'm sooo happy that we did. There we got free entry AND free drinks because this girls we were hanging out with knew EVERY SINGLE ONE. I have been to park once before but didn't like it but now I love the place!!!

On Saturday I brought my cousin to Castle Oktober to meet a bunch of friends, had my first mojito (mohito?) it was good, but their drinks are too expensive!!! Later, my cousin disappeared while I decided to go to Attica to meet my finnish friend and his swedish friends. I had sooooo much fun there. Attica is always packed on weekends, and full of beautiful people, I like!!

Apparently I danced with South Africa's next president's son, haha (heard it from others, not from him!!!) and also this time I met the funniest Swedish boys, they are such party animals, they go out like 3,4 times a week and told me I would call them if I wanted to get in to places for free, in SH it's good to know people ;)

New Chinese characters

You might know them...(found this in a professional article in our advertising database)

Here are the funniest one!

FRIENDS AND LOVERS:
It's too early for me to think about marriage. I can't understand people who get married at our age. We can still play, but they have to nourish a family, I just can't stand it. Marriage is the most important thing for a girl. Because it is the most beautiful moment for all girls and I want it to be perfect, I need money. No, I never had a one-night stand. But I want to try, I just couldn't find anyone who wants to do it with me.


SPORT:
The winner is king. The loser is slave. If you win, you're alive. You lose, you die.


LOOKS:
I really admire people with a good body. My upper body is great but too fat at my waist, which makes it hard to get slim. Every time I think about my body, I always feel bit sad.


THE WINNER:
I always try to do my best, so that I win a place in a table tennis and basketball competition. I try to earn money. Money is almost everything, if you don't have money, you have nothing.


THE GOOD BOY:
I have responsibility to take care of my future wife. You know, now in Shanghai, marriage needs a lot of money. A terrible amount of money. I have to work hard to make money. I want to be a man with a strong sense of responsibility. But at the same time I don't want to be too good. It is better to have some badness. A bit playboy like. My dream is simple. I want to buy a villa and a good car in the future.


THE PERFORMER:
The entertainment industry has got a bad reputation. But it can give me what I need, such as fans, fame and reputation. One thing that I must do before I die is to live with Jay Zhou for a whole day. A one-night stand with a star is OK, but others aren't.


THE PRINCESS:
The first thing I do when I come back home is to log on QQ. I hope to find my husband on QQ. My dream future is to have a good job and a perfect husband and to live happily together with him.

Quiet Chinese girl

So I went to this dinner with my aunt and her friend and the friend's daughter. She is going to the States doing a master in law. So we were all waiting for her because she had to go all the way from Lujiazui (Pudong) to Zhongshanpark (Puxi).

Well, when she arrived we started eating and she was so...i don't know how to describe it...not really quiet but still quiet. She just seemed rude and uninterested.
Her mum had to tell this girl who is 4 years older than me to ask me about questions about the States in front of me. It was hilarious. Can't she ask by herself without her mum advising her to?
I really tried to start a conversation with her, a good conversation should be like a ping pong match, me asking questions, while the other one also is asking me questions, but this conversation between us it was only me bothering, so annoying. The only questions she asked me was if I get the McDonald's toys at work (because our marketing agency takes care of the design and production of the happy meal toys).

And this girl is going to a foreign country alone, good luck!

Massage places

There are so many people who are searching for the word massage girls in shanghai and then get referred to my blog, so it is probably a very interesting thing about Shanghai. What would Shanghai be without all of its massage parlours?

I love to enjoy massage, especially those super cheap ones at hair salons for 10 kuai. AMAZING!

For those who are looking for something else than just a massage, check out Shanghai Daily for massage ads....even in one ad they wrote WITH HAPPY ENDINGS. (That is just really wrong!!! How can such a professional broadsheet accept that ad to be on?)

My friend once went to a massage parlour (with pink lights) and wanted a foot massage, but they refused to give her one even if she offered above the average price for getting one. So it seems that those massage parlours are earning enough money...

Finally Wednesday!!

Wednesdays in Shanghai rocks!!! Usually go to dinner with a couple of friends and then move on to some club that have Ladies Nights (example Mint or Zapatas (don't like it there though))

I just took a look on the pics I've been taken and I look seriously horrible in them, so I won't put them up here.

Justbeer launch at Sashas this last Sunday was really fun!!! I met so many people, a lot of them from shanghaiexpat.com. I tasted every single Australian beer (Bogar, Crown, Cascade) and I have to say australian beer rock!!! Much better than Swedish and German beer!

So far I haven't really been out clubbing, but today and friday!!!!!!! I'M GOING TO GET WASTED! (ok, maybe not today, but definitely on friday)

First day at my work

Being an intern it is always as easy as it seems to be. You don't really know your proper job description. You don't really dare to ask other people what to do, etc.

That is how I feel now. I have like absolutely nothing to do. I'm supposed to help a girl with her projects on the Special olympics, but she hasn't given me any work so far. Have been sitting here doing nothing in 3 hours, can't wait for lunch. Am going to ask for some work this afternoon, problem is that I have asked before (last year) and there were simply no work for me...

My feet and back hurt :(

Am going to Gourmet Cafe tonight with a friend, heard it is pretty good. I work close to it.
I think I will spend lots of time on Nanjing Xi Road area this time which is good because that is my favourite area.

Pictures will be coming tomorrow!!! Promise!!!

Shopping,party

Yesterday I went to a house party in bundfield club complex, later to Volar by Fuxing Park (really like that club!!! please give me a membership to there so I can go there again) and then to Logo (my friend loves that place and I really wanted to check it out, and it did live up to its reputation).

Today I went to Zhongshan Park metro for some shopping (great place for cheap shopping), bought two tops and a pair of shoes (metallica shoes a la Burberry), everything together cost about 270 rmb!!!! In Sweden, those shoes would have cost at least 500!

You just gotta love Shanghai! Tonight, DKD's anniversary party!! Later who knows? This is SH, you never know where you will end your night at.

PS. I will try to upload some pics when I have time, at the moment I'm just too busy.

Blogspot is once again blocked in Mainland China

grrrrrrrrr

I can still post entries but I can not write comments or look at my blog. Although I can still read your comments because they are sent to my inbox.

Went to Crystal Jade in Xintiandi last night, very very nice!!!
Today I'm going to Nanjing Road to shop with my mother, tonight I'm going to a big house party! :D

Some of my observations: More and more people are average built now in SH, which makes me feel a bit more comfortable. Also, I was walking last night on Huaihai Road and I recognized that there were so many more pretty and stylish girls on the street compared to before! WIll enjoy taking some street fashion pics on my own and post them up here.

I'm finally in SH

YEEEEEEEEEEES! It feels very surreal and real at the same time, very hard to explain.
I thought I lost a lot of money in Heathrow while I was spending my 6 hours there waiting for my next flight, so this guy heard me on the phone with my mum, and he offered me 100kuai!!!!!!!!!!! (Of course I refused to take it), but I
m just so shocked. I think 100 kuai is a LOT! I would never offer someone I saw on the bus 100 kuai. Don't tell me he offered so I would owe him "something", because he was just leaving after the next stop. I think Chinese people have started to believe more and more about karma.

I think Virgin Atlantic is the best airline!!!

Just got home from Crystal Jade in xintiandi, best chinese restaurant!! It was soooo delicious.
My blog is apparently blocked in China just right now :(

Learning Swedish

Everyone in China thinks that we speak English in Sweden, we DON'T!!!!! Swedish is very different from English!!!

Check this youtube clip, it's HILARIOUS, I can't stop laughing, I guess it might be funnier for us who understands Swedish, check and judge for yourself.

SHANGHAI here I come

This will probably be my last blog entry before I leave Sweden. Am soooo busy at the moment. Have a big test on Tuesday in management, need to go to the bank, shopping, lunch with friend, clean my apartment, etc.

<---- I am thiiiiiiiis happy :D

It feels somewhat awkward going back to Shanghai this time, it doesn't feel real for somehow. I don't know why. Maybe because I'm so busy at the moment? I have only been away from Shanghai less than six months and this time I will be more independent because my cousin will always be away from his apartment.

Again, this summer will just include the usual; new friends to make, new people to meet, new challenges to face...(maybe I get bored of it after a week or so?)
Although I really look forward to going back to SH.

Let's just pray I arrive safely and that I have a nice seat partner (please please please don't let me have one that sweats or have bad breath)

Once I am in SH, I will update this blog more often and write about what I have done (a diary almost so my friends in Sweden can read about my stay) also I will explore this city even more and tell you cool places/parties I've been to ;)
So stay tuned!!!

Corridor dinner

They liked my dish and soup!!!!!!!! But the Korean girl ALWAYS make the best dish, she has all kind of native ingredients in her pantry.
I will miss my hall friends who are leaving soon :(
From the picture:
(Spain, Korea, and me)

Going to a food festival today, and do some shopping for friends in SH, I have no time for studying :'(

Packing

I'm so surprised, my suitcase is only about half full!!! I also have a hand luggage carrier thing, and basically it will just include my laptop in there. AWESOME. It means I can shop LOTS of stuff in Shanghai without feeling guilt. Sweden just gave us CSN money (all students in Sweden get around 2500 RMB from the country each month because we are university students, tehee)

It means at the moment I'm riiiiiiiiiiiiiich, hahahahahaha! I want to take my mother to JW Mandarin for Sunday brunch but I'm going to so many other dinners and lunches with people that I won't have time :'( I will probably gain over 5 kg's just in 3 days!!!!!!

The greenish thing you see is a folder full with heavy books and paper because I'm soooo stupid that I didn't pass my Accounting test :'( although the folder will match together with my green tea frappucchino in Starbucks ;)

Also brought some cool graphic napkins...

looooooooooooooose weight

We all want to look fit for SH summer 07.

Now here are my great tips:

I've managed to lose about 4kg in one month even if I'm still eating chocolate, drinking alcohol, eating ben and jerry's icecream, bread, lots of butter, 300 g cashewnuts, whatever, you name it.

Also, I haven't been going to the gym very often, once a week or even less.

So how did I lose the weight? Eat less, put the food on a small plate!!! If you eat 300g cashewnuts on a Monday, skip dinner (you're not even hungry after having that much). On Tuesday you'll probably feel a bit bad that you had so much cashews the day before, so eat less on the whole Tuesday, drink lots of water so you'll get full easier. Also, don't go to bed when you're full (VERY IMPORTANT), if you go to bed rather hungry (not starving of course) you'll have a flat belly in the morning.

Look, I'm still chubby but I feel damn good in my new ZARA dress.

For more of Shopgirl's dieting tips, read here (written over a year ago)

http://siyansblog.blogspot.com/2006/04/losing-weight-tips.html