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May-May's Diary
Entry for April 24, 1998
Change is in the air, boys and girls. I can feel it. The nightlife scene in Shanghai, which I watch and report to you on nearly everyday, is never quiet and stable. But the pulse of the city is speeding up, slowing down, shifting faster than ever. Sounds scary!!! As you know, I act occasionally as a consultant on nightlife venues here in Shanghai, so this is very relevant for me. Here's my feeling about how things are developing:
There is a much greater sense of competition in the bar and restaurant business in Shanghai now than last year. The poor managers and owners have to work much harder to make money and to attract patrons. There's so much more choice now!!! Some places are very successful, some not so. Location doesn't seem to be a hugely important factor. The two things that seem to matter are: what is your concept and what kind of customer are you trying to attract?
The stronger and clearer the concept the better. And with customers -- my recent observations lead me to think that the more local the better if you're interested in na long-term business. Foreigners are all very well -- they know how to party and drink and they spend money. But they are here today and gone tomorrow. I can think of a couple of places that were doing well a couple of years ago that are now quite quiet. Their regular customers have left, and the new crop of foreigners have moved on to other places. But Shanghai people are here and they're not going anywhere!!
I popped my head into Mars on Changshou Lu last night. Very unusual. It's a Chinese restaurant with live jazz music, not what I expected at all!!
I had a chocolate mousse at Le Rendezvous restaurant in Judy Too the other day, and it set me thinking on a favorite theme of mine -- WHY is it that chocolate is so .... sensual??!! It affects different people differently I suppose, but I know of no other substance which can make so many people so consistently enthusiastic. I sat in Le Rendezvous and the mousse tasted just so ... well, it was a moving experience, let me put it that way. It may be the best chocolate mousse in Shanghai, come to think of it. You remember I was talking last week about useful pickup lines in bars? Well guys, chocolate is the other approach to take. One whiff and I am no longer responsible for my actions!!!!
Byeeeee!!!
Entry for April 22, 1998
Where are the two hottest places in Shanghai to go late late late at night during the week? Boys and girls, my votes go to MGM on Shaanxi Lu, just south of the Huaihai Lu intersection and the Base Bar on Changle Lu! The best guage of a bar's succes is always the number of taxis lined up outside and these two have lots.
I have been past the MGM bar, also known as Casablanca's, many times, but had never been in before tonight. It was late -- already after 1 a.m. -- but the place was full. It's an interesting design, with a small disco, a circular bar and the cutest two-seat stalls half way up the wall!! The music is good and the sound system is acceptable (although not as good as at Y.Y.'s over on Nanchang Lu). The clientele is soft boys and hard girls. Everyone has a mobile phone, and you are stopped at the door if you fail to produce one.
The Yin Yang Club on Wednesday night, I heard, is hosting a Tango evening! What a wonderful idea!! No form of music has ever done a better job of depicting sexual tension and passion. Certainly not the Lambada. I went along to see what was going on, but had to leave around 12.30, before any sign of Tango action. Kenny, WHEN does the dancing start??!!
I finally struck up the courage to take a look at Jack's Banana. Probably the silliest name of any nitespot in our wonderful city, on Huaihai Lu, near Shaanxi Lu. Just a step or two away from MGM in fact. But night and day in terms of the business. Jack's Banana is a long and narrow place, and I don't want any more jokes about this. They have been open for a few weeks, but the formal opening will be next Wednesday, I understand. I do wish them luck, but with MGM and Tequila Mama not far away doing exactly the same sort of business, it won't be easy. In fact, it will be hard.
Byeeeee!!!
Entry for April 21, 1998
You remember the letter I had from New York City asking for personal advice, boys and girls? Well, I had a look at a few other web sites which offer advice to those losing sleep over matters of the heart, and I have to say, I was not impressed. The most extraordinary was one using the name Ask Dr Gabe, which has the following Q&A session:
Dear Dr Gabe: what qualifications do you have to give advice?
Dear reader: I am superior to you.
Well, really!! I am not the world's most modest person, it is true. But even I would never utter such a comment. The whole experience, anyway, made me more confident to act as an advisor of the heart. So if you have any problems of that sort -- the juicier the better, my loves!!! -- fire away!!
I understand an English newspaper called the Independent on Sunday carried a long article about me on April 5. One of my fans sent me an email with excerpts from it. The article begins:
"According to her by-line picture, May-May is a China doll with a cigarette between
her fingers and a knowing wink, regular as clockwork. The image is Thirties, the digital animation is Nineties and that goes for Shanghai-ed as a whole."
Well, isn't that interesting?!! Fame!!!
In fact, the newspaper is very complimentary about the whole Shanghai-ed website, saying at one point: "Unlike so many oversold Web 'resources', this is a site which contains much more than the casual visitor expects. Shanghai-ed's treasure chest is its history section . . . ."
I have received a message from "3dp", who points out a little error in one of my recent reports. Here is what he says:
"dear may may, i was surprised to see that you, one of our city's most exposed socialites, should be so out of date with your information. you reported on april 16th. that zoobaa's restaurant was not yet open. oh may may! it has been open
for over ten days now and its fare of stylish simplicity has been receiving
a fair amount of praise from some of shanghai's more 'beautiful people'. if
the service is "still getting there" i can assure you the quality of the
food itself has already arrived. you should come and try it for
yourself.you'll like it. everyone else does............. 3dp"
Whoops!! My apologies!!! Wrong again!! But dearest 3dp, I have asked the folks at Shanghai-ed and they say they received no communications from anyone at Zoobaa about the opening of the restaurant. So!!!
Darlings, DO send in information on all the latest doings. I will mention any items of particular interest, and the rest I will pass on to the people at for use in the What's On section. I love hearing about new places and new activities, so whisper in my ear anytime you like!!
Byeeeee!!!
Entry for April 20, 1998
I have developed a new passion, boys and girls, a new decadent way to while away the hours between midnight and dawn - Billiards!!! I have found a secret billiard hall on the upper floor of an office building near my home, open 24 hours a day, where the attendants wear white gloves and black bow ties!! At 50 yuan an hour, it is much cheaper than karaoke and most bars, and it is a perfect one-on-one sort of game. The tables are just HUGE, so much bigger than in the bars around town, which makes it harder to play, but provides much more walking exercise than regular pool tables!!! I much prefer doing real walking these days after a rather unfortunate incident recently when I almost fell off a walking machine while I was adjusting my walkman headphones. SO embarrassing!!! Anyway, I doubt if billiards is going to take over from bowling as the ball sport of choice for the Masses, but for us afficionados it is one of the most perfect games there is -- stylish, sedate and demanding of accuracy rather than speed. If you haven't played -- give it a try!!!
I was over at Malone's the other day, on Tongren Lu, and had a vege-burger at the insistence of one of my best friends, who is American and almost from California, so he knows about these things. It was just delicious, the best I have had in Shanghai, and I am a great fan of vege-burgers, when I can find them. A rather strange liking I admit, but easier on my friends than when I eat garlic-soaked hotpot (about which more in a minute!!!). There may be other places around town that do them, but I am currently aware of only three -- Hard Rock Cafe, Regal Hotel and Malone's clearly wins hands down. Yummy!! Let me know, my dears, if you know of anywhere else that serves vegetarian hamburgers, hmmm???
Do you remember I was remarking a couple of weeks ago on the way that hotpot is becoming an all-round favorite here in Shanghai? Well, last night I had dinner at the Tian-Tian (Day-Day) hotpot palace, which occupies at least five floors and maybe more of a building on Huaihai Lu close to Shaanxi Lu. The weather was warm, the restaurant was packed and the food was burning hot, but it tasted delicious. Better than a vege-burger, in fact, but there is the disadvantage of the garlic and spices that you can put in the hot side of the pan, and which I insisted on eating almost signle-handed. My partner was very gallant I thought not to insist on separate taxis afterwards!!!
I would like to send a special big kiss to my fan Tauber who sent me the most TOUCHING email a few days ago -- I have only just got over it, in fact!! I can't reveal the contents of the message in my report, which would be TOO embarrassing for both of us! But I will say: Tauber -- your English is wonderful, it had me swooning!! Please forgive my secrecy, my darlings, and Tauber YOU keep in touch, too, Ja??!!!
Byeeeee!!
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