May-May's Diary
Entry for December 07, 1998
Oooooooooh!! It's cold, isn't it, boys and girls! What a strange year it
is. The fall was the warmest I have ever known in Shanghai, and then
suddenly -- Wham!! It's time to pull out the thermal underwear and
electric blankets. I;m better off this year than last, however. Last
winter, I was living in a very pleasant neighbourhood with steam coming
out of my mouth all winter, the rooms were so cold. It was definitely
colder inside than out. How could that be? I have no idea. But it meant
that I spent even more time than usual in the late nite bars of
Shanghai. This year, I am leading a slightly less, just slightly
less frenetic existence. It looks like I am in touch with global trends,
as usual. A friend sent me an article from a british newspaper which
says:
"Jaded by a decade of nightclubbing, the British twentysomething is
spending more and more time at home. But this new generation of
cocooners still wants to have fun, says Johnny Davis. Is 'domestic
hedonism' the last bastion of youthful rebellion?"
Can't you just see it happening in Shanghai? All we need is a better
selection of takeaway delivery services and we'll be there!!!
I went to the Shanghai Expatriates Association ball last week at the
Tomson without an H Hotel and saw my old friends the Sunflowers, playing
all their old favorites!!! I left before the end in order to race over
to Puxi, but was stunned that in the first two sets they played there
was no sign of their theme song, Sha-la-la-la-la (clap-clap-clap). Could
it be they have learned some new songs??!!!
Balls in Shanghai are getting something of a bad reputation. The average
age of attendees is something short of deceased, that is true, but the
people who go to YY's at 3am on a Saturday morning are not interested in
balls. There have been several this year which have been ruled flops by
the democratic majority -- including the Australian Ball, which I was
not able to attend due to calender conflicts. Somehow it's necessary to
inject something of the energy of the Rave, of the underground disco
into the hotel ballrooms, so that it doesn't conflict too horribly with
the tuxedos. As it is, the balls are expensive, and fast losing their
star quality.
I have found the most delightful cafe in the southern area of the city
-- Sydney Cafe, on the corner of Lingling Lu and Wanping Lu. Good
western food, in an airy Australian environment. Reasonable prices and
good coffee. I was there, with something of a hangover, the other
lunchtime and ordered some toast as well which came as toasted french
bread slices. But that was fine. And in an hour, sitting in the sun
(yes, it was THAT day!!), I was almost awake again.
Another place I popped into during the week was Club China Town. It's
the old Groove on Hengshan Lu, sold to a new Taiwan owner and
refurbished basically to replace the old Blue Mood with a Red Mood. The
bar downstairs, one of the coolest spots in town in my humble opinion,
felt like the bottom of the sea. With the red glow dominating, it now
feels a bit more like Hell. Or maybe a ritsy bar in San Francisco . . .
Chinatown !!! Oh, I see!! The music's still good, and the staff are all
the same people as far as I can see in the gloom. The perfect stop-off
point on your way from Regal to Real Love!!!!
Byeeeee!!!
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