Our children were so excited about their Auntie Kim and cousins, Harley and Ashley, arriving for a visit with us in Shanghai. We had planned a whirlwind weekend site seeing in Beijing and Xi’an, plus lots of activities in Shanghai. Ashley and Harley were mostly interested in shopping at all the fake markets! They arrived on Saturday April 5th and after a brief nap at home, we were straight into Shanghai life. Isabelle and Oliver were eager to play with Harley and Ashley!
Sunday April 6th was Jo, Scott, Georgia and Saskia’s last day in Shanghai and we had booked brunch at the Shangri-La to say goodbye.
Scott, Jo Sara and Owen – sad to say goodbye to good friends……
This was a great opportunity to introduce our family to the Ex-pat Sunday Brunch experience and the Shangri-La is a fantastic experience for this! Kim, Ashley and Harley really enjoyed the lazy lunch, endless food and booze! The kids had loads of fun playing with their fiends for the last time in Shanghai….
On the stairs at the Shangri-La
By the beautiful water feature at the Shangri-La
All of us by the Seafood station.
Jo and I. I am going to miss this lady 😦
Saskia with Mum and Isabelle with Mum.
Scott, Jo, Sara & Owen – we had a lot of fun together in Shanghai.
Owen and Jo posing on the displays at the Shangri-La
Cousins! Harley and Isabelle, Oliver and Ashley.
After several hours of eating and socializing we decided to carry on the party at the Camel pub. This has been a regular Tuesday night venue as they have a Quiz Night there every week and we have often met up to test our general knowledge and have some fun during the week!
The kids at the Camel pub – they all played pool here!
A final farewell – I expect there were some sore heads the next day!!
The next day, Monday, was a holiday for me (Tomb Sweeping Festival) even though the kids were back to school. So, after taking the kids to the bus in the morning, the rest of us set out to visit some Fake Markets and shop, shop, shop!
Our first stop was to Tai Kang Lu, a lovely shopping area that has little back alleys full of art galleries, shops and cafes. We stopped at Kommune for delicious coffee:
Biggest latte I have ever had. The mugs are very cool and you can buy them (so Kim and Harley did!!)
Chopsticks on display at Tai Kang Lu
Entrance to Tai Kang Lu
After coffee and shopping it was off to find Minging Mary’s. This place is a legend in Shanghai. It is a fake outlet in the basement of an apartment building. You have to know where it is and be taken by someone who is known (the first time). I had heard about this fantastic place (extremely high quality fake’s) but never visited before. Luckily for us, Owen had been before and knew where to take us! I did not know what to expect when we walked down some dingy stairs into a dark corridor in the basement. But, moments later, a man appeared and unlocked 2 doors into huge rooms of merchandise. Ashley and Harley thought they were in Heaven!! I must admit, I could not believe what I was seeing.
After a little bit of bargaining, we left (full bags!) and went on the Fake Market at the Science and Tech Museum (the AP Plaza). Kim, Ashley and Harley decided to skip lunch so they could maximize shopping time! Good job we had eaten some snacks at Kommune to keep us going. Once at the Fake Market – Owen showed Ashley and Harley how the bargaining was done and worked hard to get some good deals for both of them. Ashley restocked his wardrobe in 1 day!!
Ashley showing off his many purchases from the Fake Markets
I had a few days of work to do before we were heading off to Beijing and Xi’an at the weekend (separate posts). But, on Thursday before our train, we went to Kerry Parkside for a few hours of pampering at Dragonfly. We had a leisurely adult lunch at The Brew and then all had massages, manicures and pedicures. Aaah – relaxation!
Ashley’s lunch at The Brew
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