Unplanned are best plans

I decided to go to Zhongshan Park Starbucks instead today and as I walked through Hongqiao Lu Metro I saw this woman with a questionable t-shirt on....

I sat by the big window and watched people go by and some workers sitting by the window playing card games and smoking. After a few hours I decided to get some lunch and headed into Cloud 9 shopping centre into the basement where Secret Recipe is.

My friend introduced me to this chain last time which serves a variety of food from pasta, Western dishes like fish and chips and pies to Asian dishes like curry and noodles. They are well-known though for their cakes and serve so many varieties and they have tea-time specials. I had some noodles with fried chicken although I'm unsure if its my jet lag or something that everything tastes very bland still. I also bought a slice of their new "Absolute Chocolate" cake to go.

 My noodles with fried chicken

 One of Secret Recipe's new cakes

I went to Carrefour and I had planned a little casual stroll as I like to browse but I then decided I just wanted to head home. As I left I noticed it was very dark outside and I thought it was very strange. The sky was grey and there was a little bit of rain so I tried to call a taxi but I had no luck so I thought I'd better take the Metro. There was huge crashes of thunder and I got scared so I rushed into the Metro. As I got onto the platform there was a huge downpour! There were bright flashes of lightning and loud thunder I just wanted to be home! When I got to Hongqiao Lu Metro I was surprised the ground was still dry and there wasn't any rain yet so I walked really fast back to my flat. As I got to my room and the rain poured and poured for about half an hour.

My friend, Jorge, called up around 5.30pm and said he was nearby and if I wanted to get some dinner with our other friend Joseph so we all met up and it took a while to get a taxi to Xujiahui. We ate in Din Tai Fung which again, tasted more bland than I remembered it being but I'm beginning to think something is wrong with my tastebuds at the moment.

After dinner we headed to Shanghai Brewery where it was Expat Mixer night. It was one of these events we had to wear name tags which felt rather lame but I guess its how you talk to other people. The other thing that helps is drinking... lots of drinking...

Our other friend, Berlinda, came by not long after and after a drink, Salsa night kicked off. It was fun to watch and I kind of wish I knew how to do it and had someone to dance with. By 10pm we called it a night.

Hopefully the end of jetlag!

My jetlag has been so bad (or it could be my insomnia is back) and I find myself awake at 3am-6am and fall asleep for a few hours only this time I didn't wake until 5pm. I felt very depressed as I always do when I sleep past 12pm and was in two minds about going out. I told myself I needed to go to Carrefour and pick up a clothes horse since I was here for longer I don't think hanging my laundry across the window would be a good idea now that there is a new housemate and I used to use the balcony in that room.

So I took the Metro to Zhongshan Park and thought I'd go to Secret Recipe but there was such a big queue I decided to go to Pizza Hut.

It's taken some getting used to eating out on my own again but I'm slowly getting there. It's also quite fun to people watch whilst eating. Pizza Hut currently have a happy hour and the waiters are constantly coming over to ask me if I want an alcoholic drink instead. 28RMB for Sangria and 22RMB for caramel Baileys ^^

I still find it overwhelming sometimes being surrounded by Mandarin again I wonder how I managed before. I'm trying very hard to listen and respond but sometimes I panic.

Carrefour wasn't too busy which was a relief and I had many choices of clothes horse to pick from. It seems the ready built ones cost over 400RMB! That is insane! For convenience sake I chose one in a box with a handle for 199RMB but I would soon realise why I probably should have picked a ready made one...

I took a taxi back for only 18RMB and got to my flat. It took a good 10 minutes just to open the stupid box! And inside I'm greeted with various poles and the instructions on the back are entirely in Chinese. Now normally I don't even read the instructions but I couldn't work out how some of it attached. Then being on my own and trying to balance this it collapsed several times and I figured my laundry would be finished before I'd build this rack!

Somehow I managed to do most of it but part of it needed a screwdriver and as prepared as I usually am, I don't have a big enough one (only a tiny one for glasses!). So until I get one it'll have to do as it is but it is rather big so I wonder if I need to get a different one.... I guess it was just an amusing experience....!

I'm very excited I have bought tickets to see Jay Chou vs Kobe Bryant doing charity basketball next week! ^^ I hope it is worth the 880RMB tickets ;)

 

All in Chinese - d'oh!

 Good enough I guess!