Shanghai Java

East Coast family and friends, look what we found at a nearby food court! I guess I should also mention the Starbucks Coffees on every other corner, and the Coffee Beans where there's no Starbucks, not to mention the Costa Coffees, if you're familiar with the British chain. Coffee addicts will have no problem finding their fix, but it comes at a price -- $5 for a tall/small latte. 

I miss the local, artisanal coffee shops of San Francisco -- Blue Bottle and Ritual Coffee Roasters -- but I've found the rough equivalent here, at a French bakery down the road and a cupcake shop (of all places!) around the corner. They make Starbucks look cheap.    

Fatty Tuesday: Sproutworks

I've been waiting for one of these to pop up, and as it turns out, I didn't have to wait too long. LA friends, think: Clementine (a lunchtime favorite in Century City), Huckleberry, or Joan's on Third. Not too far from us is Sproutworks, a restaurant that not too long ago served very mediocre Japanese cuisine. The restaurant was more famous for its decor than its food; a large boulder was the restaurant's centerpiece, making for an awkward seating arrangement. 

The rock's still there (come to find out it's an historic relic), but the restaurant now serves up soups, sandwiches, salads, and sides, cafeteria-style. It's the perfect healthy lunch spot, offering up various lunchtime deals (a soup or sandy or salad with two sides for $10) served with a choice of juices and iced teas. Sides include various veggies (roasted beets, carrots, cauliflower) and rarely-found dishes in Shanghai like couscous and quinoa. The best part -- those of us who can't decide and who like variety can split the two sides into four. It's a nice break from Chinese staples of pork, rice, and cooked greens. 

Given my last few Fatty Tuesday entries, you'd think I never eat Chinese. It's not true! I'll prove it to you next Tuesday. 

The Most Dangerous Job in the World?

A while ago, I posted about some of the crazy jobs locals have taken on, one of which was washing the windows of high-rise buildings. This weekend, I finally got some decent photos of these professionals in action, and I'd dare say it might be the most dangerous job in the world, don't you think? 

Here's what we saw out our window while eating breakfast Saturday morning.  

Now keep in mind that we're on the 36th floor. 

Some ropes and a small piece of wood keep this man suspended more than 500 feet above ground. At a certain point, things didn't seem to be going according to plan and, I swear, he was at a 45 degree angle. I couldn't look.  

Here are some more washers at work at our neighborhood Uniqlo (one of my favorite stores in these parts; but I digress).  

Zhoumo kuaile!

Weekend plans?  (One day, someone will respond to me in the comments section below, and they will be my favorite.) 

We have a couple of social engagements (yay for friends!), but other than that, we'll most likely recuperate from last weekend's hosting duties. With a bit of practice recently, we're getting our tour of Shanghai down. Here's what you can expect when you come to visit: 

• A walk on the bund to see the famous Shanghai skyline, down to the Nanjing pedestrian walkway
• A trip to the fabric market to get shirts made and buy silk souvenirs 
• A soup dumpling taste-test to try out different kinds from various locales
• A drink (or five) at Senator Saloon, our favorite (Prohibition Era) bar that's right around the corner from our place
• A self-guided tour through the Shanghai Art Museum (check out my most recent Instagram pics here) and/or the Urban Planning Museum (which is a lot cooler, and more fun, than its name denotes)
• A stroll through Xintiandi, the bougiest part of town (fun fact: we lived here for six weeks upon our arrival) 
• A visit to the Yuyuan Garden, a tourist must
• A weekend morning crepurrito 
• A stop at the Jing'an Temple for some peace amidst chaos
• And more shopping (at the fake market, the pearl market, the antiques market, the ceramics market) and more eating (Sichuan, Yunnan, Hunan, American, Italian, San Francisco-an) 

As time goes by, we're discovering more awesome spots to add to the list. That's been the fun part. 

    

Chinglish Part II

You knew it was coming -- a second Chinglish post. Long overdue, I know, but I've working on my collection. Here are some favorites seen in and around China. 

There's nothing terribly wrong with this sign, I suppose (other than the seemingly random placement of the word "multiple") -- but it's the name of the shop (and its BOLD font and graphic) that cracks me up.  

 Would it be better if they were dressed?

 Woah! Makes you wonder what else they can deliver.  

I quickly crossed the street when I saw these signs on a building I thought was maybe a public restroom: (from left to right, top to bottom) Warning Danger, Warning Daop Down (what?), Warning Ovntilating (whaaat?), Must Wear Defence Mask (really?), Must Fastened Seat Belt (for the bathroom?!). And don't you love that last sign -- Superman with an awkwardly placed arrow?    

The funny part about this one is the fact that it's found on the front desk of our lobby late at night. What do you think "Ken" actually does when he "sends the newspaper"?  

Now this isn't chinglish, per se, but it is a complete rip off of two beloved American brands. Can you recognize them? If you look closely, you'll notice that the logo for Gina's Gelato looks a lot like a combination of Wendy's and Ben & Jerry's. 

 Entertaining, no?