the jane du jour: Day 1 and 2 of Shanghai Adventures with Calista

So its been 2 days since I met up with Calista in Shanghai and so far it has just been a whirlwind of fun: shopping, cocktails, food, soaking up the sights and of course more shopping.

We have just come back from a massive binge at the Feng Xiang Markets（also known as Fenshine Markets or 风翔服饰礼品广场). [btw it has now changed its name to like Hancity (korean city) or something. So despite what all your guidebooks say, and note mine was updated in January 2010, there is no FenShine markets now. There is just a "Hancity markets" which is the same thing, same place, different name. This caused Calista and I some grief as we searched high and low for a Feng Xiang Market.

So quick re-cap:

Day 1: Saturday 25th July.
I met up with Calista in the afternoon and checked into our hotel: The Manhattan Bund Business Hotel (曼哈顿外滩商业酒店)。 It's in the best location, right off East Nanjing Road (where all the action is at). The hotel itself is pretty okay as well. The rooms are small, but adequate. It has everything we need. The design is quite cute- a mixture between old-school oriental and old-school European. The front desk can speak English but obviously prefer Chinese. They were also quite helpful and eager to please.

We decided that since Calista just recently broke her phone at the Hong Kong Airport (shattered her touch screen) we would go get a replacement. We asked the front desk and they told us the best place to go was Bu Ye Cheng (不夜城). They weren't joking! The whole building was just levels and levels of little shops selling mobiles. On each level there were easily 100 stores/stalls. We were totally inundated by the sheer capacity of it all. In the end we ended up getting her touch screen fixed for 200RMB (like less than $40AUD). I just bought myself a sim card to use in China.

After that we went home because it was dinner time and we wanted to shower and pretty ourselves up to go to XinTianDi (新天地). By the time we got there it was like 9pm and everywhere was hustling and bustling. Calista was amazed at how many white people there were there (kind of like how many asians there are in Sunnybank, Brisbane). We were amazed at all the cool looking restaurants, bars and pubs. So we walked around to suss out the places we wanted to go first. Alot of the bars and restaurants had like a minimum spend i.e. a bar stool was 300RMB (50AUD), a small table in a bad area was 500RMB (100AUD), a decent-sized table was 800RMB (160AUD) and a lounge with a table was 3000RMB (500AUD). We ended up going to Luna. It was really nice but the price was what you would have ended up paying in Australia. We shared a Tapas Combination Platter for 2 (fresh salmon, hummus, spicy tomato dip, tzatziki dip, mushroom epamanades, morrocan lamb skewers, grilled tomato, meatballs...yuum).

Calista with her Berry Caprioska

Me with my Luna Legacy- [Wearing- YSL Rouge Volupte No 19 Lipstick + Dior Kiss clear Lipgloss (gift from Annie) + a totally cute Japanese fashion-y dress I got from the markets for 50rmb).

We also visited the Davidoff Bar and Godiva Chocolates :).

Day 2:

We woke up refreshed and ready for a big day. The plan was to conquer the Feng Xiang Fake Markets. And conquer it we did!!

I ended up buying an genuine leather, high-grade, black, Balenciaga City Bag (I have loved these since i was in Grade 10, six years ago- Weekender, City, Motorcyle, I love them all ).

A black Thomas Wylde Clutch/Bag. (another item that has been on my lust list for liike eeeeeever). In case you don't know me, I have a morbid fascination with Skulls.

and a SEVEN cap

Calista bought a lot of stuff (with my help at haggling of course =P) and ended up walking away with a pair of Christian Loubautin Heels for 380RMB- the original asking price was 800RMB. I am so jeaaaaaalous. Totally thinking about getting myself some shoes ;).

NOTE: I try and be an advocate for buying genuine goods but I find it's just way too easy to be sucked in by the fake markets in Asia (good/decent fake market that is =p). Maybe one day I'll be able to afford the real luxury of having everything, completely genuine, but until then, while I'm still a poor uni student I guess I'm happy to mix real things with fake things. I really could go on for ages about the real vs fake debate, as there is a constant war waging inside my head+heart over it. I definitely have mixed feelings.

Anyways, we are just resting up before heading out for another night and who knows where we will end up. (P.S Calista is passed out fast asleep in bed next to me at the moment because she is weak and unused to the "9am to close + with no lunch" shopping that I tend to do in Asia.)

It's Shanghai, there's a Cartier on every street (we found 2 massive stores opposite each other on one particular street), THIS is the REAL city that never sleeps. I love it dearly.

xox

Oh I also obtained some make-up on the way back:

Benefit Moonbeam and Benefit High Beam- I just cant help myself when I am on holidays.