[My Weekender] with Evan Golbach

Running the Shanghai circuit with Evan Golbach - Jun 27, 08

Evan Golbach is a director for Tulip Mega Media, China's largest outdoor LED company. He is also known for throwing crazy parties at his penthouse...

A weekend in Shanghai??? I really believe there is no such thing, well for me anyway. In an ideal world a weekend would consist of some, if not all of the following: partying/eating/drinking with friends, lounging around the house watching DVDs (most of the time hung-over), shopping, sporting activities or gym, and sometimes even a bit of cultural stimulation. The thing is though, everything I have mentioned above is what I do on a daily basis, so by the time those awesome two days come around I really have to think to myself "so what else am I going to do this week?" The answer ladies and gentleman is just about to be revealed...

Friday afternoon has snuck up on me faster than a Tongren Lu hooker and I cast my eyes down to my iPhone (yes I'm plugging Apple here) to see the messages from the usual suspects -- dinner invitations, tempting offers of a quiet Friday night drink (yeah right), and a message from my personal trainer Murat reminding me to get my ass to One Wellness Gym by 6pm so as I can succumb to a torturous hour of pain. Fast forward a few hours and there I am standing in the gym locker looking in the mirror flexing like "The Governator" and deciding what's next for the evening.

Now usually as I play soccer the next day, Friday nights are pretty tame -- dinner, a few drinks and that's it. Ok, ok, I'm lying. There have been quite a few instances where I had every intention of having a quiet night but have instead partied till the wee hours, slept for an hour, then gone and played like a mindless zombie sweating more than a pedophile on a school bus. Now before you all judge me, don't tell me none of you ever done that! The amount of times my friends (Jeremy T., David G. especially) have said they are "having a quiet one" but have "gone large" is astounding. It's like Shanghai is a monster and once that monster gets hold of you all voices of reason disappears until finally, a spell casting Dragon spits you out onto the sunny streets at 7am.

Now where was I? Oh yes, now I remember: Friday night. It's time for me to quickly go home, change into some killer threads and head out for dinner. Being in Shanghai dinner could be anywhere: New Heights, Kabb, Franck, Cantine, Jade on 36, and Coconut Paradise spring to mind as some of my favorites but really there are so many. From there these days I usually like to head over with my friends to Lounge 18 or Sugar -- good crowds and funky music at both places make them a good place to start. From there it usually home or what I like to call "the circuit": Attica, Velvet, MAO... and a certain monster.

Saturdays usually begin with waking up late, ordering some delivery breakfast and planting my butt down in front of the TV to play some XBOX. My roommates Mark and Theo usually join me on the couch making it an inspiring scene of grown men hung-over devouring breakfast burritos and playing video games like 10 year old kids. With the temperature reaching 30+ degrees there is only one logical thing to do that afternoon and that is head over to the infamous Riviera Pool Party. These parties are always one of the highlights of the summer calendar and this year I can't wait to see what new surprises my good friends Benoit and Stephane and the team at Riviera have in store for us. Familiar faces, coconut oil, awesome tunes, and copious amounts of alcohol accompany that afternoon and so finally after the sun says goodbye it's time for me to retire home and get some sleep.

With Sunday supposedly being the day of rest it's time to tone it down a notch. Sunday brunch is always a good option. Deciding between the quiet relaxed environment of Kommune and the experience of the Westin Brunch is tough but both always work for me. Being an avid golfer Sunday is usually golf day so I love to head out with my mate Mark to one of the various courses situated just outside Shanghai. Golf really relaxes me and it's great just to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city. Getting home late in the afternoon I like to head over to Racks and play a few games of pool and have a quiet drink. By the time I get back to my apartment the sun has set so I head up to my rooftop terrace to sit back and admire the view of this crazy city of ours. It's then I think to myself "outdoor terrace, big bar, hot tub, great view, I wonder if I should have a party here soon"? Hmmmmmmm...

Peace,
Evan

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