[My Weekender] with Maya Poulton

Exit Strategies with Maya Poulton - Jul 18, 08

Maya is a self-described "accident waiting to happen." She also writes for SmartShanghai, and you can read her articles here.

This week's "weekend" started on Wednesday, when I slipped and fell into a bottle of white wine at Enoteca on Anfu lu.

As many nights in Shanghai start, this one began with an absolution to "have a chill one" and have a healthy girls' dinner catch-up. Of course, as soon as the venue was changed from the healthy Haiku to Eno (as we so fondly call it) I knew that I was in trouble. When I walked in and spotted my friend Megan Fischer standing at the bar with the legendary party boys Toby and Ian I knew my number was up (the number of drinks I would consume, that is). In all honesty I shouldn't be writing this as this Wednesday ended on Thursday morning (and I don't mean 12:01 am), and resulted in my being "sick" from work yesterday. However, as today is my last day of work in Shanghai, that dangerous statement should be okay.

Besides, in typical Shanghai-small-world fashion, I bumped into my boss Kellie at YY's (Shanghai's 1st and perhaps longest enduring bar) after Enoteca. And let's just say I think she realized the source of my Thursday illness as I'd jumped into her lap and professed my love for her.

Anyways, 2 years ago when I moved to Shanghai, weekends started on Thursdays (seemingly tamer than this week's "end" day). However, besides my recent transgression I have been tamed / exhausted by Shanghai's lifestyle and am usually not spotted out until Friday. I'm also in the opinion that the once cool Laris Thursdays has gone downhill, as like all things popular in Shanghai the word is out and it's now rammed with tourists. At 2 years in as a relative Shanghai oldie I'm very prissy, re: my dislike of tourists, and as life is ironic I also tend to get claustrophobic (I know, good choice of cities to live in with that!) and can't stand people pushing me around and scuffing my beloved shoes.

Luckily, Shanghai is usually big enough and has enough on every weekend to avoid being in a mosh pit. I will not get into the details of the weekend days as they are filled like anyone else's with DVDs, retail therapy, and spa treatments. I am however hoping there is a new Taikang Lu-type hangout soon though as it's now rammed and no longer a fun outdoor brunch spot. As a seasoned connoisseur of the mega-brunch, I would say the top spots in Shanghai are Enoteca (which I dare you to try and finish), Crystal Jade in Xintiandi for dim sum, and Azul Viva (killer French toast).

Like my dear gay boyfriend Kiko Sih, I am a fashion whore, and consequently if there is a show, store party, soft launch, or any other invite-only event then I am there. The free champagne and canapés also help, which when I first moved to Shanghai to start my career after university I basically lived off (to my amusement).

The last of these parties that I went to was the opening of LAN, which I have to say is gorgeous and massive. I do wonder how they will fill it. After being a social butterfly in Shanghers for so long, there's usually a birthday or leaving party to attend these days. This weekend there is fittingly both: my good friend Jane Dee is having a lavish girls' dinner at LAN tonight, followed by a bash where I'm sure much Mumm will be consumed; Saturday Chin Okeke is having his leaving dinner at an as of yet secret location (the hype!), themed by Kubrik's Eyes Wide Shut. Dress code black and sexy with masks (though luckily not topless).

After both of these dinner parties I will go with my heterosexual life partner Amina Belouizdad to one of a handful of places that I frequent, namely Lounge 18 and my favorite place, the unpretentiously cool The Shelter. On a night that isn't lined up with large parties I like to wine-dine at Issimo at JIA or roomtwentyeight at URBN, and then have a quiet cocktail at the superb Constellation Bar (which has the best dirty martini in town, prepared by a bow-tie clad professional in a closet-sized space) or the URBN Private Bar (if you haven't been, you must find a way in!), a Bungalow 8-type incarnation where you drink beside a bonsai and watch 70s Bruce Lee kick ass along to the beats of the thumping music. To conclude my 2 years and 12 day tenure in Shanghai I will actually be hosting my own leaving party there next week, to go out in style as I came in.

• » Suzhou
• » Hangzhou
• » Putuoshan
• » Hainan