[My Weekender] with DJ Ivy V.

Light clubbing with Ivy V. - Nov 07, 08

DJ Ivy V is a DJ. Here is her MySpace page.

I've been living in this city for quite a few years and we all know how hectic and crazy it gets around here... especially on the weekend. Actually I'm not your typical DJ. When I'm not working, I actually am not too crazy about late, late nights and hangovers.

Anyways, I've been deejaying since I was 19 and have been all over the place, but Shanghai's special; it's got a constant energy, and you never get bored...

This weekend I'm in Honk Kong, playing in M1NT, but usually when I'm in Shanghai, I work a gig until around 2-3am, and then meet up with friends or DJ colleagues for a late supper. There's a popular Cantonese restaurant I like at the corner of Changle Lu and Maoming Lu. They do Cantonese and some western dishes as well -- it hits the spot after a long night working.

During the day on Saturdays, I usually get up late (who doesn't) and usually head out for a bit of shopping down at the well-known spots: Xinle Lu, Changle Lu -- where the small fashion botiques are -- and, trust me, I spent the better part of the day just window shopping, chatting with store owners and looking for hidden treasures (girls know what I'm talking about).

By the evening, when my feet can't take it any longer, I like to go over to Raffles City and have some of Baby Doll's delicious Fresh Lime Juice, served in old style glass milk bottles. They've also got a wide selection of snacks too. It's a Sichuanese place and the food is really good and spicy. I like to take foreigners there to watch their expressions when they try to food – surprise, shock, and then relief when they drink water. I took a DJ friend from Europe few months back and he loved it, especially the Frog dish, which was quite amazing, given he had never eaten it before.

In the evening I sometimes head out to see some friends in some of the well-known spots: M2, Bar Hulu, Velvet, MAO, etc., although I'm not a big clubber myself, I do love music, which is the reason why I started deejaying in the first place. Every once in a while I like to throw on the dancing shoes though and dance the night away...

What I like about Shanghai is the internationality of the city -- people are always coming and going, and you always end up meeting interesting characters.

On Sundays instead of hangovers I sometimes go to parks, depending on the weather. I'm a big fan of amusement parks(even though I can't stomach all the rides). Usually for a Sunday dinner I go to Xintiandi or some western restaurant...

Hope to see you at my next gig!

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