Jane Dee works for Pernod Ricard China, handling all of Pernod's accounts along the Bund as well as 5-star hotels, premium restaurants and high-end lounges/bars within Shanghai. Pernod Ricard manufactures and distributes Chivas Regal, Martell Cognac, Royal Salute, Perrier Jouet Champagne, Mumm Champagne, Wyborowa Vodka, Stolichnoya Vodka, Malibu and Kahlua, to name a few.

After receiving an email from my dear friend Hien, asking me to write about my typical weekend in Shanghai, I thought no problem ... then as time passed and the deadline crept closer and closer, I started to panic. What is my typical weekend? Of course, we all have an ideal weekend in mind; it's just that I never get around to actually doing it. Mostly because I always wake up too late (who doesn't???)

It would be great to say this weekend I plan to enjoy an after work dinner at The Vue in Hyatt on the Bund. The food is awesome and the "vue," is spectacular. Or perhaps I would venture to the other side of the river, since I don't usually do that, and try Salvatore Cuomo's The Kitchen. I heard a lot of great things about this restaurant and would like to check it out for myself. Ideally, I would also like to escape Shanghai, at least on Sunday and take the new bullet train to Hangzhou. I could do some sightseeing, breath in a bit of fresh air and just chill...

Realistically though, this is what's going down this weekend:



Actually, my weekend began last Wednesday at around 6:30pm at the Chopard Haute Joaillerie Collection Cocktail and then I was off to Velvet Lounge for their weekly champagne night. It was a great opportunity to catch up with the ever so fabulous GM, Mary Anne. After a couple of drinks, I tried to drag her to the launch of my friend Deisys' event Face2Face at Attica. The event was a reality form of the popular online platform, Facebook. Like everyone else in Shanghai, I am completely addicted and therefore was very curious as to see how the party turned out.

Thursday night consisted of a Channel Event and the opening of Gilles's new restaurants - Shoka and Cantine. Next was Laris for their famous Martini Night. I love their chocolate martinis and their lychee martinis, plus its 2 for 1, how good is that? If you want to see and be seen, this is definitely the place to be. Before heading home, I stopped by Mao to say a quick hello to my friends Berwin , Nico, and Alessandro.

Friday night will start with a company dinner at Kathleen's 5 followed by the Speak Easy event at Jean Georges Bar with my colleagues. I will bring them to Bar Rouge afterwards, as the Bar Rouge team have decided to celebrate Christmas early this year and are giving away awesome goodies such as Ipods, Xboxs and HP Computers. This of course depends on how much you consume. Thanks to the Riviera Boys, Stephane, Benoit and Seb, it will surely be an insane night and one not to miss!

To be perfectly honest my Saturday will mostly consist of sleeping or enjoying brunch with my girlfriends. Lately I have been enjoying the Enoteca Set Brunch, Ginger on Fuxing Lu or the abundance of new places appearing on Taikang Lu. For dinner, my friend Jonny has organized a Christmas party with the whole crew and we'll be having hearty tapas and free flow sangria at Zoco. Depending on everyone's mood, it will either be Volar's Ghetto Glamorous Party or The Shelter to end the night.

Come Sunday I will most likely want to sleep all day again and order a Subway sandwich, however, I am heading home next week so I need to do some last minute Christmas shopping. This involves picking up some seemingly authentic Chinese bits and pieces at the Yu Garden as well as quick stops at Simply Life and Shanghai Tang. I would also love to check out The Loft for their Christmas flea market and see if I can acquire something more unique.

Let's just hope I manage to do all these things and not wake up too late ... and as for my ideal weekend, I guess that's just going to have to wait until 2008!

Have an awesome weekend you guys.

Jd xoxo

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