[My Weekender] with DjSexyPaul

DjSexy's weekend - it was inevitable - Mar 14, 08

DjSexyPaul is a long-time SmartShanghai forum agitator, local maverick DJ-for-hire, manager of Manhattan's, former member of the UK fuzz, pillar of the community, leader of men, and voice of a generation.

Hi. I'm DjSexyPaul, long time listener, first time caller...

This weekend for me is packed with thrills and spills as I have some friends in town from The Capital, and I'm going to take them on a fun-filled ride of what's hot and what's snot in Shangers...

Friday night: having dinner at Gintei near Beijing Lu for some awesome all-you-can-eat Japanese. I have been going here for about five years now. It's got a great selection of Sushi and Sashimi and the boss, Steven, always comes over for a chat and brings his plum sake over to try and get me totaled. Steven is a fun guy but when I hand him my shoelaces and ask him to play Hide and Seek he ALWAYS refuses!!! After Gintei, we're gonna take my friends to Big Bamboo Nanyuang Lu for a pint of Guinness or two and catch up with what's happening over there. Always some decent sport on there but if you know me then you understand that I love participating in sport as much as I love snorting chunks of wasabi, anyway... then hopefully about 11pm we will hop on over to either I Love Shanghai for some Absinthe Cocktails and a chat with Gay Jeff the owner who is always on cue with a bar tale of how he "woke up in a dumpster this morning" or how his ayi woke him "dribbling on the sofa or into last nights pizza." However, as we are going to the Bund on Sunday, we may leave Jeff alone until then. I quite fancy trundeling along to Attica tonight actually. Lisa Loud is playing and she and I used to work next door to each other when she was a promotions girl at Virgin Records and I was a promotions guy at A&M records. We used to meet up occasionally and it'd be nice to see the dizzy blonde spinning her stuff again. Who knows? Choices, choices....

Then around 2am, we're gonna swing over to Sugar in Xintiandi for the "Lock In Party." There's always a good crowd in there and as my fiancée works for Solid. We always get looked after well (and I do LOVE my Absolut and tonic). Then after we get released maybe we'll pop into Manhattan for a nightcap and a quick stare at the semi nude dancers and say "thanks" to my boss for the weekend off. Then we'll probably hit City Diner Tongren Lu for some Corned Beef Hash and a Malted Peanut Butter Milkshake. Then off home to bed for some "loving."

Saturday is weekly shopping day but as we have guests we'll have to take them to the clothing market to stock up on their fake 501s, dodgy Rolexes, and plastic Croc crap shoes, and maybe even a few DVDs from Hollywood on Rui Jin Lu. (If you're into TV dramas, I thoroughly recommend you get a show called "Damages" – it's fantastic.) Late Lunch at Malone's on Tongren Lu. A light snack of a Double Double Burger with extra bleu cheese dressing and a bucket of crispy Potato Wedges followed by a pint of cherry coke and then the boring Carrefour shopping stuff for the week. Carrefour shopping, although boring, can be interesting at times. The meat counter for example: I swear last time I was there they had "Beef Cock!" Yes!! I swear and have a picture on my phone to prove it. And they spelled it correctly. I also love the way that people with a small basket of goods will, with all the gracefulness of a Russian gymnast, manoeuvre their way passed the laowai to get to the checkout before you. Little do they know that I am the "Shopping Cart Driving Master" and they have more chance of sidling past me than Bjork has of getting a visa into China again. Editor’s note: ZING!

Saturday night, dinner at Le Bouchon in Wuding Xi Lu. Probably THE best French restaurant in town: great steaks, cock au vin and foie gras, and melt in your mouth Creme Brulee for dessert. If you ever go there, ask for Vincent the owner and tell him I sent you, you will be well looked after.

Later we're off to Volar to see DJ Paninaro "play some funky '80s white boy" Thomas. He's nearly as good as me when it comes to the '80s (he just has to drink more!!). We used to work together in Judy's about a million years ago and he is truly one of the best DJs around. Depending on time, we may drop by Racks in Xintiandi as Pauly Can owes me a few drinks of Sambuca (he can drink that stuff like its going out of fashion) and maybe shoot a few balls. If not then we'll probably head home for an earlyish night (as I don't get many).

Sunday. Sunday is ALWAYS brunch day, whether it's at Maneo or the Ritz Carlton. Unfortunately, I have some meetings on Sunday afternoon and can't get out of them so brunch will be cut short and I will no doubt catch up with my friends afterwards. They have expressed an interest in visiting Dragonfly, so we'll catch up with them there. Depending on time will maybe head down to the Bund for some obligatory photos and some salty river breeze to clear the head, pop across the water to Starbucks, and down a few javas before heading back home where I will be cooking my famous Roast Lamb and all the trimmings. Sunday nights are usually reserved for DVDs (or work if I have to go in), but as I'm off this weekend I'll force myself to take our guests out for the last time before they head back to Beijing. What's good on a Sunday? Difficult question. Sandy suggested we take them to JZ Club or House of Blues and Jazz, but seeing that I would rather stick a fork into my eye and eat entrails rather than listen to Jazz (or Drum n Bass, now that I think of it), we'll probably whisk them off to somewhere less "pompous". Velvet Lounge in Julu Lu seems like an okay choice, but failing that then will head to Glamour Bar (If Michelle is there) or MAO on Yueyang Lu for a couple of cocktails before hitting the sack after a long, long weekend.

God I HATE Mondays...

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