[My Weekender] with Chin Okeke

Not his Ideal Day At Work with Chinedu Okeke - Apr 18, 08

Chinedu Okeke is a project manager with Maersk.

When my good friend Benjamin sprung this idea on me with no notice and no alternative, I first thought that this could the perfect opportunity for those who know me to see the serious side of me. Then I thought why bother, cos you'll all think it's a joke, plus this is "My Weekender", not "My Ideal Day At Work". We all have our ideal weekend and when we would like it to begin but let's be honest, I am sure I speak for most when I say it rarely happens. The reality is that it is very difficult to avoid the fact that Shanghai is bustling with energy and is the Dime of the East that never sleeps.

Without fail my weekend always has to begin with a soothing massage next to One Park Avenue to give me the helping hand I need to start my engines for the weekend. I always try to organize a group for dinner but because of the mad rush at work on Friday, it never seems to materialize. So it's onto Gourmet Cafe with my favourite neighbour, Leo, at 10:45pm for a lame excuse to indulge in a 15-minute bottle of wine and a chef's salad.

As the troops start to mobilize for a rendevouz at Racks, I prepare myself for a few drinks, game of pool and probably the last sensible conversation I'll have 'till the following day. Past midnight, like clockwork, we descend upon Sugar at The Collection, which I believe to be a great start for any Friday night. With beautiful ladies and a strict dancing on the table policy, one couldn't ask for more.


I could give you an insight into my plans for the rest of the night but I have no idea what they…for now I'll see you at Dragon.

Saturday always begins with me being less than amused to receive a phone call from Ladi (L. Diddy), brainstorming ideas of where we should all jet off to for the weekend but it always ends with me asking him "what's the point?" - Especially this weekend with David Guetta's F*** I'm Famous party at Bar Rouge and the Great Mattspeed's (aka Matt Reid) long overdue birthday celebrations.

The day usually bumbles on at a very leisurely pace with a dim sum brunch just round the corner at Lynn with the wife and kids. After that it's back to the yard armed with Dvds from Even Better Than Movie World and the xbox. If the weather wasn't so unpredictable I would rather get a group together and head to Naked Retreats in Moganshan for some peace and quiet and maybe a touch of poker.

This Saturday, on the other hand, is going to be different – with friends in town from Lausanne and London, I want to make sure they experience what Shanghai is all about, both at night and day. After brunch we'll stroll through the French Concession or Moganshan Lu to check out the Art District in the hope that I might find a small piece to add to my collection. Once my legs begin to fail me, it's time to duck into a Citizen Cafe for some Pimms, to begin the evening's festivities and I may even head to the shooting range to get the blood rushing.

With so many things to celebrate tonight, most importantly, life, I will be attending a dinner, organized by my great friend Dodo (& his doctor) at Issimo, which is a fantastic addition to the culinary scene in Shanghai. Not only is the cuisine a life changing experience but the service is very good and the atmosphere and decor even better.

At a later stage there is no doubt that you will find me dancing the night away on a table or two at Bar Rouge listening to David & Cathy Guetta. I am pretty sure at some point I'll be stopping by Mao to see Nico and Alessandro for their infamous pervert party which I never seem to be in town for but this time, I'm THEEERE!

Although Sunday would normally be a day of rest, for this one I've decided to keep the momentum going and being the car fanatic that I am I have organized for the boys to head out to Hongqiao race track to try our luck at F3. As it's not for the faint hearted or the dehydrated, an executive decision may have to be made, which will more than likely result in a day of competitive Go-karting.

My weekend always ends with two hours of Muay Thai at the OZ studio with Tomer and the team. This helps me to rid myself of the guilt of the behaviour over the prior 48 hours. After which it's off home for a well deserved session with Dr. Zhang for acupuncture in order to relax the mind, body and soul.

Have an awesome weekend guys….... And lets hope the weather holds up!!

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