A 3 day course on how to relax in Shanghai

March 8, 2012. Written in Vangvieng, Laos.

A 3 day course on how to relax in Shanghai.

The second half of my stay in Shanghai I spent together with my friend Man. I originally met Man in Guilin, and he is not only the guy who gave me the idea to buy a bamboo boat, he was also the first person to write on my paddle (I carry a paddle with me and make people write on it).

Almost 3 months have passed since I last met Man, but except from his new haircut and his warm jacket (in Guilin even a t-shirt could be hot) he had not changed much. On the first day, after oversleeping and being late for the appointment, Man took me to a good Korean bathing house he uses a lot while spending time in Shanghai. The bathing area is big and comfortable, and there is a nice resting area with free Wifi too. After taking a bath, Man would work at the resting area, and I sat next to him writing a novel.

In the evening, we went to meet up with Man's friend May. May  is originally a Taiwanese girl, but has lived in America for a long time, and now in Shanghai for about 7 years. When in Shanghai, Man usually stays at her place, but because this time he found it too cold at her place, he said that he was going to move to a youth hostel. Together with May, the 3 of us went for dinner and ate Shanghai style Xiaoyang fried dumplings. They were very juicy; just chewing them would make the meat's juice flow through your mouth.
One of the most delicious dishes I have had in China for sure.
As a break between the main dish and dessert, we headed into the "Uniclo" (a famous Japanese clothing store) where Man bought himself some special warm underwear to survive the cold in Shanghai.
For dessert Man showed me Keiko's (a friend in common) favorite place to eat Mango pudding. Keiko, a big lover of Mango finds herself a place to eat or drink Mango anywhere in the world!

The next day, I left my first hostel in Shanghai to join Man at another hostel. This hostel was supposed to be much cozier than the first one, and it was true.  At this hostel we would sit all day working or writing novels, and for lunch or dinner Man would show me his favorite places to eat. Of course we had Xiaolongbao (Shanghai's most famous dumplings) , but also claypot style noodles, pastry from Man's favorite bakery and papaya soup.
I didn't do a lot of sightseeing, but for food and comfort you can ask me where to go in Shanghai!