We lived “just outside” of Shanghai for two years in a town called Taicang.

Getting into the city has always required a low/high cost decision -- a 10 minute 1 rmb ride on an open windowed bus to the terminal subway station, and a 75(+, depending on where we’re going that day) ride on the subway with at least 1 line change, or, when we’re feeling bougie (is it still OK to say that?), a ~130 rmb 60 minute ride in the backseat of an air conditioned didi.

Either way, there was always some price to enter a city that I wouldn’t say I loved. Years ago (lol, can I really say that) Shanghai, to me, represented a grocery store - providing access to things unattainable where we lived - cheese, fresh coffee, spices, IPAs, toothpaste we liked. Every few weeks Isai and I would trek into the city center, have a meal (usually Mexican or Japanese food), load up on groceries at FreshMart, and find our way back home. Even if we were going to Shanghai for fun, to visit a museum or see a movie or try a new restaurant, each visit ended with a necessary re-stock visit to a foreign food grocery (Cityshop, Ole, ..) before getting home.

Shanghai was access to things we missed and couldn’t find. A breath of fresh air to a shinier, almost too shiny, city that we briefly passed through.

I’m realizing lately how much some things have changed.

We’re still living “just outside” of Shanghai. We’re actually in a less developed town, Huaqiao, with even less direct access to western products. But things in China have changed. Didi, the domestic version of Uber was finally released in English last year. Literally everyone I interact with uses WeChat wallet. (In Taicang I can still remember my coworker refusing to set up her wechat wallet, as she “didn’t trust” it was secure.) Epermarket delivers all the goods I’d want from Cityshop, directly to our apartment next day. Hell, I can even navigate non-English services like JD.com, taobao.com, and ele.me or Meituan. (Ok, our quality of life (convenience in life?) has definitely improved because our access to and ability to use technology here has improved. .... As I write this, I’m embarrassed to say what I’m really going on about is that we’ve become accustomed to a lifestyle where things are just delivered.)

And that this has become a long winded way to say: we had a nice weekend. We walked and didi’ed, ate and drank, our way through a city that didn’t just feel like an errand.

It was Isai’s idea to book a couple nights in the middle of the city to celebrate my birthday. Out of a 51st story window we woke up to this view:

What a time to be alive, right? The weekend consisted of trying new foods, enjoying the weather, meeting some friends in Koreatown for drinks and snacks before attempting to spend the late night hours in a club. (Lol, I wanted to leave after 1 hour. There was pizza by the slice, right outside!) 

Sunday we splurged a bit to try M Glam bar’s monthly Vegan brunch. I’ve been trying to shy away from posting food pics (is it now passé?) -- but everything served to us was too beautiful not to share. 

Note: Isai’s drink, while not entirely tequila, was served in a mini patron bottle.

Dinner: Remembering Mom’s advice to eat long noodles on your birthday. (In this case, spicy noodles from Din Tai Fung. ;D )