A look into my life in Shanghai, China #expatdiaries
I lived in Shanghai for a year and managed to make a bit of a life for myself over there. A life with a set routine, favourite spots to eat and chill, things to do with friends and some places for solo adventures. It took a while to adjust to a new city, new job and new language but I eventually found my rhythm and have a few favourites to share. This isn’t a list of once in a life time experiences or a look into authentic Chinese lifestyle but more so a list of things I enjoyed on a regular basis. On a Wednesday morning before work or over the weekend when I was cash strapped and couldn’t go on some grand adventure to some far away land. This is a peek into the fun stuff in my every-day life in China.
1. Parks
Coming from South Africa, parks aren’t a major deal. They’re usually sketchy patches of grass with some old or run down equipment that’s supposed to be “for the kids”. So Shanghai Parks with they’re lakes, lush lawns and lavish gardens are really second to none. Pretty much every single park I found and visited was an absolute dream. The perfect place to enjoy the summer sun or go for a morning run and a wonderful escape from the concrete jungle that is the city of Shanghai. I wrote about the best parks to visit in my blog post: Top 5 Parks in Shanghai. Some of my most frequented escapes were Zhongshan Park and Tianshan Park.
2. Coffee Shops
Now, Shanghai coffee shops aren’t as quirky and cute as those in South Korea but what they lack in quirk they more than make up for in sophisticated aesthetic. I absolutely loved going to coffee shops for breakfast, brunch or a quick coffee. And I know that China is the land of tea but what else is a girl to do when there’s a stunning café around every corner? Trying out new spots has always been my thing but over time I had some favourites. The Wagas/Baker & Spice coffee shops scattered all over the city never disappointed and of course the Starbucks Reserve in West Nanjing is a whole outing on its own. Themed cafes, like The Friends Cafe are the cherry on top!
3. Museums
With such rich history, you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to museums in Shanghai. There’s the obvious Shanghai Museum, the vast Museum of Natural History and the Shanghai History Museum which gives you an in-depth look at the defining moments in Shanghai’s history.
Admittedly, this is your run-of-the-mill set of museums but Shanghai has even more to offer. Although museums were a way to spice up my routine, the Starry Art Museum was an other-worldly experience that was saved for a special occasion. I spent my 24th birthday at what I like to call the “Instagram Museum”. The Starry Art Museum near the Bund is incredibly unique and offers thematic pieces that will blow you away. From the flower wall to the rain room and all the back to the hot-pink feather wall, you’ll be capturing almost every single piece.
4. Shopping
Oh how I miss shopping in Shanghai. This was a weekly if not near daily experience for me. Even if I walked away empty handed, I loved to go shopping. From multi-storey malls to markets and even online, shopping was and still is a pretty therapeutic activity. For a major “treat yourself” day I would head out to West Nanjing and get lost in the world of fashion and cosmetics. It didn’t hurt that the Starbucks Reserve was right there, for a quick refuel in the middle of my expeditions.
Although these are some of my favourite things, the list of what I loved doing in Shanghai is pretty long. Going out for any meal of the day with friends, major tourist attractions like the Bund and pamper sessions at the nail salon all fall into this pretty long list. There is so much I loved about my temporary home away from home.
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