Shanghai F1 Grand Prix 19th April 2009

"Red Bull makes you have wings... "

9am my phone rings: "Lydia, i have two f1 grand prix tickets, do you want them? "

An immediate YES followed.

So I was in for a very interesting and super exciting Sunday!

We took the bus to the F1 racetrack in Jiading... arrived there at 11.45 ish and the sky was getting darker. By the time we found our entrance, the sky was starting to drizzle. There were surprisingly a large attendance at the China F1- thanks to the "huang niu" I think a lot of people could get tickets at a very cheap price...

We had good seats... grandstand section 2a... just in front of the finishing line and the entrance to the pit stop. Just one right hand corner, was the 10th corner of the track...

Race was exciting right from the start... because it was raining (again, since Malaysian Grnad Prix ended due to the hard rain). The first six laps started with the safety car... but once the safety car came off... the real fun began! A lot of overtakings especially between Mark Webber and Jenson Button. Vettel who took home the championship was very lucky to be in front, hence he had gained distance when the safety car came out after the sixth lap.

It was really a wet and exciting Sunday f1 race with Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber on the 1-2 podium. Moreover, this is their maiden victory- a historical moment for the f1 fans and the Red Bull team.

I feel especially happy despite the fact that Mclaren has not been doing well since the start of the season, that this F1 Season has started with a very interesting spin... looking forward to the next one in Bahrain! And to see other talents dominating the podium!

See who will fly next....

I want to be Jughead suddenly

And I am sure he will not want to leave this place once he stepped in!

Where is it that I am talking about....

Gourmet Cafe - 455 Shaanxi Bei Lu, near Beijing Xi Lu.

An English owned "cafe" that sells only burger. What a surprising find since I had always thought burger is an american thing and a cafe will be like selling sandwiches and pastries but this cafe sells burgers. But maybe that's why, the burger patty is yummy, i am sure it is made from a good quality meat. And the burger is non-greasy. And ever heard of a vegetarian burger... I had one before made from tofu but the ones here are very innovative: aubergiene with goat cheese and toasted tomatoes, i dun mind being a vegetarian for a day! And they are named so creatively... Lamburghini for a lamb burger... how yummy eh... makes you wonder what the rest of the names are? My only regret that I discovered this place so late, BUT never too late to try to go through all the burgers in their menu. The mini tasting burgers that they incorporated into the menu is an amazing idea- not only that they are so cute but they are a good indication of what to order next time. Also the fact that all of them were good gives a good indication that this place's menu is generally good!

I will definitely be coming back for more burgers! And those yummy garlic french fries! YuM!

Lao Tian Di - Taikang Road (French Concession)

老天地-also more known as 泰康路: is basically old lane houses (and i mean really small lane) that has been transformed to art galleries, stores, cafe's, restaurants, and a hang-out place! It is a brilliant idea- to whoever started it to promote keeping a local environment with an international taste!

My favourite time of the year to visit this place is on a sunny Sunday Spring morning, sitting at one of the cafes while sipping a cup of latte and people watching. I love the art galleries as well and the shops are tacky!

I have visited this place several times in the last couple of months and there's always something new that I discover.

Taikang Road is Shanghai's best kept gem!

Donghu Road (French Concession)

Donghu Road (东胡路) - the East Lake Road. The road is about 500 metres long... there could be a lake here before but I am just speculating.

This road has been my "second" home for the last 6 months. My office is located on this road... strangely enough I did not know this road exists till I went for my 1st interview in the company that I am working for now.

What's famous on this road is the Donghu Hotel. Consisting of seven separate buildings, it takes up most of the area in Donghu Road... trees and flowers surround the buildings, making this road graceful and pleasant to walk on.

The other bits that I love about Donghu Rd is the El Willy's corner. Not apparently visible from the main road, one needs to go in through the little tube to see the old two storey house where El Willy is. A Spanish Restaurant, that I must recommend for their tapas and rice dishes and also for using the freshest ingredients for their dishes, this place also has a wine bar at the back and a little shop consisting of little cube shelves for anyone/ burgeoning artists who would like to sell their stuff but has no proper store yet. On saturdays 11 to 2pm they also have a farmer's market- a few tables selling really really good tasting vegetables! I can testify for this!

My office is in the old villa across diagonally to El Willy's. An old building where I bet is gonna turn into something spectacular (hopefully) in the next 6 months. Our office space in the Old Villa building has been taken over by the owner because they want to do something to it. So... I would be re-locating next month.

I feel that Donghu Road is a little unknown gem in the French concession... the Cheng Cheng Restaurant- all in blue is a very unique thematic restaurant. Jenny's Bar- nice and quiet if one wants to enjoy a drink without the crowd. The florist shop next to it... is just the perfect complement to the whole street. One can usually find themselves hearing to nice music on this road thanks to the sidestreet CD sellers. I love Donghu Road. Hence this post is wholly dedicated to her!