Month: July 2021

When The Cheesecake Factory Came to Town…Again

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The Cheesecake Factory has actually been “in” Shanghai since June 2016, but you had to endure Shanghai Disney Resort to eat there. As avid readers of this blog (are there any?) may recall, we went to Shanghai Disney Resort a few years back but only stayed a few hours there. It was hot, crowded, and the in-laws didn’t have a lot of stamina. But somehow, without my knowledge, they managed to open another restaurant just this past June 2021 and right next door to Shanghai Starbucks Reserve Roastery. I really don’t know how they snuck under my ever-watchful eye for Continue Reading →

Death Takes Two Holidays

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Some of the prettiest parks around Shanghai are rarely used but for two events a year: Memorial Day and QingMing (Tomb Sweeping) Festival. This is one of them. A cemetery located in the Qingpu District (which I found to be a beautiful, quickly developing part of Shanghai) just on the edge of that district. And far away from any significant population. Why? Because many Chinese, especially the older generation, are dreadfully afraid of the dead. Which is really a pity that a park like this is only visited either when someone dies, or during those two specific holidays. The entrance Continue Reading →

When Five Guys Came to Town

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Not to be outdone by Popeyes, and eager to cash in on their success, Five Guys Burgers came to Shanghai the first week of May, 2021. The response was even bigger than Popeyes (IMO). The above photo was taken on May 5th, 2021 @ 14:05 (2 in the afternoon) and the line still extended way out the door with an even longer line inside. Needless to say, I didn’t stick around to get a bite. The crazy part is this restaurant, their first in China, is one of the most expensive sections of the city, on the first floor of Continue Reading →