It’s that time of year again: October Golden Week Holiday. I like to call it “mini Chinese New Year” because it’s the only other time of the year where everyone gets out of Shanghai en-masse leaving the streets relatively quiet. The only bonus over Chinese New Year itself is that it doesn't include a million days of fireworks! So. Many. Fireworks.
If you are any proper sort of expat you’ll already have your bags packed to go somewhere fabulous - Bali, Thailand, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam! Unless you’re like me – one of the few expats who thought it would be lovely to stay home for the holidays.
I’m convinced that traveling around during the busy seasons is not all it’s cracked up to be. I mean, if I wanted to fight my way around crowds of tour groups, screaming kids, elbows to the boob by uncaring passerby’s, and exorbitant prices, I’d just spend the weekend at Yuyuan Gardens.
There is something about sticking around Shanghai during the holidays when everyone else returns to their hometowns that is crazy relaxing. The streets aren’t as congested, you can actually get into a good restaurant without making a reservation days ahead (though you can’t go cause you have your kids because ayi is gone - HA! Catch-22), and you can bike along the streets without fear that you will be hit by a taxi at any moment. Just kidding - you’ll totally still get hit by a taxi…it’s like they wait for you to turn the corner.
Here are some of my tips on what to do during the oh-so-quiet holiday at home:
- Take advantage of the fact that no one is on the Internet and download as much as you possibly can! Work out your VPN until you just can’t look at Facebook anymore and Skype everyone you know just because you can and you’ll never have Internet speeds this good again.
- Catch up on all of those fake DVD’s you bought from the corner DVD cart but never watched. On my list: Transformers: Age of Extinction (I keep trying to watch this and keep falling asleep…so bad…it’s just so bad…), Godzilla, Jersey Boys (when did this even come out in theatres??), and Blended (I love me some Sandler/Barrymore team-up!).
- Make many freezer recipes. By this I mean take the left overs from meals that your ayi cooked for you and put them in the freezer so you can stretch them out for the week. You have to maintain the home for the whole week so you’ve got to make sacrifices somewhere. And by “maintain” I mean pile up dishes, eventually needing to rely on take out containers to eat out of until ayi comes home.
- Take the time to really explore your neighborhood. I live in Jinqiao and for about nine months I was convinced that it was only five blocks long and reached from Carrefour to Big Bamboo. Turns out Jinqiao is pretty darn big, includes a huge mall (that isn't the Kerry Centre) and has a bunch of different stores and yummy looking restaurants. I plan on taking a walk and looking longingly into windows that will be dark (because all those people aren't working) vowing that I’ll be able to find it when they are open again…but knowing that I never ever will.
So if you made the decision to stay in Shanghai for the holiday enjoy the city while its relatively quiet and you can avoid the big crowds! Except in Yuyuan. I’m convinced it’s perpetually busy there because people are stuck in some sort of time loop, which never allows them to go home. Seriously why is that place always so busy?
xo
Niki
// Nicole Chia is Urban Family's mom blogger. Read all about this Canadian expat mama's adventures in Shanghai in her weekly posts.
