Save for my previous TAEBO exercise tapes, Physical Education Arnis classes back in college, I have never tried or taken a boxing class. When I told my husband back in Manila about wanting to get back into shape and exercise out (more like annihilate!) the annoying pressure point in my shoulder trap, he suggested martial arts. I thought to myself? Me? Martial arts? Never. I mean the thought of “kicking ass” like Scarlette Johannson as BlackWidow in Iron Man 2 so rocked but my pain tolerance wasn't exactly up to par. Even just threading my eyebrows could be such an accomplishment at times.

(Sissy alert!) But after listening to my dear hubby go on about how my background in dancing would really give me an edge with coordination and it would definitely get me fit quicker and also stronger. An added bonus it would allow me to release any pent up anger or frustration. (Come on, we all have them whether from our childhood, a tyrant boss or even sometimes a rude stranger bumping you on the back with her grocery cart!)

So I finally decided to give it a go. I tried a free trial with Ramsey Dewey at Tiger Muay Thai Kung Fu Club and then did a 100 RMB trial at Oz Body Fit gym. The first one was a semi-private class with two great Dolls Selvi and Karlijn (who are always ready to spar and kick ass and are very forgiving when my arms were not strong enough to hold up the brick-like pads at Muai Thai) and the second one with a group class at Oz Bodyf Fit. Both I would have to say got me sweating and aching (in a good way)!

The interior of Mythos is such a delight - all in white and Grecian blues, and split into a multi-level restaurant complete with fireplace and a roof-top dining area. It's modelled to be classically Aegean and you could say it's kitschy, but I find it quite adorable. The staff are polite and attentive and the tables are spaced well-apart so you're not interrupted by other loud diners. I like how our seats are large white lounges, so you can curl up whilst you eat. You can see a wonderful all-round view of the Mythos here.The food was good but not outstanding. We weren't reeling with gastronomic delight or anything, but the food was decent and it's a fantastic place to chill out with friends. We had a double date there with friends and it's the perfect place to lounge back on the sofas and have a natter. Other time we took Mom and Dad to Mythos. It was a stunnigly sunny day and instead of cosying up on the plush lounges indoors at night, we went up to the rooftop and ate under the blue sky. It's pretty amazing up there. Views spanning the Huangpu river and across to the huge buildings of the Bund, and just soaking in the sunshine after an incredibly long winter in Shanghai.

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Tucked away in the myriad of shops and cafes in Taikang Lu is Kommune. I love this place. Not because it's an Aussie joint and I'm biased, but because I love how it transforms from a cosy casual cafe by day... to a laid back pub by night. How very Australian! I'm a big fan of Taikang Lu itself - I like the cobblestone paths, the narrow alleyways, and the crazy maze that you can spend ages pottering around in, poking around at all the little shops and cafes. Kommune is fairly reasonably priced considering it's Western food, and the staff are friendly and efficient.

The cafe is small, and crammed with sofas and little rickety wooden benches you perch your food on. Their famous drink is, by far, their large coffee, which comes in a HUMONGOUS cup, basically a large bowl. It's a "triple size" coffee, and I could basically stick my whole head into the empty cup. Fabulous! We had the mocha and it was rich, creamy, and really hit the spot... considering it was sub-zero temperatures outside. 

As the Shanghai Dolls aims to be not only be a group who goes out to eat, drink and dance, we often have some events to instill a little culture into our members. One of these events was a painting class at [the studio] in  a sunny May  afternoon. Ok, don’t get me wrong it was an afternoon of painting while enjoying some nice wine, but culture was the main theme of the afternoon!

This kind of event is for a small group of up to 10 Dolls and is usually in high-demand. We started the afternoon with an introduction of what we were going to learn and then jumped right in! I know that all the girls there had an absolute ball and would love to do this type of class again.

If you don’t know about [the studio] it is a small art workshop/gallery that has regular classes for either children or adults. [the studio] has a group of artists utilizing the space, including painters, furniture designers and any other creative’s who mesh well with the group. It holds various activities from art classes, casual exhibitions, parties and anything else they feel is creative enough. [the studio] has a motto of express, inspire, create!

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