i always have trouble spelling cappuccino. 2 sequences of 2 p’s and 2 c’s? that’s just asking for trouble. plus, i don’t know of many decent cappuccinos in shanghai (it’s not you, mr. barista, it’s the coffee you use).

now, meet this cappuccino:

a real work of beauty, isn’t it? look, look:

*happy sigh*

also, there are milkshakes, some pastas, paninis and other simple things. and a cat. oh, and pizzas. with carrots in it.

all mingled in a strange bohemian/cozy decoration, that you don’t see too often around here. the ceiling is wallpapered with newspapers that have gone yellow, the cat has scratched all the sofas…

and yet, it feels right. i believe i could spend my days here, marveling at the photography books and magazines they have, working quietly, enjoying the soft brazilian music, patting the cat and sipping cappuccinos.

tired of the sterile cafés in shanghai too? the marienbad is on 55 wukang road (but really, it’s on the beginning of anfu road). enjoy!

well, yes. i loaded the holga with a roll of shanghai gp3 some weeks ago, only to forget all about it and go trigger happy on all the spring action happening around me… of course, spring isn’t as gorgeous when the film is black and white…

but i plan to take revenge this weekend, when we go to the botanical garden again!

this particular roll of film had a bit of horizontal scratching in some frames, and since it’s my first time with it, i wonder if the lab messed it up… or the quality is inferior and prone to scratching… or whether the holga is doing it, though it hasn’t happened before. anyway, it’s cheap (6rmb, €0.60!) and therefore good for experiences, and it’s called shanghai :) for sure i’ll be taking some with me when i go back.

walking around with the holga :)

there’s a new shop on dongxin road that sells make-up plus a panoply of useless yet very entertaining items. while inspecting them, i stumbled upon a few samples from the body shop, and bought a couple of them: coconut and mango body butter. it’s sooo hard to resist their scents and lovely packaging… *sigh*

when i got home, i checked their reviews on amazon (geeks shall be geeks after all). very moisturizing, smells divine, blablabla and then this:

I am a huge fan of the Body Shop and I absolutely *love* coconut, so I was really excited to try their new Coconut Body Butter. I was very disappointed, however, when I actually started using it. It claims to help your skin, but I’ve eaten it every single morning on my bagel and haven’t noticed any results for the past two weeks. Furthermore, it doesn’t taste very good. It smells fantastic, which is why I gave it 2 stars, but the taste isn’t as creamy or sweet as I would expect from a coconut butter.

I’m also disappointed that there is no nutritional information. It seems very high in fat, but I can only guess. I hope it’s not clogging my arteries.

i really hope so too! :D

anfu road, shanghai

so don’t give me any more excuses about that gloomy weather! :)

a sunny day comes around, and as if by a silent agreement, all the shanghai people spread their blankets to dry. some are left in chairs on the sidewalks, on bushes or hanging in long bambu sticks in front of their windows.

funny how this city can be so big, and yet so small… :)