Mondays are our days off. Just about nobody at school works on Mondays, so by around 16h00 on Sunday afternoon, there is a palpable feeling of "weekend" in the air. By the time we all leave the office at around 17h00 - 17h30, a sense of euphoria prevails. Everybody has plans, and many pre-planned get-togethers are about to come true.
Mau and I have kinda slipped out of the staff party thingie on Sunday nights as, invariably, they involve long taxi treks to another side of town, very expensive beers as the haunts frequented are mostly touristy and thus priced accordingly. We have come to prefer the local as in Chinese and local as in around our flat.
Also, being home bunnies, we really do enjoy simply schlumfing in front of the TV or the computer with a beer or two. So, that was where we ended up Sunday, two nights ago. Home.
We had a few beers, and the next morning slept in. Planning to go for a walk along a tributary of the Huangpo River (the river you have seen on the photos), we left the house around lunch time.
Now I have to explain that about two weeks ago, a new skyscraper (about 50 storeys high, and that is small for around here) opened up outside our flat's entrance, and a helluva lot of shops, including Gucci, have moved into the new building. So, as we exited our flat on the way to the little tributary, we noticed a sign for a new Italian (nogal!!) Restaurant having opened on the 3rd floor. We immediately decided to investigate.
We were rather sceptical, for one of the other "Italian" Rest's in town is nothing like Italian, and the food is pretty shitey. But, my gosh, were we pleasantly surprised with the new one.
There is Italian music, the food IS Italian (or very close to it), delicious and bespotlikly cheap.
A glass of red wine is R5, a seafood pasta is R11, as is a seafood risotto. A Penne Pasta tossed in pesto with some fresh veg, R8!!!! Garlic snails go at R11. And those of you who know us, know how we feel about garlic snails. We have not been able to find them here, yet ... until now.
So, for R45, we can have a starter, a main course and wine. For the both of us. Incredible. And this is really quality food.
We can cook at home for about 2/3's of that, but getting home from the school, like tonight, at 20h30, no one feels like spending an hour or two in front of the stove, and then having to do the dishes. So, this will be where we eat from now on on those two nights of the week when we work late.
Happy days, indeed.
O yes, the building is called The Peace. Fashion. Plaza. Full stops and all!!!! One thing these people must do ... learn how to spell.
