These are a few of my 'recent' favorite things/places

1. Starbucks latte/mocha or Sustagen chocolate --- keeps me awake.
2. Xujiahui, St. Ignatius Cathedral --- Chinese mass with English Gospel translation.
Xujiahui (pronounced as shoe-jah-way) is the site of Shanghai's oldest Western settlement --- a Jesuit centre started by a Chinese Catholic, Paul Xu, in the early 17th century. Xu was a high-ranking Ming official and a committed scholar, who had converted to Catholicism. He donated some of his land in Xujiahui (meaning 'gathering place of the Xu family') to the Church and invited Jesuit missionaries to take up residence.

3. Jinmao Tower --- good food + good view = perfect.
It has 88 stories, claiming the title of the world's highest hotel.

4. Lujiazui Park --- lake + flowers + grass = 1 scenic office route.
**Office - first building from the left.

5. Qi Pu Lu --- shoes, shoes, shoes.

6. MB Taxi --- who wouldn't want to ride in a Mercedes Benz taxi?!
**Fare is the same with ordinary taxis.

7. Xintiandi --- similar to Eastwood/Alabang Town Center.
Xintiandi (pronounced as shin-tien-dee) translates as 'New Heaven and Earth'. It's a celebration of modern Shanghai's ability to fuse old and new, East and West. Its 28 buildings, grouped into North and South blocks, are all examples of renovated or wholly reconstructed shikumen, or 'stone-grated' lane houses, a fusion of 19th century English terrace housing with south-of-the-Yangtze traditional Chinese residences.

Fave din-dins: Din Tai Fung, Crystal Jade, Haagen Dazs, Latina, Xin Jishi

8. Haagen Dazs --- yummy Belgian chocolate.

9. The Ascott --- very helpful and friendly staff.

10. TIME magazine --- 3 more editions to read...

11. Skyflakes --- sarap!

12. 'Best I'll Ever Be' by Sister Hazel (i miss you...i miss being overwhelmed by you...)