Thankfully, it’s 2012! I hate the last days of a year around 27 – 30 December, it’s like the end of a party where there’s no one left – you’ve missed the midnight fatty-grab and have nothing but flat Coke and the cold prospect of a lonely walk to console yourself with.

So what did you do on New Year’s Eve? Ah wait, I don’t care. While some were intensely carefully choosing which outfit (complete with statement headpiece, natch), which venue and commemorative Facebook profile photo would define them as a person, some parents went to far more exclusive reaches; being at home in bed is my kind of VIP access, with a pretty elite membership of two to three, depending on time of day and how bad Dad smells.

So while there are only 361 days to prepare next year’s ego-busting night, and only about one or two days left to ask others “what did you do?”, for the sole reason of waiting to be asked what you did (I guarantee it was VIP) – let’s talk about more family-related affairs.

In last fortnight’s (not last week’s, I’m being more exclusive now) entry, I showed some family favourites – but I forgot Best Supermarket. Nonetheless, City Super in LJZ is a hands-down winner. Where else can you get good quality fish for around 25 – 40+ RMB a piece, very well-priced Australian beef, (clean) duck breasts, rabbit legs (yes!) and more? It’s the only medium to large supermarket in the city that has actual service while the prices are not hiked up.

Somewhere that does add extra RMB to every item is the blt supermarket in Laya Plaza.

Laya Plaza has a very good baby / kid shop on the 3rd floor, right by the play areas. It has a wide selection of milk bottles and the like – including high-quality NUK glass milk bottles, if you dislike plastic.

The blt supermarket in the basement saves itself by having the best beer in the city: California Acme Pale Ale. I’d only seen this before in New York Steak & Burger, but blt has it for 18 RMB a bottle.

So beer-y, so real, so fully tasty from first sip to swallow – just a delight. But don’t buy it all please!