My Perfect Weekend with etiquette expert Sara Jane Ho

Who: Chinese etiquette expert Sara Jane Ho, the host of the Netflix reality series Mind Your Manners (2022), who teaches women to become the best versions of themselves using etiquette and social fluency.

The 38-year-old Hong Kong native was in town this week to promote her first book, Mind Your Manners, published in April. It imparts lessons on how best to act in every aspect of life, from friendships to dating to travelling.

Ho –who used to be a competitive equestrian show jumper – also recently launched Antevorta Laboratories, a feminine hygiene brand inspired by traditional Chinese medicine.

She splits her time between Shanghai – where she lives with her 52-year-old husband in the French Concession residential area – New York City and Los Angeles.

“My weekend in Shanghai starts on Friday night. I’ll have dinner and drinks with friends in the French Concession before checking out the latest nightclub.

My top neighbourhood bar is Senator Saloon in Wuyuan Road. It’s a great place for drinks, and it just gets you in the mood.

For clubbing, my favourite place right now is Kezee in Fuxing Park. It’s huge and has live music with a light show in the background.

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On Saturday, I like to sleep in until 9am. When I wake up, I stay in bed for an hour or two, reading the news and playing on my phone.

I do intermittent fasting, so I don’t eat breakfast. For brunch, I love visiting RAC Coffee in Anfu Road with my husband.

It’s a casual place with great food but insanely difficult to get a table at, so I usually text the owner, who is a long-time friend, to get in. It’s the best place to see and be seen, so I’ll always bump into someone I know there.

My afternoon activities vary between swimming, tennis and yoga. I absolutely love food, so it’s important for me to exercise and stay fit.

I’m also a big power walker, so I’ll definitely fit in a two-hour power walk with a girlfriend no matter what city I’m in. It’s the best way to catch up while getting some exercise.

Saturday nights are date nights. My husband is a typical Chinese businessman whose schedule is always in flux, so it’s difficult to make plans in advance.

We often walk from our place to restaurants he or his friends own for dinner.

Sunday is my self-care day. In the morning, I alternate between going to my chiropractor and acupuncturist.

Two weekends ago though, I had my dream morning while at my friend’s country house in Ipoh, Malaysia.

Sara Jane Ho, who used to be a competitive equestrian show jumper, riding one of her friend’s polo ponies in Ipoh, Malaysia. PHOTO: SARA JANE HO

She has a polo stable with 20 horses, so I rolled out of bed, walked 100m to her stable, and a horse was ready for me. We went for a hack on her polo ponies and it was so amazing.

She also has a chicken coop where we collected hen eggs after and had them for breakfast. It reminded me of my childhood staying on farms in Australia with my family.

For me, going back to nature is the ultimate luxury.”