Sight and Sound Around Town. Part III

Undercover

Over the past few years, there was a spat of Hong Kong movies with regard to undercover plots or themes, like the poster shot (no pun intended here!) I was standing in front of. Somehow, catering to another generation or so, these movies are none other than the remakes or dead ringers from Hollywood, and so are those many undying cinematic shots and ever-renewable acting. Although increasing popularity in US in early 1980s, even now the Asian song industries have heatedly caught on with vivacious hip hops and tongue twisting raps. It is even more amusing to have found out that one of the famous rappers from Run-DMC is now a missionary with a very decent family, as I read from Newsweek.

Fluttering and Cluttering

A common sight and smacked right in the middle of Shanghai everywhere, the very unsightly fluttering and cluttering of the exterior reveals the cram interior, always under lit and gloomy, smaller than habitable spaces inside the building. The fluttering utility lines, inconsistent awning types, heaps of planters on balconies, before unaccounted and unexpected need for air-conditioning units as society becomes more affluent and affordable, those dangling mops that the lower floors would hate to realize the drippings: all constitute the city's visual pollution in their respective building facades.

Back Lane
Usually known personally to the locals and since it is out of sight of the main street, back lane immediately off the residential neighborhood provide many neighborhood residents to access inexpensive dining and other conveniences, and to pick up on time hush hush of the day. With access route maximized in use, this semi public back lane or corner serves as an entrepreneurial space. Like many other similar places, the only downside about this environment is its unsanitary conditions. Not civic-minded, irresponsible vendors frequently chuck unwanted onto the streets, leaving the mess and responsibility to the street cleaners. We all need a clean environment and we all need to take part in making a better place for all.


Jeremy
November 1st 2006

Sight and Sound Around Town, Part II

A Lanky Building

If I were not to take a rest closer to the building after some long hours of enjoying scenery and walking on the street, and a very astonishing discovery, this building is a sure attention getter. A slim block narrowly set on site, the designer had taken on some challenging mission to maximize the building design. In fact, it is precisely this difficult situation that fancy mind blasting would be let loose and resulting in creative design. Since its larger planar facade is fronting the street, most passers-by would have somehow easily missed out the rising and towering, lanky but quite an elegant architectural beauty.

LV

Like any other trailing name brands, Louis Vuitton has also staked its market niche in China. Many international brands have elected to launch their individual brands or flagship stores here in Shanghai. Building designed by either KPF or HOK (need to check accuracy for fact) of USA, the Plaza 66 on Nanjing Road is the haven and heaven for many leading brands. Of course, few could actually afford the brands, hence the ubiquitous less than poor quality with misspellings imitations seen all over the streets of Shanghai. Plaza 66's interior is definitely of international caliber; each of the stores is a sure bet of international design standards. Nice storefronts, nice logo design, nice brand names and, simply very nice design. Of course, checking out those whopping price tags causes eyes popping and heart pounding at the same time. Plaza 66 is similar to the Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles. I am also priced out.

Electrical Panels
These neatly lined electrical panels revealed the number of family housed within the building. Multi-family housing is a very common sight in Shanghai. The interior spaces of these large buildings, to be exact, are divided or sub-divided, further dissected and separated (to use a few accurate verbs to describe historical make shifts). The building serves several families or extended families, related or not. The staircase could be so steep; a doorway may be partitioned into two halves, serving as two entries for two families; and another mezzanine floor added to the already small interior. Out of the picture, a panel was found dislodged, apparently due to bills not paid for a long time.


Jeremy
October 25th 2006

Sight and Sound Around Town, Part I

Recruits

Dated August 8th, 2006, the recruit notice to be enlisted into army was posted at the entry of a neighborhood along Central Huaihai Road. In accordance, any one in between the age of 18 and 24, men or women, regardless of career, religion, ethnicity or educational background, looking for job or on the job, may register to join the army. Of course, several relevant documents such as personal ID or proof of registered residential address are required during registration. Blah-blah-blah...so much more to toe the line!

Qi-pao
In her kneeling prayer position and dressed in undersized qi-pao for her oversized drumstick limbs, a nifty looking ceramic woman was displayed at a storefront, the glass of which dramatically reflects montage of deciduous Phoenix trees and building from across the street. Qi-pao is actually an ethnic costume of the Qi folks, originally roaming over the northeastern region of China. Qi folks established the Qing Dynasty after their leaders dethroned the Ming Dynasty. They had then ruled China for nearly 400 years until the Nationalist took over about 95 year ago and in 1911. After revitalization and customized, Qi-pao is now a common dressing and taken as the representative Chinese gowns for many Chinese women. Nowadays, they prefer wearing jeans or t-shirt to Qi-pao; however, it is but usually reserved for formal occasion.

A wall painting
A sleepy fishing village just several hundreds years ago; it was an insignificant town even later on. Few critical history and events happened in this city. As a port city located at the river mouth of the Long River, Shanghai rose to its current regional, national and international stature only until the recent time. On the wall and immediately next to the door of a small wooden toyshop, the painting somehow depicts peoples from around the world, reflecting the cosmopolitan nature of Shanghai.


Hu Fuming (1891-1927)
Located in front of the Luwan District Library, the bust tells about Hu Fuming. Hu was from Wuxi, Jiangsu. In 1910, he was admitted to the Social Science Department of Cornell; in 1916, he was a graduate student at Harvard. In the following year, he became the first Chinese at the University and the first Mathematician of China to receive the Ph.D. He was one of the founders of the Science magazine as well as the Science Society of China. The library was proposed named after him as the Fuming Library for Hu's contributions in the arena of science of China.

Jeremy
October 25th 2006

Plum, Peach and Cherry Blossoms: Spring Ritual

Peach Blossoms 桃花 (above)
Magnolia denudata, the City Flower of Shanghai 玉兰花 (above)

Prunus mume or Plum Blossoms 梅花 (above)

Prunus serrulata or Cherry Blossoms or 樱花 with Jinmao Tower as backdrop (above)

That has come and gone was the Vernal Equinox, the Arrival of Spring as precisely noted by the Chinese Farmer's Almanac; in other words, when day and night splitted evenly. Temperature fluctuates dramatically day after day, roller coasting week after week. All are vulnerable to this drama of nature, with many fell victim and became ill due to this seasonal pollination process. The warming trend really oozes out new lime green shoots or refreshing leaves; flowers are ferociously blooming everywhere. The mushrooming effects really drive all wild about the beauty all around; it is the talk of the town. Cameras are now so frequently aimed, with cuddling poses and toothy smiling everywhere. This is Spring.

Those blossoms are so meticulous, impeccable and ceremonious. Awesome is another description, depicting my wordless and intrinsic reaction. It's so unbelievable to see that these flowers fill up or decorate the entire trees. Peach (tao in Chinese), plum (mei) and cherry (ying) flowers: they are everywhere. The plum flowers are already nearly out of its season while peach and cherry flowers are both in for now. Many passers-by found them naturally gravitated towards the beauties of nature. While I was like any others hurrying to search out for the same stunning beauty, I found myself not very well understood about these different types of flowers. I could not accurately distinguish them apart other than after reading the general description of the species displayed on wooden signage, set low on the ground by the selected trees. I should take more time to burrow into some encyclopedia to seriously read more about these flowers. Nature is so interesting; I am thrilled.

For me, the warming trend is a welcome relief, like being so graciously served a palatable cup of latte Bali coffee while sitting quietly by the road side café and in the ever slow pace Bali city of Indonesia. Now I do not have to coup up in bed soon after work, shower, and dinner in the evenings. I am relieved. I am more active as well as more readings are done. Along the way more house cleaning is properly checked: corners with collected shreds are picked, floors are scrubbed with polish, dust rested on walls is removed.

That's Right! 'Tis the time for serious Spring cleaning.

So much for the indoor activities, hence, the uncontrolled urge of dying to break out after suffering of cabin fever over this mild winter. Thank goodness that the Sun has just been so darling to all. Various design and colorful kites are dotting the sky, while on ground lines are so often crossed. These accidental entanglements are due to erroneous approach or ignorance in flying kites, of course, coupled with shrieks and screams – and all these incidents are actually more of the consequences from adults. Perhaps, I should have blamed the messed-up on Spring, and not on those who picked up the kites from the wandering and mingling vendors pushing their trades or vices amongst the building crowd.

Curious at all things big and small, chubby kids are freely hopping, jumping, running, rolling and tumbling all over. Being contained at home several months due to cold, now that Spring truly liberates the animal in them. However, some kids are so sweetly clinging after their individual elders and constantly begging for successful undivided attention. They are now easily bought ice creams, served with tit-bits, provided with water to quell the thirst. Families in pacts are all ready to be out there; they are always in groups eating, sharing, or mutually engaging in their joyous and intimate moments. Many young adults are seemingly in inseparable embracing positions; many of them seem to gel into each other. With many naturally falling in line and standing by to watch the free and speedy show, with some kids in their latest fully dressed gears skateboarding to generously display their various tricky maneuvering skills. Time to sweat it all out in all their hyperactive actions. Some others are found respectively doing solo reading or dozing off in secluded and shaded corners. Young and younger ones are more into in-line skating and they seem to be very good at it. They all naturally fall into clockwise rotation, striving, swerving, heaving, and so far without direct head-ons as passers-by crossing the 'track' that encircles the Century Plaza.

The Century Plaza is truly the hub that coagulates and explodes with activities, with peoples in all sorts of teeming motional and emotional activities. And my heart is singing while others are louder.

Now, this is Spring rite.

Jeremy
Thursday, March 30th, 2006


P/s

For those who are interested in nomenclatures of flowers, the following website in Chinese contains large amount of interests.:
http://blogger.org.cn/blog/more.asp?name=njucs&id=10170

A Literary Giant: Lu Xun

Uchiyama was Lu Xun's Japanese pal and the former then ran a bookstore, now a bank at Hongkou. Picture on right shows Uchiyama was also permanently frozen into the history of Duolun Road, the place where Chinese leftist writers then was active and now upgraded into a cultural street.

The 18.15m tall Xi-shi Bell Tower. The name of the tower is derived from another Lu Xun's famous novel Morning Flowers Gathered in the Evening.

The tiles for butterfly eaves and the typical Shanghai housing with stone framed doorways.

Hybridized architectural design of Chinese and Western influence, the church is capped with Chinese roof but medieval superstructure.

A villa subdivided into multi-family use and in organization unlike the mass housing as shown below.

With his unmistakable trademark mustache (Chaplin, eat your heart out!), Lu Xun (pron. Loo-She-in) has now passed on for 70 years since Oct. 19th, 1936. He was a leftist writer and he was only 56. He is now THE Mr. Lu. Though never the Beatle mania frenzy of 1960s (out-right poor use of analogy, Jeremy!), an estimated 20,000 mourners from the social elite as well as the nether regions had attended the solemn and grieving funeral, and the procession lasted for two hours and for several miles. This week, very few highly publicized formal activities including the literary circles themselves are seen here to rap his lifetime achievement in literary contribution as well as others, a rather settled delivery to remember his life moments.

In fact, Lu Xun is his pen name. Lu Xun's legacy lives on in China, perhaps, for the rest of the world. He is famed for his poetic line – in unbending eyebrows coldly facing thousands of pointing fingers, and would rather stoop like a calf. Well, what does this mean? Let me flex my skill in explication, and pardon me if it's not crisply explained. This is the story - in the pastoral landscape that still can be found in outlying areas, there was a kind of playful games where an adult would dress up as an ox to wow the feisty kids, as the calves. The poetic line was such that a righteous person is walking tall, serving people and peoples, and against all odds. A few of his cornerstone novels such as Scream, The Diary of a Wild Man and Mr. Q, to name a few, in turn, aggregately serve to define Lu Xun himself as a thinker. I'd rather let you explicate your personal understanding of the mentioned line and the rest.

Lu Xun has indelibly dented his presence in Shanghai, though not born but died here. He lived around the current day Hongkou District, nearby Duolun Road or Hongkou Stadium. A relatively large green park over there is named after him, the Lu Xun Park – for his connection to history of Shanghai and China, considering his thinking had influenced much of his contemporaries and the later generations.

Here's one of Lu Xun's parables: A bat attempts to join the animals but rejected for the bat has wings. The bat tries luck to join in the birds but also not received for the bat has four limbs. Yet, you and me - four limbs and without wings. Catch the drift? Let me know.


Jeremy
Shanghai, October 20th, 2006

Painting the Town: Sunday in the People's Park with Jeremy

Sitting on the grass and waiting for her family to come around in the Renmin Park or People's Park, a minority woman was in her pensive and aloof corner. The photo was taken with long distance zoom to avoid intruding but capturing her well struck up private moment. She could easily be transformed as the principal subject of an artist, and especially in an oil painting commonly found during the Dutch Renaissance. With her neatly tucked headscarf, she could be from the Moslem background. As I was closing in near her, I took notice of her very delicate facial features; she had such a fair and refined complexion. Not long after, in a group of four others, young and middle aged, her family met her as I walked by her. In their dialect, they all broke into upbeat and joyful conversation, and speedily gone in the other direction, soon out of sight.

A minority woman of Chinese National

Withered lilies and duckweeds

A pond was full of withered lilies in this late autumn. Still lushly green in appearance, the pervasively growing duckweeds formed a floating layer and filled up the pond surface, preventing sunlight from penetrating into the water below. With oxidation process disrupted and lesser oxygen produced over time, the duckweeds would suffocate the lily roots and other living organisms; the pond will eventually 'die' or turn into disuse. Workers are frequently seen hauling away those duckweeds with net hoops. In the literal setting of China, those withered lilies are metaphorically likened to be the decline of statehood, a demoralized personality, or as a sign of decadence. Historically, hence, very few artists, and rather, almost none of them would take withered lilies as their painting subject matter. A lily is a lily is a lily, however, it is part of our biological life.

Doing elephant dance.

Returning to visit the 6th Shanghai Biennale Art Exhibition for the second time and on Sunday, I spent another four hours having a wild time inside the Shanghai Art Museum. A large curvilinear plane full of frilly and zig-zagging, random and irregular but still images splashed on it, the interactive presentation had thrilled many. This brought plenty of playful moments for all. Setting in the mood, feisty kids let loose were practically jumping up and down, running back and forth in front of the backdrop, though barricaded at a distance away. The brightly lit wide screen served cinematic and sensational experiences for many to take photos although most likely all would be in silhouettes. For me, I seized my chance to do an elephant walk and acting funny in the shadow.

With some dummies set against the wall, this entry was also a big draw to the big crowd in the Museum. At human scale, they were all so real but 'eerie'. Many would stand by these dummies, gaze at them or tempted to touch them, but always prohibited by the Museum staffs. Irresistible, I had my fair share of wild moments.

Some cheeky modeling moments.

Which one of them is not real? Haha...

Melded into the 'Broken CD' and you can't see me...!

After the cold front blasted the city over the weekend, and causing mist and heavy overcast all day on Sunday, the temperature has since dipped dramatically to the low 20s. It is also very chilly to be out during mid-day. Shanghai is expecting an official arrival of autumn by this week. Many are seen with long sleeves and some top with overcoats, with arms folding and fingers crumpled in the other palm. As in the song, "...though we've gotta say goodbye to the summer..."

Jeremy
Shanghai, October 23rd, 2006

The Wildly Funny Boy

Heeeeeere's Fai-boy in his wilder than wild, funny than funnier expressions.

The world is brighter than the sun when he is wild and funny.

We all miss ya! We all luv ya!

at Wangsa Maju, K.L.

May 2005