Melancholic tang poetry on shikumen walls
Somewhere in the labyrinth of shikumen lanes between Jinan Lu (济南路) and Hefei Lu (合肥路), the soundtrack of longtang living was underway: the clanging of spatulas against sizzling…
alleys
Winter walking
It was only a few weeks ago, the cold and dampness of Shanghai’s winter had gotten to me in the worst possible way. Hibernation swiftly took over and…
Say it loud, but say what?
When someone writes anything ugly or inflammatory on public walls, it doesn’t take long for the authorities or the local committee to come along with a paintbrush to…
Introducing The Roving Exhibit
It has been more than a month and a half since I embarked on what I have titled Shanghai Street Stories: The Roving Exhibit. I have refrained from…
Insert thought bubble here
Sometimes, there is nothing worse than having someone notice you with a camera. Or when you hit a low point in your photography for the day. There are times…
Retrospect: No longer their city
I received a text message recently I thought note worthy. It was from this old man in his 60s who was living in Hongkou, a site along Haimen Lu (海门路) I…
We are but a shirtless belly away
We flung outselves into Spring’s embrace a few days ago under sun-soaked rays, light breezes and an explosion of blooming flowers. Other signs make it hard to…
Family business
Children are excellent sales people at the market. Adorable ones attract browsing customers, even if you’re just selling garlic and ginger. To call this grandmother’s place of merchandise…
Lining up the tiles
He had a smirk on his face that came as quick as it disappeared. A winning hand perhaps? It was hard to tell with the room thick with…
Next door, next to go
If you walked by too quickly, you would have missed her. A crowd had gathered to watch an ongoing demolition of a row of old houses. Some were…