The Chinese tourist in Shanghai
“Come on a cruise on the Huangpu River! Buy your tickets here!” a pimply teenager in a sweat-soaked vest droned loudly into the bustling crowd, “Our deals offer…
Shanghai
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…
My pick of Shanghai’s cafes: A SPRMRKT collaboration
In addition to my current exhibit “Bazaars of Kyrgyzstan” at SPRMRKT which runs through to September, I wanted to share a little about a creative collaboration I did with SPRMRKT’s…
Scribbling on street photography
For those in mainland China, I trust you had a pleasant break over the absurdly arranged Dragonboat Festival holiday (we got Monday to Wednesday off after a 7…
The worker’s ferry across the Huangpu
The weekend was mostly gloomy and wet though offering a comforting blanket for a restful two days best enjoyed with a quiet cup of tea and movie du jour. But for…
An encounter with laundry … and a wall
It’s odd to see the screaming pronouncements “WASH! IRON!” through a sea of laundry along a busy alley. Sunday afternoon meant residents were out in the streets, and hanging every piece of…
Instagram glory
I confess that nowadays, the Iphone has become de facto of a wieldy DSLR despite my occasional dissatisfaction with the output quality of my old Iphone. My recent…
The first step is the hardest … and we’re back
The silence has been deafening around here, no? The guilt that has ballooned over my absence from the blog nags at me constantly, only made worse when I…
Book Review and Giveaway of “Shanghai Shikumen” (上海里弄文化地图)
UPDATE: Congratulations to Patrick, the 10th commentator! Random.org picked you out of 18 commenators. Drop me an email via the contact sheet and I will dispatch the book to…
Hunger pangs at Da Fu Gui (大富贵)
The discovery of Shanghainese snackhouse/ restaurant Da Fu Gui (大富贵) was an accidental delight. As adverse I am to crowds, hungry hordes are hard to ignore when delicious (hence popular)…