Vice Anniversary

Congrats Bryan!

Peanut Butter Wolf @ Shelter

https://soundcloud.com/pbwolf

Rattan To Go!

This rattan chair stacking talent is, in and of itself, a pretty impressive display. However, it's nowhere near the awesomeness of this iconic Malacca Rattan furniture commercial that was an important part of my childhood. If you grew up in Vancouver, B.C. in the 80's, you will definitely remember this. Catchiest jingle ever. "It's Malacca for the money. Wicker for the show. Fabrics to get ready baby. Rattan, to go!" See, I already can't stop singing it!

Chasin' Tail

Three month old jaguars at the Shanghai Zoo.

Some people are gonna say the zoo here is not bad, as far as zoos go (it's actually quite scenic with lots of trees, and a big park and lake in the middle). Others are gonna say zoos are cruel in general, but particularly in China where people have no compassion for the animals. Yes, I did see people being dickheads - spitting on the crocodiles to try and get them to react (I was this close to spitting on the guy), banging the sh*t out of the glass in the turtle tank (they're not gonna move any faster motherf*cker, THEY'RE TURTLES!), and feeding the bears junk food, so there's all sorts of garbage in their little habitat.

I didn't know how I felt about it. Living here in China this long, I already expected that sort of behaviour going in, so I just rolled my eyes, and mumbled 'wtf' a lot. I knew getting all huffy and righteous about it was gonna ruin my day, so I just tried to ignore it as best I could. It felt wrong though not to try to make change or speak up, even though it would inevitably fall on deaf ears. What does that make me for not standing against what I think is wrong? Is leading by example the only thing I can do in this situation, or is that just a cop out?..

Kendrick and the Doctor

As part of the Beats By Dre promotion in Asia, Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar came through Shanghai to perform last night at Cuvve. My friends organized the event and did Dre and Kendrick's PR for their China leg of the tour, so we got hooked up with the VIP (thanks R.X., D.M., C.L. and J.L.) and were at the Beats tables. The club was rammed to the hot and sweaty hilt, so we were fortunate not to have to deal with gen pop. Dre didn't actually perform, and Kendrick only did 3 songs before they bounced. But we had free booze and got gifted a pair of headphones, so I wasn't complaining.

D.M., was great to see you up in Shanghai and catch up over dinner. I miss our Hong Kong days..

The Way Of Taste

I was craving something a little sweet after dinner, so I walked down to the All Days and bought this herbal jelly thing:

Upon opening it, I found under the lid what appeared to be a very zen set of instructions for reaching enlightenment through convenience store desserts..

I can appreciate the effort, but perhaps the way to spiritual awakening is lost in translation.

15 Minutes Eternal

"In the future, everybody will be world-famous for 15 minutes."

- Andy Warhol -

Went to check out the Andy Warhol 15 Minutes Eternal exhibition at the Power Station of Art. Everyone knows his Marilyn Monroes and Campbell's Soup cans. But it was interesting to learn of his early works and see his progression to eventually become an icon of pop art and pop culture.

It was my first time to the Power Station, and I was amazed with the space. As the name implies, the museum was originally a power plant built in 1897, and was converted as one of the pavilions during the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

Well Hung

Ok, dried fish, no problem.  Fowl I can kind of deal with.  But a pig's snout??..  What the HELL are you supposed to do with that?  I know there's this movement towards non-waste and 'nose-to-tail' eating, but I don't think they meant literally.

On a different note, homie's colour coordination game is pretty tight.

Greatness is Fleeting

"No matter how great you are, the next great one is already sitting there waiting to take your place."

- Joe Theismann -

Zhujiajiao

Zhujiajiao (朱家角) which literally means "Zhu family corner", is an ancient water town located on the outskirts of Shanghai.  Dating back over 1700 years, there are a total of 36 walking bridges that cross the numerous waterways lining the town.  From Shanghai, you can get there by public bus in about an hour for only US$1.  Once there, you can spend the afternoon wandering the lanes, checking out the little shops, having tea by the riverbank, and trying some local food.  It's a nice way to do something a little different outside of the city.

Mama Said Knock You Off

I haven't seen this level of fake awesomeness since the early 90's! Most knock-off operations these days have up'd their game to make product that actually looks like the real deal.  These guys keep it O.G. though, with the one-off letter spelling (who's gonna notice the difference, right?), and slapping that logo on anything made of pleather that they can get their hands on.  Maybe there'll be a resurgence in these classics. AAAA Grade fakes are so passe anyway.  Quit being a poser.  Either man up and buy the real thing, or just get one of these that says "I don't give a f*ck".

Trashy To Classy

The urban renewal and gentrification in Shanghai seems never ending, as the city continues to grow and evolve.  It's a common sight these days: the juxtaposition of run-down, low-income housing, with shiny, new office buildings and luxury apartment complexes towering over them in the background.

Something's Fishy

It's okay to eat fish because they don't have any feelings.

- Kurt Cobain -

Give Me A Reason

New piece I did for my living room.

Squatters

No, it's not an Olympic sign directing you to the Standing Long Jump event.

Wuzhen

Wuzhen (乌镇) is a historic water town on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, a couple hours outside of Shanghai in neighbouring Zhejiang Province.  Spent the weekend strolling the small lanes, drinking tea along the banks of the canals, and imagining the idyllic life back in the day.. (well, I also imagined having a kung-fu fight in the streets to defend my family's honour..)

The town is over 1300 years old, and has been carefully restored to maintain it's heritage.  Although the town's primary source of income now is tourism, for the 12,000 residents, daily life remains relatively simple, and hasn't changed too much from days past.

The area is known for indigo dyeing of silk fabric.  As well as pickled vegetables and rice wine.

Worth a visit for a weekend away from the hustle and bustle of Shanghai.

Shanghai Skyline

In Passing..

Shanghai Climb

This is where I was yesterday, standing on top of the Lupu Bridge, which spans the Huangpu River and connects the east and west sides of Shanghai. At the time it was built in 2003, it was the longest arch bridge in the world.

Visitors to the "Shanghai Climb" (as the attraction is called) take an elevator from ground/river level up to the road level of the bridge. From there, you can climb the 367 steps along the arch to a viewing platform at the very top, 110 meters above the river, allowing for a 360 degree, panoramic view of the city.

More info here.

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Sail on Silver Girl, 
Sail on by 
Your time has come to shine 
All your dreams are on their way 

See how they shine 
If you need a friend 
I'm sailing right behind 
Like a bridge over troubled water 
I will ease your mind 
Like a bridge over troubled water 
I will ease your mind

- Simon & Garfunkel -