Gold Standard

Visiting one of the apparel factories to check samples. Who doesn't love gold trimmed slippers in their hotel room?

Morning Light

Stacked

My Hood - The REAL Panda Express

This is where you can get a styrofoam box of rice and your choice of 4 things for $1.50. It's open to the street (so not exactly the most hygienic), and they have some tables and seating set up on the sidewalk. The cheap price and easy access make it a popular spot with the local cab drivers who want to make a quick pit stop for their lunch or dinner break.

"IKASDAM by MADSAKI" Exhibition

Damn, it was a late night setting up. Originally I had planned to meet up with Madsaki in the afternoon, have lunch together, then bring the prints down to the store and slip them into the frames. Done. Go for beers.

Nuh uh. Never works that smoothly in China. One f*ck up after another by the contractor. First, the window sticker needed to be cut out in the middle. It was drawn out already - all they had to do was take a box cutter and trace the outline. Well, they do it haphazardly, so none of the curves are smooth and it looks like sh*t. Not acceptable. So we made them go print another one. Waited around for that, then Madsaki himself cut it out because we didn't trust them anymore. Alright, 7:00pm, we're still ok. Or are we?..

Jack up #2. The custom frames don't f*cking fit the standard A2 size paper that we gave them the specs for?? ARE YOU MOTHERF*CKING KIDDING ME?!?! You didn't think to slide a piece of A2 paper in there to check?? In his mind, I know Madsaki seriously wanted to kill someone when we suggested he trim down the sides of the print by a couple of millimeters. But he was too cool a cat to flip out. However, I think he would have rather committed harakiri than alter his prints. Ok, trimming is not an option. So here we are at 8:00pm driving around the city trying to find a mom 'n' pop frame store that can build us 12 custom frames in like 3 hrs..

What the...wow, we actually found one. Meltdown averted..

They are delivered before midnight (the only thing that happened right all night), and we finally can start framing up the prints. You'd think we're home free. But no. Next c*ck up - the guys can't hang the frames evenly spaced and lined up. Wtf. So we had to stand there and keep telling them how to adjust everything. So much for an easy evening of beers. Finished at 2:00am. Gotdamn f*cking sh*t contractors..

Why don't people here take any sort of pride in their workmanship or craft??? I really don't want to make any generalizations about people in China, but when you keep seeing the same thing happening repeatedly, it's kind of hard not to..

Anyways, the exhibition opening went well and that's all that matters in the end. We gonna get hammered tonight..

Madsaki x Disney Exhibition - Shanghai

We're having a small art exhibition opening at Man Is In The Forest this Friday for a collaboration we did with Japanese artist Madsaki. Please stop by if you have time.

The exhibition features 12 original works that combine Mickey with Madsaki's architectural aesthetic. The prints, along with 2 limited edition tees, will be available exclusively at Man Is In The Forest for 3 weeks.

Wasted Youth, Pt. 21

The standard Guangzhou 1 hr delay. *sigh*..

Airline: China Southern

Route: Guangzhou - Shanghai

Delayed flights: 21

Total time spent waiting: 20.5 hours

Breakfast of Champions

I was over at my friends Thuy and Eugene's apartment for dinner the other night, and I asked if they had a good book they could lend me, as I was out of stuff to read. Thuy gave me this:

I'd never read any of Kurt Vonnegut's work before, but by the end of the first chapter, I was an instant fan. His writing style is not for everyone - he's definitely one of a kind - but his dark satire on Americana is hilarious.

With each turn of the page, you have no idea where his mind is going to take you next. It's whacky, it's silly, it's improbable; but his deadpan, matter of fact, simple style of prose is hilarious, and his basic observations on society which we often take for granted are spot on. I read a review that said, "Vonnegut writes like he is explaining life on Earth to alien children." And that actually sums it up pretty well.

And in the same style as his writing, the amusingly simple illustrations drawn by Vonnegut are just as funny and integral to the story.

I won't explain the plot, because it's pretty out there, but if you're looking for something a bit off-the-wall and completely unpredictable, give this modern classic a try.