jesus, you wouldn’t believe how difficult it is to upload photos around here. some net cafes’ USB ports are disabled, while others will allow you to use their USB ports for a higher hourly rate (VIP lounge = 5 RMB/hour). it doesn’t make sense. not that i should whine about it, cuz it’s still satisfyingly affordable.

you also wouldn’t believe how many snickers bars and american fast food meals i’ve consumed. the mao muffintop is doing quite well. did you know that in china, KFC far surpasses McD’s in popularity?

remember when starbucks first opened in the forbidden city seven years ago, to a resounding firestorm-starting “BOO!!!” ? well, i guess starbucks finally succumbed to the battle and closed, but now a new debacle is a brewin’: it’s been replaced by another cafe.

last piece of trivia: napalm death recently played their first show in china. i wish i could’ve gone!

this is my another shanghai-related post, and it’s about two excellent, solid, first-rate museums: the shanghai museum, and the shanghai munipical history museum.

the former is shanghai’s pride and joy, and rightly so. it’s gloriously classy and well-done. the galleries–each with its own flavor–are intelligently executed, with clear organization and creative design. effective educational tools included wall charts with examples (i.e., shards of ceramics to illustrate different dynasty styles), and a reproduction of the ceramics/porcelain process, replete with kilns. i was beyond impressed. not only does it possess a strong collection, it also showcases it very well.

the latter was simply tons of fun. don’t let the stale name of this must-see museum fool you. it was wicked AWESOME. half the time i was laughing out loud to myself, overtaken by the immensely clever, diverse, and endearing methods that were used to convey ideas and tell a grand story – that of shanghai’s history and how it came to be. they used frighteningly realistic wax figures (a little too come-to-life), miniature cardboard cut-outs of photographed people, dioramas, photo backdrops, music and ambient sounds, video installs, elaborate settings, etc. this is crude, but it was slightly reminiscent of disney’s pirates ride. god it was cool.

if you’re ever in shanghai, you’ve got to check out these two institutions.

i’ll shut up now and let the photos speak for themselves!

SHANGHAI MUSEUM

looks like a giant bamboo steamer, eh?

the fake kiln even had flickering flames, and this was the source

one gallery was devoted exclusively to seals/chops

and another to numismatics

now, on to the SHANGHAI MUNICIPAL HISTORY MUSEUM

i thought this was such a nice touch

um, cleanup in the 1920s aisle?

adrian tomine, what are you doing here?

omg, this was one of the FUNNIEST THINGS EVERRRRRRRRRR – an opium den

this guy’s face…man oh man…mirthquake!
kids, don’t ever try this at home

mr. huang, i, uh, i…i think you’ve had enough

uhh, talk to the (elegantly gesturing) hand!

this just totally blew my mind. think of aaaaall the work that went into creating this

gotta get my money gotta get my money gotta get my money gotta get my money *scratches self a million times*

getting her hair did

i’m *cough* not *HACK* feeling too…hot *falls over*

tiny video installation depicting brutality of poverty

check out the poor wallflower. this display was illustrating the opulent lifestyle of the foreign aristocrats. these dolls were so funny because they were so ugly and scary. the heads of the ones sitting down were all hanging back like they were drunk, and everyone wore an oversized wig

they were all this terrifying. no wonder no one wants to dance with fuggos

to top it all off, they had a blue screen where visitors could be superimposed onto a busy 1920s-30s street. talk about ending with a bang

eager to satiate the wannabe artist in me, i visited two “artsy” places in shanghai.

it is thrilling to check out contemporary art here, and this excitement stems from so many things. what i really struggle with articulating is how it feels for an art-loving chinese american to see art created by people with whom i share an “ancestry,” but that’s really about it in terms of similarities.

i guess it all boils down to identity. something that perpetually surfaces, for me, is the all-too-common salient reference in art to mao and the cultural revolution. i wonder if i’m being too insensitive if i perceive it something of a gimmick, like a default topical approach if there’s a creative drought. what if i was a chinese (without the hyphenated “american”) artist of a certain generation? would i make allusions to mao in my art? or is it almost impossible to avoid?

i try to curb this criticism and remind myself that that particular chunk of history is such a powerful, integral part of the collective psyche. as an outsider (a minor in chinese studies), i couldn’t even come close to imagining the impact mao and co. has had and will continue to have on generations to come.

but that’s enough of that asian american studies 101 blathering. i apologize for the mental diarrhea. maybe i’m just feeling hormonal and weird.

back to the “artsy places”:

the first, taikang road art centre/street, was a little disappointing but charming in its own right. it was expat haven, with more cafes and boutiques than actual galleries worth perusing. however, its location — a tangle of narrow residential alleys off a bigger street — was enchanting and neat, like stumbling upon a commercial secret garden. i too retreated into an air conditioned cafe after wandering and thus melting.

the second, 50 moganshan, resembled 798 in beijing in concept and appearance. i guess they’re trying to brand it as “m50.” nestled against suzhou creek, it’s more of a community and industrial park, with galleries, boutiques, few cafes, design studios, and open artist workshops/studios. this was also fun to explore, and showcased a handful of intriguing pieces.

TAIKANG

(this made me sad)

50 MOGANSHAN

this one’s simply titled: derek + anthony: ham sandwiches

there goes the neighborhood

upon closer inspection

a fantastic little cafe that played and sold chinese folk music, where i had…

refreshing grapefruit tea and sesame tang yuan (glutinous rice dumplings) – pegs, i thought of you with every bite i took

hi folks, i’m back in beijing.

took my first overnight train (soft sleeper) from qingdao. it was a novel experience. at first it was awkward and stilted, b/c you share a tiny little space with three other strangers and everyone settles in and is sitting mere inches across from each other twiddling their thumbs. but like anything that’s initially bizarre and unsettling, you get acclimated quite naturally. though the narrow beds and the frequent station stops aren’t conducive to a solid night’s sleep, it’s pleasant and exciting watching the towns whizz by in the dark. plus, it’s efficient and economical – you’re being transported while eliminating the need for lodging. i’d love to ride a train like this with friends.

today, i had a disasterous morning and “suffered” yet another meltdown as a result of a terrible stupid incident. in addition, my hostel is a pure shit hole. it’s underground, so it feels like a bunker, and my room looks and feels like the trappings of a reformist’s room at labor camp. okay, so maybe i’m exaggerating, but it is appalling. regardless, it’s only 140 RMB ($18!), so i should shut up.

ANYWAY, i’m still blogging retroactively as there’s much to cover.

another new favorite thing of mine: parks in china. they’re easy to love and must be felt, seen, heard in person. i fell hard in love one afternoon in shanghai when i had been walking all day in overbearing humidity, sweating like a pig and seeking respite. and i found it in fuxing park!

since then i’ve felt compelled to include a park in my daily itinerary, around dusk. that’s the BEwitching hour that truly brings out the best in parks, and people. even the dozens of feral cats know this time of day is ripe for dalliances (“the freaks come out at night, the freaks come out at night”). the parks aren’t just community gathering places where all generations convene to liao tian, gossip, rendezvous, dance, exercise, play chess and card games, and relax, they’re also beautifully manicured stretches of lush green, sometimes with little gazebos/pavillions, tucked away paths, sculptures, water fountains, foot bridges, etc.

when i sit back and soak it in, i feel as if all is right in the world.

(that is, until i go to the bathroom and see what the squatter toilets have in store for me)

of course i had to go to the hokey chinese sex culture and health museum. it was small and kinda ghetto (let’s just say it was part of the bund sightseeing tunnel), but apparently there’s a better, more substantial one in tongli.

there aren’t too many photos, so this makes for an easy entry (um, no pun intended?). the didactics speak for themselves – they’re hilarious.

ohhhh snap

dude, we get it

ahhhhhkward (and disturbing)

the accompanying caption: “this part of my body could not be locked”

supposedly in the ol’ days, moms hid these little gems in the dowry trunks of their daughters so the newlywed brides would know what to do on the night of their honeymoon. thanks mom. everything i ever needed to know about sex i learned from a pop-up locket (sorry, the punning is irresistable). it is quite cute though

and my favorite, ladies and gents, i bring you the piece de resistance…

i am so exhausted. my feet feel like how i imagine airplane tires look after landing. i didn’t sleep very well last night. because of the paper-thin walls, i could hear and even feel every word and move.

it is way too hot in this cafe. i feel a nosebleed coming on.

it’s been oppressively humid in shanghai. there’ve been times where i felt like passing out in the middle of a swamped sidewalk. pardon my crassness (boys, you may want to turn away), but i don’t know how the ladies can wear what they wear — leggings, tights, synthetic materials that don’t breathe — without getting afflicted with yeast infections. maybe it’s built into their hearty motherland genotype.

and while i’m on the topic of the gals here, everyone wears heels! on erroded sidewalks! in what is essentially an urban jungle! lots of girls dress all fem, flirty, and fresh. i already feel like a tomboy back home, but here i’m like elephantman on a bad day.

also, have i mentioned how prevalent couples are?! everywhere i look, there they are, boy and girl canoodling the crap out of each other.

tonight, determined to try hairy crab, i took the subway out to an area called xinjiahui specifically to dine at “ye olde station restaurant,” only to be turned away at the door. mid-autumn moon, so of course they’d be fully booked. i was dumb.

but that’s okay, for lunch i treated myself to a sublime first-rate shanghaiese meal. that requires a separate post.

here are photos from my outing to yu yuan garden & bazaar, one of shanghai’s top destinations. it was immensely packed, unbelievably so. that’s what i get for going on a saturday. it was here that i tried xiao long bao (“small dragon buns”) at a landmark restaurant renown for them. the takeout line was unbelievable. why would anyone even bother when they could just go upstairs and eat in one of their three large dining rooms?

despite the crowds, i spent an enjoyable chunk of time at yu yuan garden and bazaar. wandering the actual garden was pleasant and worked up an appetite.

here’s an example of xiao long bao, but jumbo sized. these are, obviously, made with crab (hairy) meat. the straws emphasize this: xiao long bao are steamed meaty satchels containing boiling broth that you need to sip before chewing the rest of the contents

my first taste (this is not the famous restaurant xiao long bao, but one bought from a vendor)

another friend i made

as you can see, yu yuan garden is gorgeous, sooo lush and pretty. there are countless exquisite details, and that’s just from cursory glance!

YEAH!!! hey everyone, LET’S GO to the hall of…mildness…..*zzzzz*

outside the garden and back in the bewildering “outside world,” i try my first actual authentic xiao long bao. it didn’t disappoint. though small, it’s a filling (and cheap) meal. the only condiments you need are strawfuls of ginger and vinegar

afterwards, i went across the zigzagging footbridge and relaxed at another famous joint – the huxingting teahouse. with a great view below, i had some fancy-ass-flower-that-blossoms-in-boiling-water tea, which came with tea snacks like sweetened preserved plums, tofu, quail eggs, and a green tea mochi

pretty content, i’d say

that wraps up my time at yu yuan garden.

i’ll bring this long-winded post to a close with some more photos.

(this was an awesome “antiques” market in a lowkey residential neighborhood)

as you can probably tell from the new posts below, i found an internet cafe!

it’s a 10-minute walk from my lodging and it’s spacious, cheap (1.5 RMB/hr), and run by middle-aged ladies who mean business. i feel like i should address the matriarch as “madame” or something (you should see her fierce pomp).

there’s a guy doing rounds up and down every aisle yelling “chao fan yao ma? wen dun (wonton) yao ma? chao mian ma?!” (basically, “who wants to chow?!”)
pretty smart, because i have a feeling some of the cafe clientele here may have skipped a meal or two (counter strike and half-life, look what you’ve done).

it’s my fourth day in shanghai. tomorrow is my last!
i’ve seen and done a lot, but probably not as much as i should since i’ve been sleeping in a bit too.

shanghai is another fascinating and paradoxical rush that doesn’t cease to amaze me. it’s an incessant mind%*#$. like beijing and guilin, it has its own distinct “intoxicating” flavor. the people are different, the pace is different, even the style of dress is different. how, i can’t explain.

to start, here is the view from my “business hotel.” it’s on a street lined with stores selling everything from screws, hardware, switches, handles, wheels, and power tools to toilets, pipes, and wires. my dad would love this street.

i got the fat hook-up and scored a room for only 198 RMB/night ($27). you can’t get any cheaper than this, unless you want to room with scary strangers. my room is small, and sometimes the bathroom exudes a stinky odor, but it’s a wonderful place. i’m a block or two away from east nanjing road, THE shopping epicenter. think colorful lighted building signs, vegas style, and megamalls on every corner. this means i feel pretty safe walking by myself at night, and food options (mall, street, eatery, what have you) are aplenty.

on my first day, i enjoyed green onion pancake, fresh off the back of a bicycle in a nearby alley

of course, i can’t not post a pic of the bund. it’s pretty romantical. lots of people are stationed along the strand, trying to make a business out of taking your photo with the pretty backdrop

i made a friend, FINALLY (and no i didn’t not accost him, he came to me, natch)

on massively crowded east nanjing road, a mammoth bouquet of blue and white ballons were released into the sky, and then, this

(snoopy trailed behind)

another favorite of mine – snack streets!

yangcheng lake hairy crabs (i love that name) are like, a local point of pride or something. they’re regarded the way dungeness are, but on a grander, more popular scale. now in season, they’re supposedly very delicious, so i must take advantage of this opportunity and try some. and yes, they have tufts of hair on their claws. they’re sold everywhere, esp on the street.

on the same street, i witnessed a funny little thing, one of those “wow, i can’t believe i’m here” moments that concluded in everyone sharing a chuckle. on dajing jie (street), whatever it is you need, you’ll find: fruit (including mangosteen), produce, herbs, seeds, nuts, tea, powders, spices, pickled veggies, seafood (i saw an actual HUGE horseshoe crab, people!), poultry (caged ducks and chickens), even brains. maybe there were a handful of legit markets and storefronts, but most of these vendors seemed to be operating out of their homes, off their bicycles, or on the sidewalk.

at one point, somebody must’ve yelled “FUZZ!,” because in one hot second EVERYONE flew into mach speed to pack up their goods and flee down the nearest alleyway. it was crazy! considering the streamlined tearing down, it seems that most of these people were prepped for instant getaways. as a civilian car drove down the street honking the horn, it became apparent that it was simply a false alarm.

everyone then exhaled and had a good laugh. what a commotion, but so cute!!!

some more of the neighborhood

WHEW. okay. i’ve been here for far longer than i care to admit.
more later on shanghai’s “art scene,” the shanghai museum, a growing fond adoration for the parks here, and my first real xiao long bao.

thanks for reading!

one last pic – a reminder to stay healthy!

mid-autumn moon festival is upon us, and boy is it ever loud and clear.

being chinese american, i always knew that it was an important time of year, but now i realize it more than ever. it’s pretty cool to be on this side of the pacific for such a special holiday holiday, but i’ll admit, i wish i could celebrate it with friends and family.

regardless, i’ll be lucky if i can even get my hands on a mooncake at this point.

outside one mall, i think someone actually asked me if i had mooncakes i could sell him. mooncake scalping…lucrative potential.

HAPPY MID-AUTUMN MOON EVERYONE!

my last night in guilin, i made sure to check out the nightmarket. in the evening, they block off a major avenue and turn it into a pedestrian paradise. wares include anything from handicrafts, t-shirts, snacks, souvenirs, jewelry, portraits, egg shell carving, cell phone charms, etc, all on the cheap.

i LOVE nightmarkets. lively, bustling, and stimulating, they usually stay open late (in taipei one didn’t shut down until 1 or 2am), and there’s something for everyone. it’s fun to just meander and people watch, icy drink in hand. it’s also a potent antidote for insomnia, i’m sure.

here’s the fruit juice stand – this is where my love for kiwi juice blossomed

an ad with chow yun fat. just cuz i grew up watching this guy

first seen on vachina, portraiture artists were willing to render your visage for a small price

a spruce proprietor

some stands specialized strictly in pickled and skewered veggies and fruits

the next morning before i left for the airport, i hoofed it to the promenade near elephant hill cave to check out the senior fitness folks.

david, a role model / board member of the museum, recommended a good travel industry friend in china, who then turned me over to an agency that totally heard me out on my peculiarities (need-to-be-independent-whilst-traveling + antisocial attitude + tiny budget) and arranged a discounted tailor-made package (air, hotel, etc) in guilin and qingdao. that said, this is ice (literal translation of her name). she was my english-speaking guide for a day in guilin (showed me around at reed flute cave, elephant hill cave, etc). i loved her! she was supercute, sassy, and real, a kick to be around. a firecracker!

we asked each other a lot of questions. we’d been out of college for the same time, and both seemed to have the same general attitude. i felt weird b/c here i was with the wherewithal to to be thousands of miles away from home, yet she had never left the country (for financial reasons) and was working full time as a tour guide catering to those who could afford her services. many of our discussions had full-circled back to the reality that americans simply make more $$$, and things cost more in america. ANYWAY, she’s saving up to study in switzerland (very gutsy) and if she could go anywhere in the states it’d be california or hawaii. she’s not a fan of urbanity.

AND LASTLY, my hotel room came with a “emergency” basket containing undies (with condoms), lotion, special towels, and sundry items. here’s a special packaging photo, just for you!

(note: this was written while in guilin)

that line, written by tang dynasty poet han yu, is about the lijiang river – guilin’s main scenic attraction. i found the amusing quote in a river tour map, rife with typos and saccharine script glorifying the beauty of the karst landscape.

this morning, i was one of hundreds of tourists who filed into air conditioned vans headed for the top of the river. this is a BIG industry in guilin. on any given block you’ll find a handful of travel offices specializing in guilin’s offerings: li river cruises, evening cormorant fishing tours, ethnic tourism, outings to caves, epic performances (there’s even one directed by zhang yimou), etc.

when we got to the pier, we boarded a double decker “pleasure” boat (run down, filthy, but nonetheless earnestly practical)–part of a caravan–and cruised down the river for four hours. it was stunning and relaxing! i even got to sun my pale tofu legs. what i really loved was seeing the small fishing bamboo rafts pull up to sell the boat chefs fresh fish and crab from caught from the very water we were in/on. also, lots of the local folks, true to enterprising chinese form, would approach the tour boats, knock on the windows, and wave around their schlock for sale. on the boat, we were served a hearty chinese lunch. i was seated with an italian couple and three brit girls, and they were all suspicious of the food, so i ended up acting as food interpreter. amusing.

we docked at yangshuo, a downstream town that seems to have evolved around tourists, particularly western ones. upon arrival, you’ll see the entrance lined with kiosks selling every imaginable souvenir. even the local fishers have learned to capitalize on the heavy influx of travelers by offering priced photo opps with their cormorants, one on each end of a bamboo stick. down the main road (called “west street,” appropriately enough), every other storefront advertised housing! coffee! espresso! western food! internet! relentless haggling over knock-offs, handicrafts, and clothing was in the air. ethnic minorities (aka han posers) worked on their “traditional art” at store entrances to entice people inside. a woman asked one such minority member to pose for a photo as she was demonstrating silk embroidery. this stretch of yangshou kind i found a bit troubling.

but i soon got over it and was wowed by the “architecture.” with free time to kill, i just wandered around, sipped a milk tea, and people watched. yangshuo is quaint and sweet, with little creeks and foot bridges. would be nice to stay there for a night.

a woman making ginger candy – a local specialty

an A for effort

oh no, look what’s landed!

it’s interesting that the most concentrated number of non-asian tourists that i’ve seen is in yangshuo. who would’ve thought?
most white folks could be found clustered in the same areas, eating in the same cafes sipping cold beers and eating pizza. not that this is surprising or anything.

when i got back, i quickly changed into jeans and strolled along the lake. this is a sublime experience, because the sun is setting and EVERYONE’s out. couples and friends are meeting up, kids with familial units, and it’s just the perfect time of day for a walk.

this is my last night in guilin. i’m going to go check out the main night market. one thing i forgot to mention about this lovable place: when i got here, i noticed that many of the restaurants next to my hotel advertised freshness of their food by displaying caged ducks, geese, chickens, as well as tubs of crabs, fish, snails, and frogs. whatevs. but then i noticed restaurant after restaurant a fuzzy furball amongst the caged. turns out these were bamboo rats. imagine a cross between beaver and possum. big guys, kinda ugly. they were all lazy and sleepy from the heat. i saw one restaurant worker prod one, quite roughly, with some sort of tongs.

so why am i even mentioning this? it was deeply disturbing, but perhaps more disturbing was that it challenged my supposed progressive/liberal/cautious-but-non-judgmental “cultural cuisine relativity” attitude. the imagery of the beaver rats stuck with me for a while, and since it was the first thing i saw upon arriving here it cast a grim pall on things. of course, as you can tell from my flowery enthusiasm for guilin, it’s all good.

but i could never eat bamboo rat.

okay, can somebody please tell me why in guilin, a small town surrounded by terraced rice fields and farmland, there is an abundance of friendly internet cafes, but in a cosmopolitan city like shanghai, internet cafes are impossible to find?!?! it confounds me, yet it makes sense.

S I G H.

i was really looking forward to photo blogging more about guilin, as well as my first two days here in shanghai, but this scary internet cafe won’t let me use the USB port. they even scanned my passport at the reception desk.

my photo-laden entries are getting backed up. i have so much to share!

right now, my feet are soaking in sweat and rain water. it’s been sprinkling all day. being the stubborn fool that i am, i refused to carry my umbrella or buy a new one from the many umbrella hawkers on the street. with the constant vacillation between humidity, dampness, an uncomfortable wet/cold, and indoor air conditioning, i probably am growing susceptible to a cold.

since i can’t post any pictures here, i thought i’d list some more inane random bits:

* as i’ve already mentioned a bizillion times, things are cheap! a few examples:
water bottle (you need a lot of these)= 1-3 RMB ($.10 to $.40)
milk tea = 3-5 RMB ($.40 to $.67)
street snacks = 1-5 RMB ($.10 to $.67)
mcdonald’s meal (double cheeseburger with large fries, drink) = 19 RMB ($2.50)
an order of xiao long bao plus appetizer (very filling) = 28 RMB ($3.75)
green onion pancake off the street = 1 RMB ($.10)
a decent ride (15, 20 min) on the beijing subway = 5 RMB ($.67)
a 30 minute cab ride in beijing = 30 RMB ($4)
small room in a shanghai “business hotel” = 198 RMB/night ($27)
cool long sleeve, thick high-collar henley = 115 RMB ($15…okay, so this isn’t THAT cheap by forever 21 standards, but it’s still good!)
admission to famous scenic attractions, like a huge garden or park = $30-50 RMB ($4-$8)

* hocking loogies. it’s part of the ambient landscape.

* this is a given, but if/when the sun’s out, the parasols pop open. on two separate occasions chinese women have commented on my “white” skin, which is funny, b/c i always try to tan when possible. in guilin, the women have figured out a clever way to mount open umbrellas on their bicycles.

* i’ve seen more than my share of men and women hanging out in the streets wearing jammies, sometimes while working. it’s cute.

* little tots wear pants with the butt part cut out. like a donut, i guess, but with wee legs.

* the majority of internet cafe regulars watch movies or play games (quite violently – i hear some serious keyboard slapping). it’s a comfy atmosphere. some guys kick back topless with a cig.

* when people discover i’m from america, they immediately comment on how much money we have and how little they have.

* so many varieties of loafers on so many middle aged men. it’s worn with everything, including pajamas, shorts, wife beaters, track suits, etc. it’s the national shoe.

* another new favorite thing of mine: fresh kiwi juice. i had it at the guilin nightmarket and it was a revelation. the acidity of the fruit tickles tickles my throat in a tingling and satisfying way. the one at the nightmarket, though very small, was only 1 RMB ($.10). i got one in the basement of a shanghai supermall and it cost 18 RMB ($2.40). granted, it was a bit bigger, but still not as good.

i guess i better trudge back to the hotel now. my goal is to avoid using a cab at all costs, which is pretty silly considering how cheap they are, especially considering how much i’m willing to stupidly drop on one meal. i did a naughty thing last night, something no traveler on a budget should do…i ate on the bund…at jean georges. let’s just say it’s housed in the same building as emporio armani.

the good news: it’s only my second “fancy” meal since arriving in china. i indulged my desire for upscale cuisine, the food was good, and i can finally cross a jean-georges vongerichten establishment off my life restaurant list (score!).

the bad news: funds are depleting at a worrisome breakneck pace. though i’ve been cheap on every single front and it’s affordable here, things add up. it’s only in china that i can fiscally manage (if that) vacationing for an extravagant length of time.

THANKS EVERYONE for all your comments. i know i say this all the time, but they’re like little nuggets of goodness that i truly relish.