Happy International Women's Day! Some of my students brought me flowers in celebration of this Holiday. How sweet!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Women's Day in Qingpu
Happy International Women's Day! Some of my students brought me flowers in celebration of this Holiday. How sweet!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Revolution Propaganda Posters - The Mao Cult
"Everything that Mao Zedong says is the truth; every statement he utters is worth 10,000 sentences."
I have been looking for some propaganda posters since I arrived. You can find everything with Chairman Mao's face here but my luck with posters has been a little less than lucky -until I saw these in Old Shanghai.
I've always been fascinated with Cult Personalities, whether it was with Hitler, Stalin, Mao, or even now with Obama. It's still truly amazes me to see a society completely envelope it's ideals, hopes, and aspirations into one god-like being. Many of whom 'worship' them in a manner that is almost on a religious level. During the peak of these regimes, these leaders are presented as almost infallible. Their portraits hung in homes and public buildings, and often with artists and poets legally required to produce only works that glorified them.
Chairman Mao (Mao Zedong), despite his many faults and now ill-repute, is still one of those god-like, infallible creatures here in China. My kids still wear pins with his face on them, my co-workers at school still have Mao charms hanging from their rear-view mirror, and everyone still praises his legacy.
Anyways, I was glad to have found these. They definitely aren't originals (although sold as...) but I will still treasure them as cultural artefacts nonetheless.
From a design perspective I think they are genius. I love the two-tone, simple graphics with minimal use of text. I love the line work and blocks of colour (good use of positive and negative space!) and they truly do reflect the current ideologies of the era, which can only appreciate with time.
for more info on these posters and many others: http://www.iisg.nl/landsberger/
I have been looking for some propaganda posters since I arrived. You can find everything with Chairman Mao's face here but my luck with posters has been a little less than lucky -until I saw these in Old Shanghai.
I've always been fascinated with Cult Personalities, whether it was with Hitler, Stalin, Mao, or even now with Obama. It's still truly amazes me to see a society completely envelope it's ideals, hopes, and aspirations into one god-like being. Many of whom 'worship' them in a manner that is almost on a religious level. During the peak of these regimes, these leaders are presented as almost infallible. Their portraits hung in homes and public buildings, and often with artists and poets legally required to produce only works that glorified them.
Chairman Mao (Mao Zedong), despite his many faults and now ill-repute, is still one of those god-like, infallible creatures here in China. My kids still wear pins with his face on them, my co-workers at school still have Mao charms hanging from their rear-view mirror, and everyone still praises his legacy.
Anyways, I was glad to have found these. They definitely aren't originals (although sold as...) but I will still treasure them as cultural artefacts nonetheless.
From a design perspective I think they are genius. I love the two-tone, simple graphics with minimal use of text. I love the line work and blocks of colour (good use of positive and negative space!) and they truly do reflect the current ideologies of the era, which can only appreciate with time.
for more info on these posters and many others: http://www.iisg.nl/landsberger/
xox
Old Shanghai, aka "Old Town"
I don't know whether I should love, or really hate Old Town.
I went last weekend because I heard that it was a "must-do" in Shanghai and thought, why not? Seeing as the City was tearing down everything old to replace it with anything new, I really wanted to see something authentic before it would be torn down. Oh, and heard the shopping was interesting too.
The Old Chinese City was the first part of Shanghai to be settled in. During the colonial era when Westerners had their own concessions, (The French concession, for example) it was the main Chinese district where foreigners almost never ventured.
Unfortunately, it's more frequented by foreigners these days and Nanshi District; with its narrow winding streets and old houses, is apparently still one of the least explored areas in town. I visited the Old Town Bazaar with all its tourist attractions, hoping to get from it a sense of traditional life around the old Chinese streets. Entire sections of the district are being torn down and replaced with new developments as quickly as this is being written, so I really wanted to take advantage of it still being around and took a quick look see.
Upon first seeing the place I really liked how ‘Chinese’ looking it was. And don't get me wrong, Shanghai is so Chinese, but sometimes I wonder about its authenticity; new and old are almost indistinguishable. Even Grand View Gardens, which I really loved, was only 20 years old. Chinese history (cultural as well as architectural) goes back thousands of years but there seems to be no remnants of it other than a few leftover bad habits.
Unfortunately, the more time I spent there the more it felt fake and commercial. Of course I wasn’t expecting anything that was outstanding but maybe something with more character. I was mesmerized by the lights and the buildings and the crowds, but soon those lights looked tacky, the buildings looked generic, and the crowds suffocating.
I looked to my travel book for advice and soon found myself following one of the many tours within its pages. An hour later I was still running circles and the sites it brought me to were just as generic as the last, so I stuffed the book back into my purse and just followed my gut. I can see how a travel book may be of some help to others but I would just rather be plunked somewhere and discover it myself instead of being told how to enjoy it. I was soon enchanted by all of the small streets that slowly exposed themselves to me.
The real streets of Shanghai showed me how the other half of the city lives. Buildings with 4 foot by 2 foot doorways, no plumbing whatsoever, communal kitchens, clothing hanging from any and every possible line. The colours are brighter, the smells stronger, and the very best part: it’s so so quiet. There are moments where I have to remind myself that I am in a city of over 20 million because I find myself in these little quiet nooks where there seems to be an invisible glass bubble built around the neighbourhood. Sound is sometimes a friend AND a foe here and it’s nice to know that there is often a quick escape by just turning down a single street.
Here are a few pictures from Old Town:
I went last weekend because I heard that it was a "must-do" in Shanghai and thought, why not? Seeing as the City was tearing down everything old to replace it with anything new, I really wanted to see something authentic before it would be torn down. Oh, and heard the shopping was interesting too.
The Old Chinese City was the first part of Shanghai to be settled in. During the colonial era when Westerners had their own concessions, (The French concession, for example) it was the main Chinese district where foreigners almost never ventured.
Unfortunately, it's more frequented by foreigners these days and Nanshi District; with its narrow winding streets and old houses, is apparently still one of the least explored areas in town. I visited the Old Town Bazaar with all its tourist attractions, hoping to get from it a sense of traditional life around the old Chinese streets. Entire sections of the district are being torn down and replaced with new developments as quickly as this is being written, so I really wanted to take advantage of it still being around and took a quick look see.
Upon first seeing the place I really liked how ‘Chinese’ looking it was. And don't get me wrong, Shanghai is so Chinese, but sometimes I wonder about its authenticity; new and old are almost indistinguishable. Even Grand View Gardens, which I really loved, was only 20 years old. Chinese history (cultural as well as architectural) goes back thousands of years but there seems to be no remnants of it other than a few leftover bad habits.
Unfortunately, the more time I spent there the more it felt fake and commercial. Of course I wasn’t expecting anything that was outstanding but maybe something with more character. I was mesmerized by the lights and the buildings and the crowds, but soon those lights looked tacky, the buildings looked generic, and the crowds suffocating.
I looked to my travel book for advice and soon found myself following one of the many tours within its pages. An hour later I was still running circles and the sites it brought me to were just as generic as the last, so I stuffed the book back into my purse and just followed my gut. I can see how a travel book may be of some help to others but I would just rather be plunked somewhere and discover it myself instead of being told how to enjoy it. I was soon enchanted by all of the small streets that slowly exposed themselves to me.
The real streets of Shanghai showed me how the other half of the city lives. Buildings with 4 foot by 2 foot doorways, no plumbing whatsoever, communal kitchens, clothing hanging from any and every possible line. The colours are brighter, the smells stronger, and the very best part: it’s so so quiet. There are moments where I have to remind myself that I am in a city of over 20 million because I find myself in these little quiet nooks where there seems to be an invisible glass bubble built around the neighbourhood. Sound is sometimes a friend AND a foe here and it’s nice to know that there is often a quick escape by just turning down a single street.
Here are a few pictures from Old Town:
One of the first streets I saw in Old Town.
Inside the Bazaar... ie: Chinese Disney Land.
The Bazaar by day.
Crazy Markets
Just outside the walls of the Bazaar... real Old Shanghai
A gorgeous old doorframe
Anyways, I'm still deciding whether I loved it or hated it. There are definately aspects that I loved more over others, especially the REAL streets of Shanghai. But the commerciality and generic fakeness of the Bazaar, once seen for more than 5 minutes, can loose it's shine very quickly.
Will add pictures of my finds later on.
xox
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
14 days and counting...
These are some flowers I received on my birthday, Feb 18th...Yup. 2 weeks and they were STILL going strong. Makes me wonder about the food if flowers last this long. ick
WANTED: shengjian !
If you know where to get them, please bring me some. I can't find any in Qingpu and they are quite tasty.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
And this is why I do this...
A little boy came into my classroom today during one of the morning breaks and handed me a folded piece of paper. This wasn't so new to me as many kids come and ask me to write anything on peices of paper so they can learn how to spell it or show it off to their friends. If I have stickers I'll put a few on, if not, I'll draw a happy face. I didn't think much of it when he first handed it to me and then as I unfolded it, soon realized it was something else entirely. What was inside was a typed letter, about two paragraphs long, and seriously put a huge smile on my face.
"Dear Noemie,
You may feel suprised at this letter -- a strange letter from a stranger. (At this point I was thinking, wow, this kid can write...BUT...) I feel so sorry if I bother you too much, but I am here writing to you only to express my gratitude for your kindness to my son Peter (--the little boy now must be standing in front of you, wondering what will happen magically next). You can't believe how excited he was when he came home from school yesterday afternoon! He told me everything that happened between you and him, so happily, proudly, and confidently! To tell you the truth, he didn't show much interest in learning English last semester, but now, all have changed. So thank you very much for your encouragement!
At last, Would you please teach Peter how to read your name? It appears to be a French name, doesn't it? We know little of French, so I was not able to teach him the correct pronunciation. What a shame!
Yours,
Echo (Peter's Mom)"
It's funny how sometimes the smallest thing - like this letter, can make such an impact on a person. I hardly said much to the boy the day before as he really just wanted me to write out my name on a peice of paper. I tried to get a few words from him, but he had been so shy I didn't think much of it. There are days when I think no one cares about what anyone does. There are even days when I get angry at people and the rude carelessness that happens day to day to day. I've always been the kind of person who tries to make others happy because there just isn't enough of it around. Smiling, listening, believing in the goodness in people... Small acts of kindness that are all too overlooked in this world. The stuff that makes us human.
I guess what I am trying to get to, and this may just be verbal diarrhea, but it's the fact that kindness goes a long way, and I saw some proof of it today.
I felt like I was going in the right direction, not with what I was doing, or where I was going, but with who I was in this world. I was happy that despite the world we are in, I was still able to find the time to smile and convince Peter that he didn't have to be afraid of strangers.
I know sometimes I may be too "nice", or care too much, or even put too much time into things, but at the end of the day, I like who I am.
xx love!!
"Dear Noemie,
You may feel suprised at this letter -- a strange letter from a stranger. (At this point I was thinking, wow, this kid can write...BUT...) I feel so sorry if I bother you too much, but I am here writing to you only to express my gratitude for your kindness to my son Peter (--the little boy now must be standing in front of you, wondering what will happen magically next). You can't believe how excited he was when he came home from school yesterday afternoon! He told me everything that happened between you and him, so happily, proudly, and confidently! To tell you the truth, he didn't show much interest in learning English last semester, but now, all have changed. So thank you very much for your encouragement!
At last, Would you please teach Peter how to read your name? It appears to be a French name, doesn't it? We know little of French, so I was not able to teach him the correct pronunciation. What a shame!
Yours,
Echo (Peter's Mom)"
It's funny how sometimes the smallest thing - like this letter, can make such an impact on a person. I hardly said much to the boy the day before as he really just wanted me to write out my name on a peice of paper. I tried to get a few words from him, but he had been so shy I didn't think much of it. There are days when I think no one cares about what anyone does. There are even days when I get angry at people and the rude carelessness that happens day to day to day. I've always been the kind of person who tries to make others happy because there just isn't enough of it around. Smiling, listening, believing in the goodness in people... Small acts of kindness that are all too overlooked in this world. The stuff that makes us human.
I guess what I am trying to get to, and this may just be verbal diarrhea, but it's the fact that kindness goes a long way, and I saw some proof of it today.
I felt like I was going in the right direction, not with what I was doing, or where I was going, but with who I was in this world. I was happy that despite the world we are in, I was still able to find the time to smile and convince Peter that he didn't have to be afraid of strangers.
I know sometimes I may be too "nice", or care too much, or even put too much time into things, but at the end of the day, I like who I am.
xx love!!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Venice on a Saturday afternoon...
The Venice of Asia that is!
There are a few cities in Asia that have been given the title "Venice of Asia", mostly because these cities work on, or have many canal systems like the european Venice. Bangkok, Suzhou, and Zhujiajio are all famous for their Canals, and now that I have been to Zhujiajiao I can almost cross Venice (the real one) off my list. This small city is quite similar to Venice, right down to it's Gondolas. The only real difference is the language, the people and, unh, the location... haha.
Iwas picked up at 8am sharp on Saturday morning and had already been told that we were headed to Zhujiajio (roughly pronounced jew-jyah-joe with soft j's) but that morning, they decided to start me off at the Grand View Garden.
The Grand View Garden was built in 1984 around one of China's famous love stories "Dream of the Red Chamber". The park itself is massive, spanning just over 13 hectars, and shows fantastic examples of chinese architecture. We arrived early enough to miss most of the tourists and I couldn't help but unwind and listen to the trees rustle in the wind... it was so peaceful and so beautiful.
To read up on Dream of the Red Chamber: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_of_the_Red_Chamber
Beautiful Architecture
Amazing use of colour!
I want to live in a house with a roof like this...
Part of Grand View Park was it's beautiful Plum Blossom tree park (Mei Yuan). They had three prominent species - a pink, a green, and a pink variety, and they were all incredibly pretty and fragrant.
In March, when plum blossoms are in full bloom, the Mei Yuan is a stunning sight. One of Mei Yuan’s scenic areas, Meiwu Chunnong, is already known as the best place in Shanghai to see plum blossoms.
Here are a few shots:
Located on the banks of Dianshan Lake in the western suburbs of Shanghai, Zhujiajiao covers a total of 138 sq. kms, including an ancient-town area of 2.7 sq. kms. It was found almost 1700 years ago, and there are numerous rivers criss-crossing the town, 9 long streets run along the river, thousands of ancient buildings stand on the banks of the rivers with more than 30 old bridges adding to the beauty of the town and every bridge is unique and has its own story to tell.
We didn't spend much time in the actual town of Zhujiajiao, but focused mostly on the old town within it.
The first stop was Fangsheng Bridge (Setting-fish-free Bridge), which the longest, largest and tallest stone bridge. I've been told that to visit Zhujiajiao without seeing the bridges means that you have not really been to Zhujiajiao at all, and ever bridge in the town are distinctive and old, built during Ming and Qing Dynasties. The old town is thoroughly connected by 36 delicate spans in different shapes and styles, from wooden to stone to marble.
There are many sellers trying to sell you fish to "set free" on these bridges, mostly Fangsheng Bridge, and I almost purchased two for 5rmb (just under a dollar) that I could throw off the bridge and "set free". Unfortunately, I was told that the bridge is lined with nets underneath the water and those poor fish are just caught once more to be thrown off again. I didn't want to stress out the poor fish so I skipped that idea.
Once we crossed the bridge, we were welcomed into the small alley-like streets that make up most of this small town. Many street vendors have stalls and sell anything from knicknacks to silk, to tea, to candies, and other speciality items. I fell in love with modern paintings that depicted scenes in Zhujiajiao but the artist didn't want to sell his paintings for less than 80rmb each, and I wanted a few so it just wasn't meant to be. If I go back I'll try my luck again and see if I can find something similar for less.
We spent the afternoon enjoying the scenery and one teacher was generous enough to give us a tour of the school he worked at nearly 30 years ago. He had been posted there after working the fields during the revolution, mostly because he could speak a little english and was told he would be a benefit to this small community. He has been teaching ever since.
Here are a few pictures:
Fangsheng Bridge
Gondolas!
Fishermen selling their catch of the day
Beautiful little canals and gondolas
Little alley way with tons of things to buy...
Beside the tree that mr. Zhu planted when he taught at this school. The school has since been turned into a museum of sorts. The red ribbons are wishes that people have left on the branches and roots.
Riding the Gondola
More beautiful views from the vantage point of the gondola
Hope you've enjoyed this... (I certainly did... )
love! xox
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