fullness

from cooking all afternoon to a kitchen packed with laughing friends to a succulent spread to wine paired with conversation - it was all good.
fabulous thanksgiving all around!

team turkey in action!

turkey cooked with bacon - genius

time to dig in

a lovely sight

cups of coffee: 2

mood:  *sniffle sniffle* *cough* *sneeze*.... i hate colds

surreality

i realized in mid-conversation with a friend the other night that for the past four years, i haven't been living in reality; i've been living in surreality. it's the combination of working in the art world and living in shanghai, creating a wild, decadent environment layered with airs of pretension, decked out in neon and glitter and soaked in champagne. weekends become a record of parties and hobnobbing - invitations to make it as a guest on the a-list flying furiously on a friday night through the text-o-sphere.

it all seemed quite silly at first - like we're all playing dress-up or still in high school and trying to find out which party the cool kids are going to. but then i realized that the parties were where introductions were made, collaborations were formed, doors were being opened...at least in the industry i'm working in. parties aren't optional; they come with the job.

so i started attending. i invested in (more) black clothes for my wardrobe. i transitioned from wearing hardly any jewelry to enormous earrings and clunky rings. i started wearing eyeliner. i wear heels (sometimes). i purchased a business card holder.

this isn't to say i haven't enjoyed it - i've enjoyed it a lot. it's a bit mind-boggling when i reflect on the events i've attended and the people i've met, particularly in the past couple of years: invitation to a dance performance with european royalty in attendance, dinner at art celebrity pearl lam's home, opening parties for luxury design brands such as hermes and dolce & gabbana, hanging out with renowned contemporary artists like mako fujimura....to name a few. i have been spoiled.

i think, though, that i've reached a point where i'm ready to take a break from surreality and live in reality for a bit. i'm also starving to learn - to be under the tutelage of those older and wiser than me. part of the surreality of shanghai is that we really are a bunch of kids: publication editors, gallery curators and directors, art dealers....most fall firmly in the age bracket between 25 and 35. shanghai really is the new wild west: most of us work in positions that would take us years elsewhere to reach. if i were in new york, i'd be lucky to be interning at an art gallery, forget running one.

what i really want to do right now is to go back to school, work in a cafe and learn to make a perfect cup of cappuccino, and grunge out in hoodies and jeans. i basically want to re-live my early 20's.

ironically, that feels more like reality.


cups of coffee: 2 + 2 green tea

mood:  contemplative

urbanity!

the urbanity project happened last saturday. it really happened! that glimmer of an idea from about a year ago actually blossomed, amid much sweat, tears and (thankfully) little blood (may have been a papercut or a splinter here or there), into actual fruition. the "hey, what if...." erupted into "we're doing it. and doing it big." one book, 130+ pages, 32 contributing artists and writers. one massive exhibit opening/book launch/celebration. now we're looking into both local and international distribution channels for the book. i'm still kind of in shock.

 welcome to the urbanity project exhibition!

 nice crowd

 our hardworking book editor justin and exhibit curator chelsea

 urbanity! urbanity! urbanity!

at your service

feeling incredibly humbled and oh-so-thankful. people have already started asking about volume 2....?

i think we need a breather first. :)


cups of coffee:  2 + 2 green tea

mood:  wow

faith in the useless

here's a very well-crafted reflection by my friend and colleague justin on mako's recent visit and our ensuing trip to nanjing.

"faith in the useless: art as a space for reconciliation"

read it. you'll be glad you did.


cups of coffee: 2 + 2 green tea

mood:  antsy