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
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Sunday, October 31, 2010
on halloween
i don't think i will ever tire of halloween. every other day of the year, i have to act like a respectable adult. i go to work, i pay bills, i dress nicely (most of the time). but on halloween, i can be a kid again. i can wear fantastic costumes, smear bright makeup on my face, dance like a maniac and run around in a sugar-induced (or alcohol-induced) state.
i love it.
i even love the tiny feeling of being scared - i'm not into the blood and gore, but i love that little shaky feeling in my stomach and the chill tingling along my skin from haunted houses and ghost stories. on halloween, there's a sense that there's more to this world than what we see - be they good or evil spirits - and there is room for the imagination to fly.
a city like shanghai loves a good party and takes every occasion to throw decadent bashes. halloween falling on a weekend is like a perfect storm here - lounges, clubs and bars compete like crazy to attract the attention of indulgent partygoers.
some friends and i headed to a 'heaven or hell' party being held in a sumptuous lounge on the bund and then to a 'celtic' halloween party being thrown at an irish pub. the beats were heavy, crowds were friendly, and fun was definitely had.
i love it.
i even love the tiny feeling of being scared - i'm not into the blood and gore, but i love that little shaky feeling in my stomach and the chill tingling along my skin from haunted houses and ghost stories. on halloween, there's a sense that there's more to this world than what we see - be they good or evil spirits - and there is room for the imagination to fly.
a city like shanghai loves a good party and takes every occasion to throw decadent bashes. halloween falling on a weekend is like a perfect storm here - lounges, clubs and bars compete like crazy to attract the attention of indulgent partygoers.
some friends and i headed to a 'heaven or hell' party being held in a sumptuous lounge on the bund and then to a 'celtic' halloween party being thrown at an irish pub. the beats were heavy, crowds were friendly, and fun was definitely had.
getting ready beforehand: a glam angel, ghost and minnie mouse
zombie hipster, chic punk, deviled egg
on the dance floor
wings shot
the locals' reaction to our halloween get-ups
cups of coffee: 1
mood: wait--it's already november?!?
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
potpourri
for your enjoyment, a mishmash of current musings and fixes:
- my current timewaster is the rachel zoe project. yes, i realize it's already completed season 3 in the states. yes, i still live in china so i blame my disconnectedness with pop culture on geography. yes, there are better things i can and should be doing. but when you have that much fashion and drama and over-the-top characters....well, hard to resist.
- it's cold this week. blisteringly cold. did winter really arrive this week, fast and furious--a cold punch in the face? and does this mean i can start listening to christmas music?
- i admit it: i love halloween. love halloween! it's my second favorite holiday (next to thanksgiving). anything that involves candy, costumes and parties--count me in! this year, some friends and i are planning on hitting up a "heaven or hell" party at a lounge on shanghai's famed "bund". partygoers are supposed to dress up either as a heavenly creature or one from down below. since i don't look good in horns, i've decided to opt for a heavenly being. but where do you find angel wings in china? upon a friend's recommendation, i tracked down a costume/party supplies store surprisingly not far from where i live. what a treasure trove! they had everything - even a pair of beautiful white feathered wings. i can't believe i've lived in shanghai for eight years and never ventured to this place of magic. i regret the costumes from years past that could've been....sigh.
- my cat has learned to open kitchen drawers. here's jimmy caught in the act. good thing i don't keep the cat food in that drawer.
Walking, this morning, I began to think
how everything wears its other down. How
this sidewalk smoothes my rubber soles.
How stomachs slick their food, waves
burnish shattered bottles to sea glass,
how prevailing wind shapes trees
and bends them to its gusting will.
How calm weather soothes an impatient sea.
A panther, crated for the zoo, will pace
her pattern in her cage. Today my open window
carves the sunlight to a square that warms
the rug. God tools me like a strip of buckskin.
My silence wears your chatter like a suit;
your charity unravels my reproach. You
shape me, and I shape you, and all our kindred
work to shape us into who they wish we were.
- my current timewaster is the rachel zoe project. yes, i realize it's already completed season 3 in the states. yes, i still live in china so i blame my disconnectedness with pop culture on geography. yes, there are better things i can and should be doing. but when you have that much fashion and drama and over-the-top characters....well, hard to resist.
- it's cold this week. blisteringly cold. did winter really arrive this week, fast and furious--a cold punch in the face? and does this mean i can start listening to christmas music?
- i admit it: i love halloween. love halloween! it's my second favorite holiday (next to thanksgiving). anything that involves candy, costumes and parties--count me in! this year, some friends and i are planning on hitting up a "heaven or hell" party at a lounge on shanghai's famed "bund". partygoers are supposed to dress up either as a heavenly creature or one from down below. since i don't look good in horns, i've decided to opt for a heavenly being. but where do you find angel wings in china? upon a friend's recommendation, i tracked down a costume/party supplies store surprisingly not far from where i live. what a treasure trove! they had everything - even a pair of beautiful white feathered wings. i can't believe i've lived in shanghai for eight years and never ventured to this place of magic. i regret the costumes from years past that could've been....sigh.
- my cat has learned to open kitchen drawers. here's jimmy caught in the act. good thing i don't keep the cat food in that drawer.
- finally, if you're a lover of verse and want to learn more about poets of the christian faith, this is a terrific blog to subscribe to: kingdom poets.
here's a gem from luci shaw:
As Iron Sharpens Iron
Walking, this morning, I began to think
how everything wears its other down. How
this sidewalk smoothes my rubber soles.
How stomachs slick their food, waves
burnish shattered bottles to sea glass,
how prevailing wind shapes trees
and bends them to its gusting will.
How calm weather soothes an impatient sea.
A panther, crated for the zoo, will pace
her pattern in her cage. Today my open window
carves the sunlight to a square that warms
the rug. God tools me like a strip of buckskin.
My silence wears your chatter like a suit;
your charity unravels my reproach. You
shape me, and I shape you, and all our kindred
work to shape us into who they wish we were.
(luci shaw, taken from kingdom poets blog)
cups of coffee: 1 + 3 green tea
mood: hopeful
Monday, October 11, 2010
hello, toronto
just returned to shanghai after a whirlwind week-tour of toronto. the last time i visited this fair city was in high school as part of a class field trip, so needless to say, did not see any of the cool parts of toronto then or even remember much.
i admit, i was surprised by how hip toronto is: lots of young people, great arts scene, cool vibe, hipster hoods, fantastic restaurants....one of my friends dubbed the city the "new york of canada." i think he may be onto something there....unless new york is the "toronto of america".
quick montage of the week in images:
whew! what a week. sadly turning back to the 'real world' now.....
cups of coffee: 2
mood: sleepy....sleepy....
i admit, i was surprised by how hip toronto is: lots of young people, great arts scene, cool vibe, hipster hoods, fantastic restaurants....one of my friends dubbed the city the "new york of canada." i think he may be onto something there....unless new york is the "toronto of america".
quick montage of the week in images:
the bata shoe museum: fun little sculptural art piece entitled 'seduction'
st. lawrence market - meat, cheese, seafood galore
the distillery district
'soma' chocolatier at the distillery district - YUM!
made even more hip thanks to the iphone hipstamatic app
i make a new friend who's just chilling with his owner at a cafe
foliage! foliage! foliage!
kensington market, aka hipster's paradise
drinks with friends at rooftop bar, panorama
the view of the city from panorama
whew! what a week. sadly turning back to the 'real world' now.....
cups of coffee: 2
mood: sleepy....sleepy....
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
feasting
i love food. love it. always have, always will. it's not just the eating - though that's pretty spectacular - it's everything associated with a meal. i love the preparation: mulling over recipes, shopping for all the right ingredients, visiting the vegetable market with tote in hand, checking the leafy freshness of spinach, squeezing tomatoes, picking through bulbs of red onions... i LOVE the cooking process. i love rolling up my sleeves and getting my hands caked in everything from flour to oil to spices and the occasional meat juices. i love the sounds of cooking: the quick sizzle of oil on a hot pan, the gentle murmur that crescendoes into aggressive bubbling of boiling water, the comforting grind of the pepper mill. and the smells - oh, the SMELLS! i love knowing a dish so well that you know, intuitively by the smell, whether it's ready or not. i love setting the table and selecting the right serving dishes, the clink of silverware and pristine white of my matching plates.
most of all, i love the company and conversations that surround meals. i was raised in a family where we always had dinner together, no matter how busy everyone was. it was always around the dinner table, never in front of the television. it was an unwritten rule in our home that dinner was always enjoyed with loved ones and served with conversation.
i love that my parents instilled that value in me, and i suppose that's where my inclination for hospitality arose. it's hard to think of a good meal without the company of good friends. strangers may sit down at the table, but rarely do you leave a table without having built some rapport. it's no wonder that in traditional cultures, deals are made and promises sworn at the banquet table.
i was reminded of this when mako was in town. during our trip to nanjing, the chair of the international program at nanjing arts institute invited our group for a meal. the restaurant was tucked down an inconspicuous lane, hid in an ultra-modern building sleek with glass and steel. the restaurant served chinese cuisine though it was decked out in uber-luxe faux-art-deco-meets-victorian-era decor. imagine plush purple velvet lounge couches with giant chandeliers. and four birthday balloons drooping on one wall, forlornly out of place.
the food was served with great attention to detail and attempts at artistic flair: sweet and sour chicken served in half a pineapple emflambe, succulent chicken deboned (a rarity in china), and an interesting combination of a meat pastry with a sweet sesame dessert soup, to name a few memorable dishes. but it wasn't the food that stuck out to me, delicious as it was. what stayed with me from that luncheon was the courtesy displayed, the respect and mutual admiration exhibited by the parties involved.
working in the chinese art world for a few years has taught me several invaluable skills including the art of holding my liquor at dinner parties. i've had to make and accept many a toast from museum officials, distinguished guests, artists, etc., and when the chinese toast, a sign of respect is to empty your glass. no one ever gets embarrassingly sloshed from such behavior, but most do turn lobster red after a meal (thanks to that asian drinking gene most of us have inherited....).
this particular luncheon was no different. there is an art involved, a dance i've had to learn to perfect (and am still perfecting). always aim your glass low - it's a sign of respect. a toast always ends up like some sort of glassware limbo, trying to outdo each other in how low you clink your glass. the host usually starts with some general toast to everyone, and then begins to singularly toast the guests in some sort of hierarchy (usually working from most important, or most essential to the event at hand, down). the toasts are scattered throughout the meal, so you wait and watch. and then it's your turn to reciprocate, and the polite thing is to toast those who've toasted to you, in a similar order. and of course, you can toast anyone else you want as well - it's a form of bestowing favor and respect. but you also have to gauge the toastee's glass. since they will want to honor you by emptying their glass, i try to time my toast with the level of their drink - too high and it may end messy, too low and it's not much of a toast.
after plenty of toasting and kind words at the luncheon, we left the table with relationships established and agreements made. though no papers were signed, no official partnerships were formed, there was an air of understanding that there will be future collaborations and a level of trust had been reached.
food builds community and was meant to be enjoyed in community. every feast we indulge in points to a perfect, beautiful feast we will enjoy for all of eternity. it's not only the food we'll enjoy but perfect, beautiful fellowship and unbroken communion with God and one another. what a lovely thing. :)
one last note - two recent publications on this theme of food worth savoring:
- The Spirit of Food: i found out about this book through the Image Journal's newsletter. from organic farms to kosher kitchens, 34 writers share stories and recipes about the ways food draw us closer to community, God and creation. i've already placed an order and can't wait to read it!
- Saveur Magazine: 25 Greatest Meals Ever: 25 food writers share their most memorable food experiences, including some recipes.
cups of coffee: 1 + 2 green tea
mood: o joy!
most of all, i love the company and conversations that surround meals. i was raised in a family where we always had dinner together, no matter how busy everyone was. it was always around the dinner table, never in front of the television. it was an unwritten rule in our home that dinner was always enjoyed with loved ones and served with conversation.
i love that my parents instilled that value in me, and i suppose that's where my inclination for hospitality arose. it's hard to think of a good meal without the company of good friends. strangers may sit down at the table, but rarely do you leave a table without having built some rapport. it's no wonder that in traditional cultures, deals are made and promises sworn at the banquet table.
i was reminded of this when mako was in town. during our trip to nanjing, the chair of the international program at nanjing arts institute invited our group for a meal. the restaurant was tucked down an inconspicuous lane, hid in an ultra-modern building sleek with glass and steel. the restaurant served chinese cuisine though it was decked out in uber-luxe faux-art-deco-meets-victorian-era decor. imagine plush purple velvet lounge couches with giant chandeliers. and four birthday balloons drooping on one wall, forlornly out of place.
the food was served with great attention to detail and attempts at artistic flair: sweet and sour chicken served in half a pineapple emflambe, succulent chicken deboned (a rarity in china), and an interesting combination of a meat pastry with a sweet sesame dessert soup, to name a few memorable dishes. but it wasn't the food that stuck out to me, delicious as it was. what stayed with me from that luncheon was the courtesy displayed, the respect and mutual admiration exhibited by the parties involved.
working in the chinese art world for a few years has taught me several invaluable skills including the art of holding my liquor at dinner parties. i've had to make and accept many a toast from museum officials, distinguished guests, artists, etc., and when the chinese toast, a sign of respect is to empty your glass. no one ever gets embarrassingly sloshed from such behavior, but most do turn lobster red after a meal (thanks to that asian drinking gene most of us have inherited....).
this particular luncheon was no different. there is an art involved, a dance i've had to learn to perfect (and am still perfecting). always aim your glass low - it's a sign of respect. a toast always ends up like some sort of glassware limbo, trying to outdo each other in how low you clink your glass. the host usually starts with some general toast to everyone, and then begins to singularly toast the guests in some sort of hierarchy (usually working from most important, or most essential to the event at hand, down). the toasts are scattered throughout the meal, so you wait and watch. and then it's your turn to reciprocate, and the polite thing is to toast those who've toasted to you, in a similar order. and of course, you can toast anyone else you want as well - it's a form of bestowing favor and respect. but you also have to gauge the toastee's glass. since they will want to honor you by emptying their glass, i try to time my toast with the level of their drink - too high and it may end messy, too low and it's not much of a toast.
after plenty of toasting and kind words at the luncheon, we left the table with relationships established and agreements made. though no papers were signed, no official partnerships were formed, there was an air of understanding that there will be future collaborations and a level of trust had been reached.
food builds community and was meant to be enjoyed in community. every feast we indulge in points to a perfect, beautiful feast we will enjoy for all of eternity. it's not only the food we'll enjoy but perfect, beautiful fellowship and unbroken communion with God and one another. what a lovely thing. :)
one last note - two recent publications on this theme of food worth savoring:
- The Spirit of Food: i found out about this book through the Image Journal's newsletter. from organic farms to kosher kitchens, 34 writers share stories and recipes about the ways food draw us closer to community, God and creation. i've already placed an order and can't wait to read it!
- Saveur Magazine: 25 Greatest Meals Ever: 25 food writers share their most memorable food experiences, including some recipes.
cups of coffee: 1 + 2 green tea
mood: o joy!
Friday, September 17, 2010
enlarge my heart
this has been a most amazing week - busy, to say the least, but in a wonderful, fulfilling, mind-blowing-cup-overflowing sort of way.
we are so honored to host mako fujimura this week and to hold his first exhibition in china (opening this afternoon!). things are blessedly under control, which explains why i'm able to take time to blog on the morning of an exhibit opening. :)
last night was a wonderful dinner with mako and members of our arts group - feast for the stomach and the soul. as an artist, writer and creative catalyst, mako is a strong advocate for arts education. one member of our group asked, "what if you're passionate about the arts and creating art but frankly, you're just not really good?" mako had an honest and thoughtful response - he pointed out the purpose of educating one in the arts may not necessarily be to cultivate oneself to be the next picasso or shakespeare. mako emphasized that art enlarges our capacity for empathy, that's why the arts are important. when you watch a play, you can't help but step inside the characters' lives and feel their joys and sorrows. when you hear a beautiful piece of music, your heart automatically rises and falls with the notes and you transcend your circumstances to be part of something grander and universal. when you look at at a work of art, you catch beauty and truth that may either affirm or question certain assumptions you hold about the world as you know it. art causes you to step outside of yourself, even if briefly, and simultaneously reminds you of your humanity and the greater humanity in which you participate.
as a writer, empathy has always been one of the virtues i strive to encompass in my work. i suppose that's why i chose to study journalism at university: i was attracted by the imperative responsibility of sharing the stories of others. every person carries in them a beautiful narrative, and all these stories weave together as a bigger, glorious narrative. we were created to be storytellers and storybearers - i think in sharing stories, we better understand ourselves and the world we inhabit.
but we, selfish creatures that we are, long for greatness. we want to make a name for ourselves, for our art to be immortal. we forget that we ourselves were meant to be eternal beings. we turn inward and riddled with doubts and fears, we strive to protect and promote ourselves. yet we were not made for greatness - we were made for grandeur. we were meant for a world more brilliant and beautiful than the world we know, we are more than what can be contained by this frame of flesh and bones. we were meant to worship something grander than ourselves.
art can remind us of that. art carries us beyond tangible, visible realities to a greater reality we sense but are often too timid or scared to touch. art expands our imagination and enlarges our heart to gasp and grasp at the Mystery. and when that happens, we can't help but forget ourselves.
cups of coffee: 1
mood: mind percolating like a coffeemaker on overtime
we are so honored to host mako fujimura this week and to hold his first exhibition in china (opening this afternoon!). things are blessedly under control, which explains why i'm able to take time to blog on the morning of an exhibit opening. :)
last night was a wonderful dinner with mako and members of our arts group - feast for the stomach and the soul. as an artist, writer and creative catalyst, mako is a strong advocate for arts education. one member of our group asked, "what if you're passionate about the arts and creating art but frankly, you're just not really good?" mako had an honest and thoughtful response - he pointed out the purpose of educating one in the arts may not necessarily be to cultivate oneself to be the next picasso or shakespeare. mako emphasized that art enlarges our capacity for empathy, that's why the arts are important. when you watch a play, you can't help but step inside the characters' lives and feel their joys and sorrows. when you hear a beautiful piece of music, your heart automatically rises and falls with the notes and you transcend your circumstances to be part of something grander and universal. when you look at at a work of art, you catch beauty and truth that may either affirm or question certain assumptions you hold about the world as you know it. art causes you to step outside of yourself, even if briefly, and simultaneously reminds you of your humanity and the greater humanity in which you participate.
as a writer, empathy has always been one of the virtues i strive to encompass in my work. i suppose that's why i chose to study journalism at university: i was attracted by the imperative responsibility of sharing the stories of others. every person carries in them a beautiful narrative, and all these stories weave together as a bigger, glorious narrative. we were created to be storytellers and storybearers - i think in sharing stories, we better understand ourselves and the world we inhabit.
but we, selfish creatures that we are, long for greatness. we want to make a name for ourselves, for our art to be immortal. we forget that we ourselves were meant to be eternal beings. we turn inward and riddled with doubts and fears, we strive to protect and promote ourselves. yet we were not made for greatness - we were made for grandeur. we were meant for a world more brilliant and beautiful than the world we know, we are more than what can be contained by this frame of flesh and bones. we were meant to worship something grander than ourselves.
art can remind us of that. art carries us beyond tangible, visible realities to a greater reality we sense but are often too timid or scared to touch. art expands our imagination and enlarges our heart to gasp and grasp at the Mystery. and when that happens, we can't help but forget ourselves.
cups of coffee: 1
mood: mind percolating like a coffeemaker on overtime
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
art! art! art!
in the midst of the biggest week in shanghai's art scene. a few snapshots:
whew! and we're halfway through...
as this week wraps up, i'm uber excited for next week as our gallery hosts... MAKO FUJIMURA! he is one of my personal heroes, and i'm so honored that we get to host him for a week AND show his first exhibition in china.
weeks like this, i LOVE my job.
cups of coffee: 2 + 2 green tea
mood: busy but so, so thankful
our booth at shanghai art fair (come visit us in the ceramics hall!)
ready for the preview opening
sh contemporary 2010 - vernissage was tonight, just got home about half an hour ago. this year's show is much smaller than previous years and (in my humble opinion) not terribly impressive.
fun giant floor-to-ceiling installation made from twisty balloons
friend viv admiring this creative installation of shoe tongues nailed together
whew! and we're halfway through...
as this week wraps up, i'm uber excited for next week as our gallery hosts... MAKO FUJIMURA! he is one of my personal heroes, and i'm so honored that we get to host him for a week AND show his first exhibition in china.
weeks like this, i LOVE my job.
cups of coffee: 2 + 2 green tea
mood: busy but so, so thankful
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