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

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.

 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?!?

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.

- 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

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:

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....