Shanghai, from the beginning

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Sewon

I’m back in Shanghai, a place I called home until I left it behind dreaming of mountains and small town life. I’m surprised at how comfortable I feel here amongst skyscrapers piercing the sky and crisscrossing overpasses hovering over my head. It’s been wonderful to see my Shanghai friends, and (re)discover new and old favorite nooks around the city.

I love my soft, furry earmuffs!

Extra juicy xiaolongbao with some dark vinegar dipping sauce at Ling Long Fang

An adorable boutique run by the lady behind a Shanghai-based street style blog

At Cha’s, one of our favorite Hong Kong style diners. The meal begins…

I love group meals.

So many 2012 calendars!

A huge meal at Kagen, a teppanyaki restaurant

Lightly-seared foie gras topped with caviar on buttered toast

Kota’s Kitchen is one of my favorite yakitori bars in town. Their chicken meatball has quail eggs hidden inside. Yum!

After the humongous potato croquette arrived, we proceeded to eat three different types of pork belly dishes.

Top it all off with a bowl of Yokohama ramen!

“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” – T. S. Eliot, the Four Quartets.

P.S. The randomly-chosen giveaway winner has been announced!

Thank you so much for participating, and keep your eyes out for the next one. I definitely plan on hosting one again in January.

My Lo-fi Summer

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Sewon

I finally uploaded photos taken on my Shanghainese Seagull and my new Lomo LC-A+. I found a good little photography shop on my bicycle route to school that scans my negatives for me.

I’m so slow at taking analog photos that I discovered shots from Shanghai, Seoul, Busan, Kunming (here), and other mysterious locations!

Other than the window seat, the spiral staircase is probably my favorite thing about my new apartment here.

A view of Busan from my hotel room.

A 21+ RMB taxi ride in Shanghai

Taurin took this photo of me by the Green Lake.

Kunming is actually a quite (or very) large city of 6+ million people.

*If you’re curious, click the photos individually for information about the camera and location.

P.S.

Happy (Belated) Moon Festival!

It’s a holiday everyone gathers to eat mooncakes (full-moon shaped snacks) and gazes up at the moon (we’re all under the same moon). The local mooncakes from the Yunnan Province are perfectly round with buttery flaky skin!

(After a second glance, I’m giggling to myself because this photo is so obviously different from the rest in the entry. I’m still the most comfortable lugging around my DSLR.)

Goodbye, Shanghai!

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Sewon

I know I’ve been quiet lately, but this was my last week in Shanghai.

“There is poetry as soon as we realize that we possess nothing.” – John Cage

As you can imagine, the past few weeks have been both nerve-wrecking and exciting, as I have been finalizing my decisions for the rest of the year. I’m thinking ahead just enough for my own piece of mind, but leaving enough room for flexibility. And of course, getting rid of most of my belongings.

Otherwise, I have been trying my best to focus on Shanghai and my life here. Taurin played a audiovisual noise show at an old children’s theater. I have been working on a mini photo zine for an art party, visiting small print shops to get the zine published. It’s been so rewarding to explore independent publishing in China, and meeting other creative Shanghai-based artists.

Let me know if you are interested in a copy of the zine! I only have a few copies left, but I’d love to share them with you (wherever you are!). I also have other goodies like photo stickers and postcards that I can include in the package.

浮岛 (floating island) – twenty pages

Maps and Fragments

Category Archives: Shanghai

Shanghai, from the beginning

My Lo-fi Summer

Goodbye, Shanghai!