Stereotypical shot

I know I've declared that I would never post a photo of the abominable Pearl Tower, Shanghai's most famous and painful eye sore. But turns out that I was celebrating the return of the sun to our Shanghai lives after 2 weeks of rain on the terrace of one of Shanghai's dining institutions (M on the Bund) and had my camera with me and was in a brilliant mood, and I did point my camera at the flag on the terrace, and the eye sore happened to be in the background. When I saw it on my computer screen, I liked the color contrast, the unusually blue sky, and the tiny bit of Pudong visible at the bottom of the image... So despite the Pearl Tower, I decided it was worth keeping.

This long-winded introduction is just to explain my contradiction and to admit that, for once, the eye sore didn't make me shudder.

The view from M on the Bund

Kittens

I've been following the story of these kittens whose mom has disappeared. They are in the park just down the street. I can't bring one home, but I've been bringing them milk to the park and cuddling with them. Aren't they the cutest kittens?

You can read more about their story in my 365 Project here, here and here.

Fashion

Fashion in China has many faces. Shanghai, being the most modern and westernized city, often presents interesting takes on it. The Japanese look (or the Chinese take on the Japanese look) never fails to entertain. But there are other fashion statements that often leave me speechless or at least with a smile on my face.

The sexy look for temple prayers

The tight-fitting look of the typical Asian teenager

The hot-mama look (she was picking up her kid from school)

The Japanese lolita look

The left-me-speechless look

Cars

Shanghai is the city where the affluent people live. Here, the expression "nouveau riche" is possibly more applicable than anywhere else. Today, in a short walk around my neighbourhood, I found two wheeled expressions of it. I just couldn't resist...

A Corvette turned tiger

An Aston Martin turned shiny mirror

Thankfully, some beautiful cars are not being messed with. This Audi caught my eye for the right reasons.

A bright Audi TT not tampered with

Rainy season revisited

The rainy season may have come to an abrupt end. I probably shouldn't say this too loud, but the heat in the past 3 days has felt like proper summer (which in China means no more rain). As a (hopefully) final goodbye, here's a little dash of color from a car's window from a few days before the sun returned.

Rainy season in Shanghai

Slice of life

Sometimes an image is worth so much more than a thousand words... I think this is one of those: old Shanghai's lane life in all its detailed simplicity.

A lane in the former French Concession

Wet pavement

After over two weeks of non-stop rain, yesterday was beautifully sunny. But today the rain returned... How much longer is the torture going to last!? Meanwhile, I keep getting wet pavement shots.

Have to get groceries even if it rains

Scooters don't slow down or drive sensibly even in the most inclement weather

Feathery neighbours

Chinese people love to keep birds. My own empirical evidence suggests that Shanghai has the highest caged bird:human ratio of all the places I've been to. Bird owners are extremely proud or their feathered pets and love to show them off. If they see me walking with the camera, they'll often call me over and hold the cage up to eye level, with the biggest smile. I can't help feeling bad for the birds... While loved and tended to, they're still in captivity. I'd rather hear them chirping in nearby trees than photograph them inside a cage.

My neighbour's canary

One of many pigeons kept in a lane right across the street

The new kid on the block

The devil is in the details

The most beautiful images in Shanghai are often of unimportant, nearly invisible details... A basket of walnuts and nutcrackers for sale on the street, a pair of drying shoes, even a mop! I love the colors that spring from every corner in this town.

In an old lane in Hongkou

The prettiest mop on earth

Nuts feast!

Portraits II

Today was another lucky day for portraits. I walked through the most decayed lanes in my neighbourhood as residents were eating lunch. I ran into these very friendly grandmas that were extremely amused by my interest in their daily lives. One of them, while laughing heartily, asked me for a print of the pictures I was taking, and when I promised I would she proudly held her bowl of rice for the shot.

Lunch time

Her neighbour made me sit down next to her, held my hands, laughed happily and chatted away in incomprehensible (to me) Shanghainese dialect while neighbours walked by and looked puzzled at both of us: her talking and me nodding.

Come here, sit with me!

This little girl was shopping for groceries with her mom in the lane's market. I was drawn to her angelical face. This was the first shot I got of her, when she was still shy and apprehensive. That feeling vanished after she saw herself on the screen, with her mom approving and encouraging her to smile and pose. Before I realized, there was a crowd stretching necks over my shoulder trying to see the source of all the ohs and ahs. I'm sure someone will know where to find them so I can give the mom some prints too.

China doll

Portraits

There's nothing more beautiful in photography than a B&W portrait of a meaningful face. I was lucky enough to find many of these characters when I went walking in the Hongkou neighbourhood.

My favorite is the grandma in the first shot. She is 91. She was thrilled to have her picture taken, and thanked me the old way: by bringing her hands together in the Thai "sawadee-ka" style, or as if she was praying. She was adorable.

91 and going strong

This man was Mr. Cool. He did not change his facial expression when I approached him and his friend, when I took both portraits, when I showed them on the screen, or when I thanked them and walked away. I wonder if he plays poker?

Mr. Poker-face

This little girl posed patiently until I got the right shot. She inspected each one of them with me, and we kept trying until we both smiled when we got the winning shot, and she said "hao" (good). Then she ran back excitedely to her mom and I bet she told her all about the photo shoot.

Little Empress

This man caught me trying to take a candid shot from a few meters away. He then stood up with a big grin, came over still holding his bowl, and sucked the noodles in a big noisy slurp. He then waited to see the shot before resuming his eating.

Sluuuuuurp!

Wet tiles

While the most beautiful architecture in Shanghai continues to disappear at a heartbreaking pace, there are still a few gems to be found (and photographed). For example, this tiled roof that caught the light beautifully under the rain. Amazingly, shot with my iPhone!

Shanghai ren

"Ren" in Chinese means "people" (that's why the currency is called renminbi - the people's money). Money aside, I walked through a local neighbourhood yesterday and got some shots of Shanghai ren right after lunchtime, when the shoppers rush subsides and vendors take a break to eat, nap or play mahjong.

Xiangyang Nan Lu

Chickens' necks spared for a few more hours

Mahjong

Chairs

How many chairs can you fit into one little cart?

Chairs vendor on Shaoxing Lu

Wet and steamy

The rainy season continues, and I keep finding opportunities for moody B&W shots. Let's see how long I last before I switch to still life images indoors.

A lane off Ruijin Lu

Steamy eatery

Early afternoon at the groceries store

Rabbit Buddha

This is the Year of the Rabbit in China. I guess that's why this particular one came to exist? I resisted the urge to buy it, but I may just go back and get it... How many people do you know who have a rabbit Buddha?

Rabbit Buddha

Rainy season

I hate rain. In this part of the world, about 10% of your life is sentenced to non-stop gray rainy days. I've moaned about the rainy season for the six years I've lived in Asia. But even I have had enough of my own gray mood. This year, I've made the resolution to find the positive side of it. For example, this shot.

Rainy season has arrived

Old Shanghai from above

Ever wondered what Shanghai looked like from the sky before skyscrapers arrived? I was lucky enough to get this picture before this neighbourhood disappears in a few weeks.

Vanishing old Shanghai

Maternity

This morning I went to a local neighbourhood that is just about to get torn down to make room for a new high-rise building. In a dark alley deep into the maze I ran into a young mother and her baby. No matter where you live and what language you speak, the look of infinite love in a mom's face is always the same.

Maternity

I've started a new photo project

In addition to this photoblog, I've just started a year-long project where I'll be posting the photo of the day. Every picture has to be taken on the day it is posted... So I'll be living with my camera hanging from my neck!

Wish me strength and inspiration... and visit often! And don't forget to leave comments, so I'll know that someone's looking!

Check it out here: http://365project.org/silvina/365

A breath of fresh air

Fresh air is a luxury in Shanghai - even more so if you work in a restaurant kitchen. That's why this picture is so precious to me... It's the small luxuries in life that make it worthwhile.

A well-deserved break

Pigeonholes

I usually scan the world looking for beauty. When I find something disgusting, I rarely point my camera at it. Certain things make me uncomfortable - but not enough to put the camera down. This is one of those cases... Interesting composition from cramped living spaces: I feel claustrophobic just looking at it, yet the geometry draws me in.

Newer building deep into a French Concession lane

A shopper's paradise (or pack rat syndrome threat)

If you are a pack rat, Shanghai presents the danger of worsening your condition... I'm really not into fakes. But, even if you keep away from them, the range of unimaginable "I-must-have-it"s is overwhelming. Since I arrived in Shanghai, for example, I have developed an addiction to calligraphy brushes. (I don't do calligraphy, I just like the brushes).

All these temptations appeared within a 100-meter stroll.

Artwork to satisfy every taste

A window into Chinese pottery

Brush heaven

Made in China

The expression "Made in China" has all sorts of connotations - not all of them positive - on the lips of westerners. I had the opportunity to visit a clothing factory in the outskirts of Shanghai a few weeks ago - one that supplies global retailers that are household names in the US and Europe. This version of "Made in China" is one to be proud of: spacious work stations, well lit and ventilated floors, modern machinery and an air of camaraderie among workers.

Cutting before assembly

Sock weaving

Sock trimming

Finished socks