5 Day Shanghai....

Traffic Rules do not exist in Shanghai. I can't say if its just Shanghai or all of China, this being my first trip to China. Green here means step on the gas pedal and pray that anything or anyone crossing your path or in the opposite direction don't kill you first! I grip the side of the taxicab's door in doubt, as we narrowly miss cars, scooters, bikes and people approaching in all directions. Big cities have proofed to be similar in my world travel. They leave contradicting footprints, one that leads to a pinball machine world of noise and visual stimulation, another, to intangible humanity. Cities accelerate and lack collisions of compassion. In Shanghai's underground tunnels, doors open, citizens force their way onto the train before riders have the opportunity to exit. Put your helmet on and when the doors open "Charge"! One of Shanghai's best highlight can be experienced at rush hour. 

There are the fortunate who have found fortune in this city. Then there are the poor who live in tiny one room homes within an overcrowded community. A bulk of my time was spent in these neighborhoods to understand and learn more of my Shanghainese culture. Many of the old buildings, some dating as far back as 100 years and more, hid details that had been overlooked or forgotten. We precariously walked into locals' homes trying to blend in. My camera and the blond girl might have given us away but highly unlikely :).We were often greeted with questions like "What are you doing here?" and "Why are you taking photos of these old ugly buildings?". It is common here you find neighbors sharing kitchens and bathrooms, dark corridors lined with padlocked doors, sometimes a steep wooden staircase, leading to a maze of other living quarters. These spaces are far removed from simple. My eyes never saw an empty wall, shelf or counter space. I remember seeing all sorts of objects hung from hooks, wooden sticks, hangers for storage. If there is a space, it had a purpose. I now fully understand why while growing up, we had all sorts of hanging knickknacks. It wasn't dysfunctional after all! 

It snowed in Shanghai on the second day of my visit, making the next few days of photographing outside less desirable. While I was complaining about the cold, I witness a local washing his hair outside his home, with a bucket of cold taped water, mixed in with hot water contained in a stainless steel flask. I am clueless to how they shower. Their access to hot water is over a portable gas stove. Their kitchens are small rooms enough for one person to stand in, separate from their living quarters. 

If you are ever in China, you have to get your money's worth on your taste buds. The authentic foods of China are sold off the food carts on the streets. It is a little scary thinking about the hygiene standards, but I can guarantee your wallet and tummy is in for a treat! I can't remember a time aside from school days, I could buy a bowl of noodles for less than a dollar! A lot tastier than what I have ordered in most restaurants. The hole in the wall eateries would scare most civilians. They reminded me of old coffee shops and food stalls growing up in Singapore. I indulge in inexpensive tasty food parked under my nose, praying i won't regret throwing up in both directions :P!

Shanghai has everything America has to offer, including - The Mall! I spent ten minutes in what appeared to be the busiest shopping district of Shanghai. Truthfully I could not tell. The chinese have a reputation for being hard workers. I have seen locals standing in freezing temperatures just to make a few bucks. They have, over time, developed tolerance to their harsh environments for self-survival. China is also resourceful at reinventing the wheel. If you want to buy clothing, jewelry and a lot of fake counterfeit brand bags and watches, there is metro stop mall just for that!

As old buildings are torn down to make room for new high-rises and malls, we observe Shanghai taking form. There isn't much of old Shanghai left standing. If you look deep enough, you will find charming locals and a lot of history in these corridors. These images traced my path over 5 days through city streets and narrow alleys, I mingled with the locals and attempted to communicate with my superb mandarin skills. I hope you enjoy following my footprints, to discover the "Real Shanghai". 

To View Photos:

Su Pang's Creative Photography

Thanks to my cousin Anni, who was mostly my voice on this trip.

24 Hour Shanghai

My first impression on China in 3 words - Warmth, Smiles and Kindness. I had an unexpected change of plans, Shanghai for 24 hours after a 14 hour flight, and back on the plane to Singapore. I will be back to Shanghai in 10 days when my visa issue gets sorted out. I stayed outside of Shanghai City for the night and a hotel for $28, would have costed $150/night in america. I cannot even tell you where i was. The next day turned out to be a pleasant clear day. I had an interesting asian breakfast at the hotel's top floor, filled with noodles, buns and more noodles. I took a stroll in the neighborhood, where a big river runs through. Within 10 mins of new discoveries, I find myself in the path of a scruffy kitten with melting eyes. It must have been weeks old. He was weak, thin and scrounging for food in the back of a restaurant. My immediate respond was to shelter "it", he clung on to me as if to say "don't leave me", "Please take me home with you". I attempted to speak to the food washing ladies in mandarin, asking them if they knew where the kitten's mother was. They had told me it had wandered through the streets looking for food. Sad, sad, sad :(((_-_-_I feel so guilty for not doing more. 

I continued making my way through the narrow streets, to photograph this foreign town. I encountered more sad animals (you will see in my photos). It was heart wrenching for me to even work on some of the photos. I also met some really genuine hardworking poor people, who were so kind to invite a stranger "me" into their homes for lunch. I was sure to get their address so that I could mail them their photos when I return to China. On the way back to the hotel, I couldn't help buying a chicken leg, or was it duck? I had to go back to feed the poor defenseless kitten. About 6 of the ladies working at the restaurant were on their break and were camera shy. After talking to them more, they warmed up quickly and I managed to get my photo op. They brought me a bowl so i could wash my greasy hands from feeding the kitten. 

This is the culture here, it is real, as cruel as it may seem. Still hard to swallow and hard not to hold back the tears. I am so connected and removed from this society. It makes me happy and sad experiencing what seems to be the norm here. Think twice when you do complain about what you don't have. If you ever feel discontent, I suggest taking a trip to suburbia China. What you may experience is something very unique, quite hard to put in words. I hope my photos speak for me.To view more of my images, please visit:

Su Pang's Creative Photography

Vintage Tableware with an Attitude!

I had been searching for a flower pot for a plant that had outgrown it's cramped plastic container. During my rush shopping lunch break, I discovered a store with 30-50% off signs plastered over it's window. I found myself a beautiful Jade Green pot and decided to browse through the aisles of cheap china before I stumbled upon these amazing pieces of tableware! They were sitting on random shelves, collecting dust and completely forgotten about. The collection below is a mixture of three manufacturers. Most well-known - Mikasa, Sango Rainbow & Carousel Stoneware, all made in Japan and dates back to the early 70s. One of the tea cups still had its barcode label stuck on it. 

In the early 1930's, Mikasa was established as an international trading company based in Secaucus, New Jersey. The American company looked to Japan for inspiration and imported only from countries like Japan, Ireland, England, France, and Germany. Mikasa's secret was mixing feldspar, quartz and flint to the clay, making it incredibly durable. It is an American classic - strong, practical and above all, beautiful! They sure don't make them like they used to.

Clean Living & Butter??

I have neglected my blog page for quite sometime. I guess i have been more foucsed in getting my photography project together. Its hard to be focused on just one thing when life is constantly throwing  opportunities. There is always some other exciting activity that presents itself!

I am not sure how you all feel .....“I LOVE BUTTER!” The way it tastes, its texture and color. Potato is my second favourite but i won’t do without my butter in them mash potatoes! Anyway, I stumbled upon an inventive way to carry your butter. This reminds me of wooden ice-cream spoons from the 70s. The wooden spreader acts as a lid for the container. It simply snaps on when not in use. This design is functional, portable and minimalistic.

I am also posting [ BETTER LIFE ]’s line of house cleaners. The difference is the concept of humor. Cleaning supply packagings always market how well their products clean and sanitizes. Sure we all want a cleaner that works well but we all dread house cleaning! If you do enjoy cleaning, you can come over my apartment anytime! I appreciate packaging humor to a not so motivating part of life :)

Found Treasure in the Mid-West

My 2 day journey begins.....photographing decayed structures and open land in the humid air of Missouri. 6a.m Sunday morning, we will load the pickup and head Southwest of Kansas City towards Jefferson City, MO to find Bates-Geers House (AKA Monster House). I am excited to ride these unknown country roads, stumbling upon whatever presents itself. We will then drive west to a town call Ozark, to seek out a historic mill call Hoover Mill. In case of any emergency....my mosquito repellent and bottle of alcohol will be at waist side! This photo was taken by a photographer by the name of Jerry E Shelton in Missouri. Thanks to Jerry, the house is waiting to be found by ME!

Here is a little history of Monster House. 

A view of the Bates-Geers house, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, described as having significant Greek Revival architecture , and located in northeastern rural Texas county. The house was built in the early 1840's by Addison Bates, who moved to the area from North Carolina and built the first sawmill in this area. The large chimneys on either end are made of locally quarried sandstone. The house was used as a stagecoach stop around the time of the civil war. After the war, the house was sold to John Geers, a union soldier from Illinois who had been in the area during the war. He and his descendants lived here until the 1970's. At the time the documents were filed in the 1980's to have the house placed on the National Register of Historic Places, the owners stated it was their intention to have the house restored.

The Bold and Beautiful!

It was 3 years ago I had discovered Mirjan Rooze's Photography on Flickr. Mirjan shoots with a film camera. I fell in love with her work that felt very personal and captured the mood of the moment. Not only does she have a sharp eye for great composition and photo combination, she is photogenic, beautiful and talented. Her photography displays her life living in the Dutch countryside. Makes me want to move! Her work has definitely made a lasting impression.

Being more than just a product of society...

The need to be unique in every aspect of our lives is growing rapidly and becoming more challenging to stand out with the over saturated market. A few years ago, picking the right color and coming up with a good layout design is what a good designer needed to know. Designing a concept that makes an impact today, you might as well get a degree in product engineering or become a scientist, where elaborate die-cuts, raw materials, forms and textures are implemented as part of the design process. Below are examples of package designs that are starting to resemble one another. I still love their clean lines, the whites and touches of colors that contrast. I love the tea bag packaging acting as a coaster idea. The embossed design on the paper soaks up the tea to form a colored image. A simple design cleverly executed! Another of my favorite is the hot dog wrapper....here again, simple but well-thought out. What do you love about design?

The Beauty of Dissolution

I have been fascinated and fantasizing about Detroit for months now. My first brush with this city was an inflight magazine traveling from Barcelona to New York. My eyes bulge, observing the details captured by a photographer's lens. The remains of a forgotten structure. Many passed not giving it a second thought. A place conforming to Detroit's skeletal community. Ever since, I have been intrigued and many have explored before me. This altered city will soon be a fab-U-lous vacation!  Photographs by Andrew Moore.

Pantone Home Paint

Another alternative to owning pantone books! This attractive packaging for home paint was the design of samy halim. I like the concept and would probably buy paint even if i don't need it, just for the cool packaging. Its recyclable after the paint is used. They are stackable and pleasing to look at it when stored in a garage, storage or closet space! As an artist, I could easily use these small pantone cans and mount them to a wall space to create a 3D pantone sculpture. Out with the pantone books and in with the mountable pantone swatches!

Whole Tree Design

I would love a home build with whole trees. The concept is to help save the destruction of more trees by creating an ecological system using trees that are no larger than 10 inches in diameter. These trees are removed from clients site or trees that have been downed by weather or disease. For 16 years, Roald Gundersun has been researching this technique of building homes to substain the environment. In my eyes, these homes have been transformed into beautiful ecological skeletal pieces of art. I am sure these homes smell treely rustic!