Attractive locals?!

Before coming to Shanghai, I had heard about the allure and beauty of Shanghainese women as well as their fame at seducing men.  What I found when I arrived, however, was a completely different story.  All the locals were unattractive with most of them just downright ugly.  This was probably the only culture shock I experienced in China. 

Spending more time in Shanghai did not help the situation, out of a city of 23 million I could not seem to find one single local Chinese girl that I found attractive.  Faced with this odd observation, I tried to reason it out.  As an anthropologist, my first thoughts turned to culture.  “Beauty is a cultural construct!” I thought to myself, so it must have something to do with me being very Americanized that I cannot appreciate these Chinese girls.  However, as time wore on this seemed less and less convincing.  When the cultural theory finally died, I just told people it must be from a lack of nutrition, which is an even worse explanation but the best that I could come up with. 

Three months ago everything suddenly changed.  It was as if there was a switch in my brain that suddenly got flipped and without explanation or warning, I started seeing attractive/cute/pretty locals everywhere.  Perhaps, I was on to something about beauty being a cultural construct.  After all I have been enculturated into many local customs such as eating oily food and pushing people out of my way.  It should not be that large of a leap for me to come to internalize local concepts of attractiveness.  Of course, the other explanation is that I am coming to the end of my junior year and being still single am simply getting desperate. 

Whether it be enculturation or desperation, things have gone too far.  It is time to go home in order to reverse whatever has happened because I would never be able to face my friends back home if I fell for a local.   

-muffinman

Talking with Grandparents

I am in back in Hong Kong for a six day visit because I am going to go straight home from Shanghai. Mark down July 13th on your calendar because that is when I am coming home.
When I made the decision to go back to Hong Kong instead of going to Seoul, I was under the impression that my grandmother was very sick. However, on the day that I booked my ticket, I was informed by my aunt that my grandmother had just recently gotten over her illness. Nonetheless, I decided to come to Hong Kong because I did not know when I would be able to see my grandparents again.

On my first visit, I was pleasantly surprised by how much my grandfather’s health improved. Just three months ago he needed help to get out of his chair, but now he was getting out of bed all by himself as well as walking quite quickly with his walker. My grandfather looked much more alive and even took the effort to talk to me, best of all when he spoke I could understand him! Much to the frustration of my aunt, my grandfather is using his new found energy to pick fights and boss people around. This news explains why he was repeatedly telling me how useless my uncle was.
As for my grandmother, she seems to have recovered quite well. She is still as chatty as ever and looks to be in good spirits. My aunt tells me that my grandmother has lost weight, but I could not tell, she looks just as good as I remember three months ago.

While talking to my grandparents, I noticed something very peculiar. The conversations I had with my grandma revolved around doing well in school so I could find a good wife and have good kids. She also stressed the importance of not getting married too early (now) and not too late (over 30) as well as telling me to start dating now. On the other hand, my conversations with my grandpa was all about the importance of saving money and being frugal.

Those conversations sure reminded me of my own parents. Funny how history seems to repeat itself, I wonder if I will be the one talking about money to my kids.

-muffinman

GZ café: ARC away from ARC

The comfy atmosphere, nice owners and cats make GZ café my favorite café in Shanghai, they also make better coffee than ARC at home.

I first came to this café on the recommendation of my professor and now I can be found here at least once a week. The café is located in a complex called Jing’an Villas, which is a street of distinctive old brick houses that has been renovated and is filled with cafes and knick knack shops. Inside, the walls of the café are lined with cute little arts and crafts. There is a distinct homemade feeling to everything in the café. Everything in the café looks Western, but it is the Asianized Western feel, the best way to describe it would be FOBBY but only ABC’s know what that means. About a month ago there was a new addition to the café with two kittens! The owner recognizes me now and asks me if I will have my usual cappuccino. It definitely feels nice to recognized.


The Jing'an Villas Complex


Two small ones are new


Kittens are adorable

During the winter break when everybody was gone I spent an enormous amount of time here. When I saw the wife teaching a young woman how to bake I fell even more in love with the place. GZ café to me defines what a mom and pop store is all about.


The scene that made me fall in love with the cafe

In fact I am writing this post in the café right now and I just got asked by a customer for the bill. I may be spending too much time in this place.

-muffinman

More pictures

Feiyue Shoes

Move over shikumen houses, these Chinese sneakers which look a lot like Converse are my new obsession. Finding where to buy these shoes is as much fun as browsing for them, as there is no large retailer carrying them. Instead, small shops hidden in obscure places are the only places that carry them, meaning that I have to track down these stores online and hear about them through friends. In the past week I have visited three stores, it is like finding a diamond in the rough.

I find the shoes to be a lot of fun with their unique colors and retro design. The company dates back to the 1920’s and the shoes are still made in Shanghai. Now French owned, Feiyue shoes are popular in Europe where they sell for 50 to 60 euros per pair, though in China they sell for 35 to 70RMB ($5 to $10). Of course you get what you pay for and the shoes that are made for the Chinese market are much worse quality with glue visible at the seams and flimsy soles. I have only found one pair French export of Feiyues and the quality difference was quite huge and it was being sold for only 70RMB. Sadly, the French export pair was not in my size.


High tops for only 38RMB~$6


You definitely get what you pay for. Notice the glue at the seams.


My favorite pair which I just found out all my Singaporean friends dislike.

Feiyue’s retro style, Chinese origins and French ownership perfectly represents Shanghai’s character, so do not be surprised to get a pair as souvenirs from me!

-muffinman