sojourns to the far east / night one / shanghai

The Bund.

you know ... i've always wondered ... what does the word "bund" even mean? i don't remember anything like it in english, so i thought it must have been a foreign utterance. and i've always felt that the word is a bit too funny sounding to the ear and even had a goofy tone to it.

but the word didn't matter. its' sound didn't matter. not even the meaning of what it conveyed matters. what mattered was what it consisted of and what it represented in the urban arena that was shanghai. i left the hotel and asked for directions on how to get to the Bund, and i told them i wanted to walk there, regardless how long it takes. everyone i asked looked at me with a profoundly dumbstruck expression on their face, thinking that i must be insane to want to walk that far.

but its only through walking that you really get to minutely observe the world around you. you get to see every interesting detail and every eye-catching event that would otherwise escape you mercilessly without a moments notice, if you hurry too quickly. undisturbed by their 'WTF" look, i eventually was given directions and i walked for about thirty minutes before saw for the first time the place i had been hunting for. and finally, from a distance, separated by a great river, i could see a luminous sight of lighted classical buildings.



after crossing the Huangpu river, i had walked from a ferry dock and took this shot showing modern shanghai, designed to transport pedestrians and vehicles from one bank of the river to the next, and proceeded to walk in view of the all lighted buildings that i saw.



several other surprises greeted me as i walked in that direction, such as this fluid piece of space frame roof construction below, resembling a slim white net on slim white stilts in frozen motion hovering above me like a skeleton of an amorphous cloud as i walked underneath.

it was obviously a very modern insertion into an otherwise historical context, and i had later learned that the entire Bund was renovated and refurbished from its previous state as a series of run down buildings in an unfortunate dilapidated condition to the contemporary and revitalised marvel that we see today.



extensive re-designing and re-construction works of the entire area by the bank of the river were carried out in a span of just twelve pressured months, in an unprecedented rush to prepare this stretch for the world expo taking place in shanghai this year. but instead of just polishing up an old forgotten look, the state government decided to give this place a complete and transformative makeover.

it would be turned into a vibrant district designed for the tourist's eye and wallet, complete with attractions, both modern and historical, to spruce up the appeal of the locale, and ts pretty obvious, they succeeded in their ambitious objectives.

this, ladies & gentleman, was The Bund.
and what an enlighteningly dazzling night it was.



this was obviously a collection of pompous classical buildings, birthed in stone from the country's enterprising past with its colonial western associations, centred on a stretch of road called Zhongshan Road, named after Sun Yat Sen. these were bold buildings with striking colonnades, decorated bases, domes and pediments, dramatic floral and human sculptures, and all the other usual design elements one would usually associate with the language of classical buildings, restored to its former pristine and imposing glory.

design styles here read like a who's who of classical styles which included Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Neo-Classical, Beaux-Arts, and even the relatively modern Art Deco style.



most of the buildings here primarily started out as institutions of international finance catering to the endless variety of businesses in the past, legal or otherwise, but they stand today as temples of money dedicated to commercial and retail transaction.

it was simply one famous brand after another, conspicuously western in origin, whose prominent brand name stood out glaringly, above the entrances from one facade to the next.



people spend time here. a lot of people. of lot of time.

i guess this setting was a physical manifestation of the feel-good atmosphere presently permeating the country right now, where everywhere you go you will see its citizens celebrating their new found sense of national and cultural pride through expressions of smiling faces and displays of ostentatious wealth. a nation, with a noble 5,ooo year old history, celebrating its arrival on the world stage, drowning in riches it once only dreamed of, and looking ever so optimistically into the future.

and what better way to celebrate this optimism than with the taking of a photo shoot session in this hive of human activity in celebration of a wedding for the whole world to see?



congratulations in order, i presume.



its a very palpable feeling, this sense of pride. and i guess they felt they had deserved it.and now it seems, its time to let the world know.

walking on, i notice appealing lighting attractions made up part of the strip as well, like this interesting wall of circular ring lights , changing colours gradually from one end of the spectrum to another. a myriad of brilliant ever - shifting colours certainly was a clever way to create a playful atmosphere.



from passionate reds to natural greens ...



... from sensuous blues to enigmatic cyans.

i kept on walking around for the next few hours taking as many photographs of the entire area as i could and enjoying the festive ambiance so prevalent in the dark of the night. people were out having a good time and i was obviously one of them.



as expected, i gazed at many of the majestic buildings here quite a bit and eventually my eyes were directed to the tops of these towers and i saw how the rich architectural styles of this vicinity was highlighted even there. the lighting in these places were really perfectly executed to bring out and focus the amazing features of each tower.



so vividly sharp and brilliant the decorative features of each element was, whether geometrical, flamboyant or cubic, each proudly stating its identity as an eventful mark in its history.



and as i walked along, haunting lighted figures with superman complexes would occasionally catch my eye. heroic salutes to communism, i deduced.



and then something even more striking catches my attention. a series of slender tapered triangular towers, closely arranged next to each other in a tripod from, creating an elegant sculptural composition of abstract form and texture, serves as a memorial for the those who died during the revolutionary struggle of Shanghai dating back to the First Opium War,and it was christened the people heroes memorial.

essentially, pure white blades with their sharp edges slicing the night sky, in the presence of a lonely and serene full moon orbiting in solitude.



and these were the views as i stood the memorial, overlooking the river and seeing modern shanghai in all its dashing appearance.



and if its one thing i've learned about this amazing strip of redevelopment, is that here it seems, the concept of urban regeneration has also been adopted to create a sense of life in a previously delinquent site, but glorification and self indulgence were the key ideas behind this design imperative.

but hey, it works. life flourishes here too.
socially anyway.

at about 10.30 pm, i felt i had spent enough time here and i had started walking back in the direction of my hotel, across the river. i was going to call it a day, and i could see that the night had begun to fade into restful oblivion. the city was still undoubtedly energetic, but the crowd had lessened and i thought that maybe i should head back too.



and then a stray thought flashed in my mind.

there was one other building that i had wanted to see which i was informed was actually quite nearby. i wondered if i had the time or even the energy to walk some more, but i remember thinking to myself once that fatigue is a state of mind, and i could snap out of it whenever i wanted.

and i did. vehemently.

i had remembered reading about this interesting architectural hybrid of eastern design principles with a modern sensibility and appearance while waiting for one of my projects to be reviewed and approved by the local shah alam council. they had this italian design magazine there in the waiting area, and i picked it up, and as i was flipping though it, i saw this colossal, gleaming ivory box with an all enveloping clear glass skin and a reverse pointed arch at its top that composed its entire roof.

it looked like something richard meir would have worked on, with its signature geometrical vernacular cladded in pure white panels, interposed with expanses of clear glass. but it wasnt him, it was someone else, and i knew that because i was going to shanghai soon, this wonderful piece of work would be a must - see, and going at night to see its magniloquent appearance lighted up would have been perfect.

like icing on the cake.

it was called the shanghai opera house, and its reputation for a being a lively centre to encourage and showcase art and performance events certainly lived up to the dramatic purpose it was built for, architecturally speaking of course. and then i decided, i had better get there quickly.



i ran, i scurried, i took the train and asked for directions. before long i was there. walking up one of the stations i saw this building first in front of me, and then turning to the left, i saw my final destination for the night.

and it was breathtaking. incandescently breathtaking.



of course, i got closer. walked straight to the main entrance.



and as i stood in front of this grand, modern palace of the arts, all i could do was admire its appearance as a token of simplicity in its finest incarnation. essentially a huge box of white frames covered with glass, this beautiful opera house filtered light out of its interiors to the outside environment like a brilliant transparent jewel beaming out light from within.



a relatively large pedestrian walkway was situated in front of the complex and grand staircases leading up to its entrance divided the boundaries between the streets and its immediate premises.



a closer view of the main entrance hall, and i just how light glowed softly out of the hall and on the underside of the roof above. the soft curves of the roof were gracefully highlighted.



the left elevation of the structure, still clearly radiating its interiors.



the walls were punctuated with white staircases, jutting out from the glass skin periodically, forming part a secondary structural frame for the building for entry and exit points.



my last shot of this masterpiece for the night. and no longer could i deny, i was exhausted.

i had finally then decided i was done for the night, standing on aching legs and feet, i started heading back to the hotel. getting back was an adventure in itself, that's for sure. i had to haggle a ride back with someone on a bike to take me back to the bund area, cause it was already past midnight and public transportation had ceased its services for the night, then walked for about an hour or so in the desolate landscape of the dead night completely, before finally getting a godsend taxi to take me back to my hotel.

it had been revealing day, and i've appreciated every moment, but i'm glad i was back in my room, retiring for the night at 1am. tomorrow will bring back a reunion of sorts, and one im anxiously impatient for. after all, tomorrow i visit the reason this excursion to china came into being in the first place.

"a collection of unique modern and traditional pavilions from every corner of the globe, showcasing ideas and identities on an international platform for the world to witness, explore and appreciate. from east to west, the world was in one place,"

the world expo 2010.

and syl, i'll see you in the morning, you sweet old gal.

oh yea, i found what "bund" means .... with surprising hindi/urdu origins from north india, it simply means river embankment. well..you learn something new everyday. good night!

sojourns to the far east / day one / shanghai

its raining.

my last morning in seoul, and its raining on a frosty Sunday morning.
light droplets of icy tears, falling softly from the sky.

God, i love rain.

the only thing that i wanted to do at the time, after coming back 5 am last night was of course to continue counting the zzz's in my semi - conscious head, but inevitably (and thankfully, perhaps) the epiphany that i needed to get ready and leave for the airport soon rang hard in mind. so off i go. i got ready, left the guesthouse and told them i'd be back in a few days. i was off to the one of the most dynamic financial hubs on the asian continent.

the almighty economic heart that incessantly pumps cold hard cash in and out in the arteries and veins of the scaled body of a seemingly omnipotent money hungry dragon on the global stage, that the world use to know as The Middle Kingdom.

shanghai, baby. shanghai.

and i just had to stop myself from going out of control with excitement.
raw, unbridled, unrestrained, deservedly so, excitement.



and so i departed seoul in the biting cold. the bitter and unbearable cold, that seemed forlorn and despaired. a sign of a perfect farewell i thought, weeping at my departure.



but i arrived in shanghai in the blazing heat. the blistering and sweltering heat, that seemed radiant and effulgent. a sign of a joyous welcome i felt, rejoicing in my arrival.

i liked it already.

unfortunately the first thing that greeted me after leaving pudong airport on the streets of shanghai was its world famous, notoriously menacing and temper inducing gridlocks on the highways.

it was jams galore.

after about an hour ( or was it two? or three even? ) and with my head still pounding from last night having had slept so late, the situation was beginning to get on my nerves. thankfully however after making a couple of wrong stops, i finally arrived at my hotel.



my - conspicuously obvious 5 star, luxuriously rated with lavishly gleaming interior environments, dripped with architectural decadence at every corner - hotel.

4 point sheraton shanghai,fujian road,shanghai.

and the minute i walked in and said thank God to the receptionist ( who emphatically smiled after i uttered that ) and after realising that indeed was the right place, relived from escaping the scorching heat outside, i kinda felt like a globe trotting bruce wayne, with a billion dollars in my pockets, in town for some high end business dealings.

now the thing is, i actually would have preferred to have stayed in a hostel, a guesthouse or a backpackers inn for its congenial atmosphere, but i also thought before i left home, that it would be quite an experience to stay in a 5 star hotel for just a few days.

so i decided for the sake of the experience, i'd try it out.

as expected it was all what you would expect from a world class hotel, and at least for the next few days, i was gonna live it up.



yup, that's the reception area, see what i mean, when i say architecturally decadent? the place was absolutely dripping with the essence of decorative and superfluous exaggeration at every corner. once i checked in, breathing a heavy sigh of relief, i checked into my room, got my stuff unpacked, and showered.

a cold bath never felt so good.
a light nap never felt more comfortable.

for the next few hours, a little bit of quiet breathing space was all i was craving for. i needed to rest my weary and fatigued self for a couple of hours at least and resign myself to brief slumber. but i knew the setting of the evening sun would re - energise me to start sauntering again and there was one place in particular that i had been dreaming off to visit ever since i started researching the exciting sights and sounds of this famed metropolis.

it was a place steeped in glorious history, where the commencement of shanghai's meteoric financial prominence had begun hundreds of years ago. it was place of vibrant commerce and trade, of shady dealings and brutal foreign occupations, of shameful decadence and fabulous opulence and of apathetic neglect and a spectacular rebirth.

it was called quite simply The Bund, and i was dying to see its magnificent presence on a strip of illuminated edifices right by the paved banks of the mighty Huangpu river. my enthusiasm would have to wait though cause right now, all that mattered was sleep.

and i closed my eyes for a moment or two.
and solace quickly enveloped me.

sojourns to the far east / night three / seoul

ok, so i'm back at the guesthouse.

after being surrounded by wonders both artificial and natural, im back at the guesthouse.

but you see, i'm a restless soul.

i like moving around and doing stuff. i like going out, exploring everything and taking in as much as i humanly can, especially when i'm in a foreign land. it absolutely makes no sense to me to stay inside, snuggled underneath cosy blankets when i leave my comfort zone back home when there's a world of intriguing discoveries just waiting to be unmasked at a moment's notice.

yea, that sounds like me.

so was i gonna waste spending the evening in the guesthouse watching the idiot box?
hell no ... its time to go out!

and this time, i had company. i had met this german guy eating noodles at the dining hall and we got to talking. he was planning to drink the night away at some of the local hotspots in town, and he invited me to join him. i wasn't too keen actually, cause liquor ain't my poison, but i decided to follow him anyway.

at times like this, when i don't feel like doing something, i usually recall the movie 'Yes Man' and how the character jim carrey plays decides to say yes to everything simply because he was pushed into it, but eventually discovered all the wonderful possibilities that tend to occur when you actively decide to live your life to the fullest. it maybe simply be a premise for a movie, but it rings truth, and it rings that truth loud and clear.



and so i decided to go and thought, "what have i got to lose anyway?"



we walked, first through insadong and then straight to the middle of town, which was just a surprising fifteen minute walk away and when we arrived, that's when i realised my decision to leave that night paid off handsomely. as we continued walking through the countless alleys and paths zig - zagging all over the city from insadong, we eventually arrived at a huge field.

and i couldn't believe my eyes at what i saw. we had stumbled upon a full blown, open - air music and dance performance concert!



i had later found out that these concerts happened almost every night at this spot and was open to the public completely free of charge. the local city council provides all the necessary expenses in getting cultural events like this showcased to the world as part of their efforts to encourage the emergence and propagation of local talent, either to highlight traditional or modern performances. and as you can see, it enjoys widespread support, from every corner of society.

i was envious.

the only thought that crossed my mind, was wouldn't it be absolutely fantastic if something like this happens every night at our very own Dataran Merdeka back home?

can you imagine the impact it would make if we could get the wealth of local talent here in KL to occasionally perform like this for the worlds' eyes?

wouldn't that make a splendid gathering of people from all walks of life, celebrating our cultures with vigour and joy, all in the name of rejoicing in our own passions?

well, lets hope one day we do.

in the meantime however, it was time to move it, baby. and what a night it was.



beats and tunes were shaking in the dark of the night!



jumping and thumping clearly rocked the stages!



strangely though while this was happening on stage, loads of people were sitting comfortably on strips of carpets on wet grass in this relatively large field, with their eyes firmly gazing the performances on stage about a hundred feet away, beneath a myriad of spotlights, changing intensity and colour at the drop of a hat.

but make no mistake, they were clearly enjoying themselves ... they were smiling after all.



rambunctious cheers and claps resounded in the chilly night air, and the performances, ranging from solo singing acts, to modern group dances to traditional acts and musicals were mesmerizing, to say the least.



with so much energy and passion on stage, i could see how the crowd gets easily infected with the excitement all around them, despite them being so orderly and obedient.



an opera queen taking the stage, melodramatic and utterly expressive in how she sings and carries herself!



a chaotic modern dance i presume with wild animals as characters from some jungle scene!



the night goes on!



and that's the german guy i went with. pity i cant remember his name though, and after tonite i never got the chance to see him again. he had planned to leave the country tomorrow, so we met only once, and it seems that was all we were fated to meet. but i gotta thank him for suggesting this. it was well worth the effort. undoubtedly.



these were the final scenes that night from the concert, before it ended about 11 pm, and i was told that another one would take place tomorrow as well. i might just drop by.

the german guy wanted to still drink the night away, and i decided to follow him anyway, cause i thought the night had already shown so much promise, i've got to continue walking. it started drizzling again but we pressed on. we had trouble finding some nice place to hang around where chilled beers would be served, but eventually we did arrive at what seemed to be like a row of hip bars and cool pubs that seemed pretty happening. in every sense of the word.

and that's when the second surprise of the night landed on my lap.

you see, one of the most interesting things about traveling, are chance encounters with people from all walks of life. people who have a zest for life, who travel incessantly, who take risks by dropping everything in search of adventure, and people who just couldn't care less about what the future brings.

these are the people who live in the moment, who care only for the present, who have forgotten the past and who don't think too much about the future. these people are called fun people.

yes, fun people.

as we were walking we meet three people like this. and the night just took on a whole new level of ... yup, you guessed it .. fun. i met three yankees who were in seoul on a teaching stint and they were in town that night to blow off some steam and have a good time. and they invited us to join them.

and it was fabulous.

because english obviously isn't a problem here, we spoke and laughed about everything, unhindered. they had regaled me about stories from the states and i reciprocated of course. they told me how they ended up in seoul, how their students absolutely adored them, how they wanted to just drop everything in search of a new life and how they've enjoyed their stay in korea so far, for about a year now. it was the Cheseok holiday that weekend and they were enjoying an extended stay in the city, cause they had been stationed about three hours away all this while.

it was the perfect evening.

i had connected with them so easily, listening to all their humorous stories about life here in the east and i was loving every second, even as i was slowly being drenched in the midnight drizzle. they had actually invited me to join them for the holidays at where they teach, in some town north of seoul. i was flattered of course that they would ask me to join them, but unfortunately i had to decline, simply because this was my last night in seoul before i left for shanghai tomorrow morning.

i did tell them how enjoyable their company was and how much i loved spending time with them because of how instantly i felt connected to them simply cause we spoke english and shared similar international dispositions ( hollywood and mtv being the most obvious )

we were talking about stuff like that brilliant comedy, That 70's show, and that was all it took to make us close to each other in burst of laughter and fond recollections. we even sang the theme song ... hanging out, down the street, the same old things, we did last week...!



again ... it was the perfect night. i had given them my card and told them that if they ever decided to come to malaysia, id just be a phone call away. hopefully that happens, but in the meantime, it was time to kick back and party. it was only midnight, and the night was ours.



about a few hours later, after several drinks and walkabouts and with this one last photo, with more people in the picture coming and going, giggling at every moment without any rhyme or reason, i think at about 5am ( i was kinda blurr at the time .. after all, being awake at 5am can do that to you ) it seemed that they were gonna call it a night.

it had kept on drizzling, and it seemed to be getting heavier and the night was kinda late. i decided i had to leave and i told them that i loved spending the evening with all of them, and i had hoped sincerely i would meet them and hopefully our paths would cross again and we get to party till wee hours of the night for a second time. i bid them goodbye with smiles all around, and wished them well, and headed back to the guesthouse.

it truly was an unforgettably perfect evening.
the first part of my holidays had come to a resplendent end, and next on the agenda ... shanghai.

shanghai, baby! shanghai!