Happy Halloween~!

So I spent most of this week with a cold, laid up in bed! It was going around. On Wed. I made it out and went with my friend Ramela to Yu Gardens, which is considered 'Old Shanghai.' Traditional buildings, the old neighborhood is being knocked down, it looks like a primitive ghetto. You can see why they are tearing it down, but it is just the kind of thing I must get some pictures of before it's all gone. I had planned to take some pictures at the Yu Gardens, but it is such a tourist place (There are pics on the internet I'm sure), once you take a camera out you get hounded by people selling watches and handbags. Funny though- none of them are wearing a watch Or a handbag! We went inside a 5 story warehouse that was packed with little 3 ft. by 3 ft booths. The booths were packed with whatever it specialized in...feathers, souvenirs, underwear, knick knacks, electrical wires, hair things, jewelry....and the place was packed too! I looked around and realized you can probably find just about anything there! I went back the next day with Norm and we found an old Buddhist Temple full of female monks. YOu get incense when you pay a dollar to go in. You can buy candles there too. Beautiful big rooms full of shrines in gold with fruit offerings, and lots of people praying on their knees. It was really amazing to be there.
So when I went home I started making my Halloween costume! I decided to make a famous Miss Amelia costume since I discovered all the materials! I banged it out in an amazing amount of time and with good precision! It looks great too, may be my best yet! I posted pics on www.flickr.com/photos/ameliakallman, so you can see! I also made it for under $100 US dollars! I NY this particular costume would've been pushing 300 I think. Went to a great Halloween house party last night! Norman made his own costume too- He went with 4 arms! Very popular costume! We walked into the house party, full of Chinese, some ex-pats, kids- a lot of people- and must have stood in the doorway for 20 minutes getting our pictures taken! Had a great time! Then went to Shanghai Studio for an ex-pat Halloween Party with Ramela and her husband T.J. (my new favorite couple!). It is a club in a bomb shelter! The layout was really weird and it was a little claustrophobic, but it was very festive and fun! Then we went to Logo and met up with our friend Ukachi, who's also a NYer. We got the best seat in the house there, which is always nice! On Wed. 'for real Halloween', we plan on entering a costume contest and then later going back to Logo for Punk Night! 3 Chinese punk bands covering the punk classics! "Anarchy in the SH! Rong Rive the Queen!" (I couldn't resist!)
I got a guitar this week! It is my first one. I've always wanted to learn, so I figured this was as good a time as any! I am really enjoying it! They have free lessons on the internet, which has been handy! So I went out to get a pedicure the other day, which turned into a foot massage, pedicure, hair washing, head massage, blow dry, and curl....all for a total of $11! What a fix! I was in heaven! All the hair people are male and the lead stylist is a very hip, prestigious job that is trained for and taken quite seriously! As the main guy was brought in special to curl my hair, there was a crowd of 5 people just standing around watching, like they had never seen anyone curl a blonde's hair before!
I'm working on my Chinese! Knowing Chinese here not only shuts down all the hounders selling watches, it gets you mad street cred and respect! The locals here are really sweet. The Chinese working class are generally cheerful and nice. THere is a new class of rich Chinese who seem to be newly rich and lacking in real class. YOu can tell these women a mile away, full of themselves, pissed at the world, and always wearing something with a big label on it so you know how much they payed for it. These are the women that yell at you for taking too long to order, or push you (physically) out of their way. I guess I shouldn't say they are all like that, and it's true that every place has that equivalent but on a few occasions this type has been very rude to me, and it happens so rarely one begins to take note! We have an "I-Eee" who comes here to clean every Saturday. When we moved in we learned we were expected to have one. "I-Eee" really means 'aunt' or 'Woman over 40' (try getting away with that one in the states!) Ours cost $3/hour, which is considered expensive. She thinks we are strange that we do our own laundry! She was teaching me all kinds of words yesterday and getting a big kick out of my Virginian/New York accented Chinese! Chinese is very difficult, they have sounds that I've never heard before and my ear doesn't know what to make of it, let alone my tongue! Speaking english we tend to speak out of the front part of our mouths, using lips teeth and tongue rapidly. Chinese uses the roof of your mouth, curled tongues, little amount of lip action, and the throat. It is a challenge, but I find myself referring to the lessons I learned in Voice and Speech classes back in college, which proves helpful. So, it is official! The other day I went to go on youtube to find we no longer have that service here in China! Can you believe it!? There's a rumor that myspace is next, which would be truly devestating to me! I read an article the other day saying the radio here only plays these horrible sappy love songs due to censorship. Don't have English cable here yet (I can't write about that) , but back at the hotel they had MTV and it was one video of guys crying after another, with the occasional Teddy Bear love scenes...for real....then the occasional bubble-gum, summer pop hit. Miserable! It made me want to go into the CHinese music industry and introduce Good music and Good videos! Was having this conversation last night with someone about Chinese dancing...it's funny because they try to copy western dance moves, but on them it just does not look right. My friend said "They dance to the words and not the beat!" That pretty much sums it up! Smith Island, the band I was in in NY, is on Fearless TV tonight! If you search Fearless Music TV, I'm sure the video will be up soon. Just got word that our friend Shelly Bomb is coming to stay with us in a few weeks, which will be fun! I think that is about it for now! Hope you are well! Love, Amelia

See Video of my apartment in Shanghai

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1931099294004358303&pr=goog-sl
Okay, I hope this works. Again, can someone let me know please? I just uploaded it and was told the playback feature is not available in my country. I think you can all see it though. If not, try searching 1360 Fuxing Zhong Lu on Google videos and you should be able to see it. Had a great party last night! We had 17 people over. We got a really good core group of people here and we are trying to start a Thursday night tradition. I even managed to perform The Godfather last night. I've been out on the bike all day. Found a great bookstore, saw a friend, and I'm exhausted now! Hope you enjoy the video! Thanks, Amelia

New Post

Hey There! I know it's been over a week...my apoligies. Everything has been going well. Went to see Dan the Automater the other night which was a lot of fun. Met some cool people and hung out with some new friends. My bike got stolen today! :( I got a new one already though and 'pimped' it out so there is no mistaking it! It is blue and now has yellow spirals and racestripes....I've been getting a workout from it too! The locals are getting a big kick out of Norm and I! Anytime we stop and do anything on the street we get a big crowd around us and pretty soon Norm's singing and dancing away! He had about 20 people laughing and clapping! So funny! We can say anything and no one understands us, so between the two of us we are having a riotous time and they seem to be eager to be entertained! There is a real sense of community in this nieghborhood. I can feel it even though I don't speak the language. Guys playing cards, getting very dramatic with crowds around. Everyone spits constantly! The clearing of the throat sound heard right before the wad could be the theme of Shanghai! Also, the bikes are all one gear so they say that is the speed of Shanghai, it can actually be measured! I was reminded of that when I was complaining business happens at an LA pace here! We had a lovely dinner at a friends house last week. It was very much a Welcome to Shanghai party for us...A lot of cool, creative people. It was a great time! We went to a friend's gallery and then to a jewelry and art expo with some incredible stuff for sale! I liked their gourmet hors d'oeurves, not exactly pigs in a blanket! We are getting used to real life here and it is pretty satisfying. Last night we rode our bikes all the way across town to the night market where we ate terriyaki beef and a sweet and sour fish they referred to as 'squirrel shaped.' I'm pretty sure I ate some fish brains....and I think I liked them too! Had lunch with a new friend the other day. He is from Queens, NY and has opened a mambo and salsa studio here. Very nice guy, helped me get a Shanghai cell phone too because he speaks Chinese and can negotiate good! I can text message in Chinese and english now! YOu negotiate everything here! My new favorite phrase is Tao qui le! (Too expensive!) Have been having some nice ichats with some people, so they can say they have seen the new apartment! It is getting chilly here. Time for a new wardrobe! If it was only that simple...Guys, I'm going to get girly for a minute, you might want to skip this part...ok- #1. They don't make shoes my size! I know! And I only came with 6 pairs, 3 of which are summer, and 2 pairs are not the walking about type if you know what I mean. I can probably find shoes my size in western stores in the mall but they are just as expensive as London then. #2. Their fashion sucks. It's like they are going for something that I've seen work before, like beads and sequence....good in theory but constructed so randomly and in the wrong places....it's kind of funny actually. I saw a shirt today that said in huge pink letters "Dated Her There".... ? #3...last one...Even the good clothes, clothes I think are cute-not neccessarily my style, but wearable, are all meant to give these cute Chinese girls curves where they don't have 'em....that's not exactly a problem for me, so everything makes me look really disproportioned and strange..... And then on top of all this I get buyers guilt because of all the clothes I have in the states, and then I get depressed because I miss them. I've been wearing the same 5 outfits way too long! Anyways. I'm done. Sorry. Anyways! The house is coming along lovely! I will take a video tomorrow of the house and maybe one during the party....Did I mention the party? We are having a house-warming toast tomorrow! It should be fun! We've been putting up pictures, buying plants....it's all coming together great! The Shanghai stocks reached an all time high yesterday, doubling that of last year... I have a lot of friends saying they are coming these days and my friends here are always having visitors. I suspect as we get closer to the Olympics this city will become increasingly popular. I understand why! Oh! I live in a nieghborhood with a Deaf school! I've been watching people sign and I have a feeling I might be able to communicate better with Deaf Chinese than hearing! I'm researching it a bit. I'm pretty sure Chinese sign was founded by a westerner post ASL. I'm intrigued by it! Keep you posted! Thanks for listening, more soon!

Great Weekend

So Friday was a spectacular day! It was the Yue Festival, with Talib Kweli, Ozomatli, and Faithless. As a huge fan of Talib I have been looking forward to this concert since I got here. When we went to buy the tics we inquired about VIP passes, backstage etc, claiming we were very important people from NY, friends with Talib etc... (it makes all the difference in the world when you can enjoy a concert hanging with the musicians, using clean toilets, getting free drinks, being able to sit down and not to mention, being onstage watching from the sidelines next to one of your favorite musicians!) Anyways, we got told we had to be on Talib's list. I said ok. Went home and I emailed him, he called me, put us on the list and there you have it! He put on an amazing show! It is a wonder to me how they rap and breathe at the same time, and he went on for an hour and a half. Truly amazing if you ask me! In NY I would never have been able to get in like that, but here, Norm and I were the only fans backstage and it's just because I had the courage to ask! When it came down to it, they didn't even look at the list, just looked at us and believed me! It makes me think that I could pretty much hang with whoever I want to when they come here. I think there is an 'out of your element' feeling being a westerner out here at first, and an eagerness to connect to welcoming, connectted people. It was such a good time! He was very cool and polite and I found myself unusually shy! They got a big kick out of Norm, and he was very interested in our club etc. Then we watched Ozomatli from the stage before going out and joing the crowd. We left before Faithless, which is the big one for the Chinese audiences. It's funny, musical tastes here are very different from in the states it seems. The Chinese go nuts over dj's here and they are celebrities. Had a great dinner and then went to Logo for Reggae night, which is a very cool back room bar, with a dark red, secret vibe, blasting great reggae, people improvising on the mic, smoke, it kind of feels like a different place and time. Met a nice girl there. Oh yeah, and the night before we checked out The Cotton Club down the street and it was packed! The band itself was like watered down college/white guy jazz, we both looked at eachother and thought how Joey or Roger would just blow this crowd away! People drinking absinthe, smoking cigars. THis place is a trip! Everyday I fall in love more with this place. The weather has been perfect, sunny and warm with a breeeze. Bought bikes yesterday. Today we are getting together with some friends, hopefully next weekend we will have a house warming party (with our 4 friends!) haha! It's funny, that statement is kind of true, but I don't feel lonely or unconnected anymore, I'm very excited to see how it all unfolds! Enough for now! Thanks for reading!

Question

Can someone let me know if any new pics are on my flicker site? www.flickr.com/photos/ameliakallman.... I can't tell if it's me, the site, or China, but I can't see any photos on flickr! If it works for other people I'll upload some more! Thanks, Amelia

New Video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfhIQlsf_BA

It's the Exterior of the new Shanghai Pad! Sorry it's not the best camera work, I'll try and do better next time! Trying to post some new pics now too (Bought a new cord today!) When you see the front of the apartment we are on the second floor (1st for you Bristol boys) on the right. I will take one of the inside when we get it all fixed up nice! Bought tix to see Ozomatli, Talib Kweli, and Faithless on Friday at the Yue Festivel! Also today we got some amazing antique furniture, including a gorgeous vanity and an old Japanese tea table that we will use as a bar...!

Yes!

The apartment is a dream! I would have posted pics already but we seem to have lost the cord to connect up the computer! :( I think we can get one off the street here though). It is such a trip here, I am really falling in love with it! The French Concession where we live is the largest surving art-deco neighborhood inthe world, about 10 times the size of Miami Beach. It's not all renovated, looks to me like old New Orleans, and Norm says it reminds him of Madrid, or old Paris. The architecture is endlessly beautiful. We just took a walk down a street that crosses our road 2 blocks away: Everything happens out on the street. I think they are very into conserving electricity so they stay in the front of their places all day and the insides of the houses are usually dark. So you walk past store after store of people sitting outside, next to large bins displaying live crabs, eels, frogs! turtles!, cooked ducks, always with the head, beak and everything (the jaw is a speciality here). Cheap clothes, cheaper clothes, and then more live crabs and fish! And you see people in the shops asleep in lawn chairs with the television on. There are still a lot of super small speciality stores here, like the one that is the size of a closet and the guy only sells appliance cords, and make them too! Old men don't bother to get dressed and you see them in full pajamas (the cheesy flannel kind with stars and moons and bears and stuff!) or they just where boxers! The home spills over greatly into the streets. When we set out today we discovered that next door where the tennis courts are (which we are thinking of taking up, it cost less than $3 to play there for an hour during the day), they have what I think of as a playground for adults! Colorful, easily constructed elipticle like things,sit up things, things that work you out using your own body wieght, spinning things, partner things! I have no idea what to call them! It is very obviously centered around chi and your body meridians and energy flow, a lovely contrast to the western attitude of fitness. There were plenty of people there too, from kids to old ladies. It looked like a great friendly, casual, community hang out spot. We got a kick watching this guy fly a big kite that was all lit up and flashing in a circuit. It was such a good feeling to see that! Last night we ate at a restaurant down the street from us and it was the best Chinese food I have ever had! We had a chicken dish, veggie dish, and pork dish, all large portions cooked in sauces I would Love to get the recipes for, and we couldn't stop eating! Thinking about it now makes me want to go back! We also had amazing Indian food down the road the other night! The apartment is so cozy! Though it is so big too! It is alot of brown which gives it a cabin feel, but the intricate wood floors and the shapes of the rooms, and the molding on the ceiling make it feel regal and elegant. We also discovered that we live on Jazz Street!!! Seriously, Norm can hardly believe it! We have "The Cotton Club" down the street, and a few more just in walking distance! Norm bought a 1961 record across the street of "Cuban Specticles" by the Tokyo Cuban Boys! The cover is a classic yellow and red bus with about 20 Japanese guys hanging out of it with their instruments in bow ties and red and black plaid jackets! Now all we need is a record player! So the Chinese are on "National Holiday" for a week. Why? I don't know. They aren't really celebrating any event or anything I don't think. I guess it's so everyone takes their vacation at the same time? It's a little strange. The translated signs to tourists call it "National Shopping Week!" I just know that all the banks are closed down, the cable guy can't come, and it is just uncrowded enough in clubs to be tolerable! It's funny, I've been seeing the Chinese version of people I know, like I saw the Chinese Erin Potts, The Chinese Glen, The Chinese Scrappy! So in shopping a lot for household things we've been going to huge walmart-type places. The sales people, who don't speak english, but were obviously told to look at for rich white people, relentlessly follow you around at uncomfortably close proximities, trying to show you stuff, products you couldn't give a hoot about. It ofter results with me feeling my space so invaded I'd rather give up and walk away then buy the product I was looking for! I'm getting more tough with them now, using a "hard tone of voice." We plan on getting bikes by the end of the week. Norm wants a 3-wheeler motorbike (which our only for handicapped Chinese, but he i convinced he will get one and then paint it pink with flags! I say, as long as there's a backseat for me!)
I know I wrote this once before but the truth is, I'm not sure it was right, and since I have no way of looking at it, I'll just do it once more:

Address: Room3 No.1 Lane 1360
Fuxing Zhong Lu
Shanghai, China 200031

To Call from USA: 011-86-21-6437-0555 (house number)
or 011-86-137-6118-5830 (Cell phone)
If you call the house let me know when you want to call so I can make sure to be sitting next to it!

From UK: 00-86-21-6437-0555
or 00-86-137-6118-5830
It would be lovely to hear from you! xoxo love, Amelia