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china contemplations morning coffee talk Photography shanghai street photography

Morning Coffee Talk~ 13/365

‘The morning process’, how the day starts, what sets the tone for the rest of the day, how do we arm ourselves to handle what is planning to meet us on that day? For me, this time just upon waking is the most important of all.

Do you ever feel that you travelled to unknown places in the night and that you have to meet yourself again in the morning? I scan through my faculties in the early morning to do a check-in and see what is there that wasn’t the day before and what is no longer there that was, what feelings need to be dealt with and relegated and what strengths do I need to call onto myself that day to have balance and well being.

That extra hour is priceless for me and so necessary for checks and balances. We are constantly changing every moment on a cellular level and so is everything around us. It’s mind boggling. So the morning becomes a ceremony to look forward to, and over time I have grown to feel a sense of awe and inspiration upon waking, wondering what the day will bring from challenges to giftings.

The images above were taken in Shanghai on the Bund. It was always inspiring to see the locals at sunrise practicing Tai Chi, meditations, kite flying, fan and sword dances and to witness the atmosphere of calm and concentration before the day sped into chaos as it does in a metropolis of 30 million.

Wishing you a balanced day and a great start into this week.

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CHINA Photography shanghai Travel

Crossing in Shanghai~

One of my favorite things about big cities is movement. People moving, going places, coming from places, going up stairs, crossing roads, cycling, running, walking and playing a part in rotating the great metropolis wheel. It’s the urban magic waiting for us photographers on every corner.

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CHINA Photography shanghai street photography

Shanghai Moments~

Visiting the city we called home for almost 12 years is nothing short of strange at first. But within a day or two I felt the streets call me back with their charm, unique flair and warmth of the people. So little of the old city is left as the large construction projects drive forward leaving bits and pieces of the beautiful old alleys around the city. As I walk around and find huge empty lots and big buildings on the sites of my favorite alleys, I realize that all my photography over the years in Shanghai has been about recording history and vanishing alleys that are never to come back again…

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art cambodia Photography shanghai street photography

The Asian Flair~

There is a certain mystery and flair that is unique to Asia. It inspires and begs investigating. I created this image by merging these 2 photos: a statue from Angkor Wat in Cambodia and a girl in the rain in Shanghai, China. Their frequencies were similar and I was curious to see if they were complimentary.

Day 79 of 365~

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contemplations Photography shanghai

The things we don’t talk about~

We get so busy with life that we ignore death. We celebrate distractions, the things that make us avoid the question of our own mortality on this planet and all the time treating something as natural as death as we would an avoidable inconvenience.

I wonder if this great fear stems from our lack of education, our inability to handle the unknown, not coming to terms with the inevitable, or the way our lives are more and more based in materialism.

Day 43 of 365~

Images taken somewhere on the Shanghai underground

Categories
art Photography shanghai street photography

Romancing the Rain~ Shanghai 

Do you hide when it rains? Do you take cover? Or do you sing and dance? 

I see so much romance in a rainy day. The enchanting city streets reflecting reality to create a better, softer world. 

Shanghai sparkles…

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Photography shanghai street photography Uncategorized

Back in Time~ Shanghai

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Shanghai never fails to surprise you. As a photographer living in this city, you can never be at a loss for impressions. Even time travel is possible if you are willing to go out of your way to visit the film park in Songjiang. Every time I went there I was able to capture a fantastically surreal film set where time stops and life is reenacted to show a sense of times gone by. And where else in the world can you just walk up to the set and photograph it?

I love Shanghai <3

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CHINA Photography shanghai street photography Uncategorized

Ancient Tradition and Pretty Lanterns~ Shanghai

lantern-festival-shanghai-4

lantern-festival-shanghai-6lantern-festival-shanghai-3lantern-festival-shanghai-23d2524ff-2db2-4a3c-b38f-9be696ad0c23Lanterns adorned with ancient poems, lights in the sky, colorful decorations, bright smiles, ever-growing crowds; this is the lantern festival in Shanghai’s Yu Gardens. Every year I keep going back simply to be with the joy of this special happening, celebrating the start of Chinese spring under a big full moon. How dull would life be without ceremony…

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art CHINA Photography shanghai Uncategorized

The Unknown Beckons~

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Isn’t every moment a step further into the unknown? We think we know where we are going, we have it all planned out, then life reminds us of the futility of our false certainty. I welcome the unknown, I want to live in the joy of discovery, to be surprised by life, to meet the future with an open mind.

I took these images today at the amazing James Turrell exhibit in Shanghai.

Categories
Photography shanghai Travel

A bump in the road ~ Shanghai 

As it turned out, Myanmar was not meant to happen till December. 

My passport vanished and when you lose a passport as a resident in China, here is what you have to do:

  • File a police report at the local police station 
  • Take the report to the exit/entry bureau and request a lost passport form
  • Take the form to the consulate of your country
  • Get a replacement passport
  • Get a linkage letter confirming connection of old passport to new passport
  • Take the passport to the local police station to update your registration form
  • Take passport, registration form and visa documents to exit/entry bureau
  • Apply for new resident visa
  • Reapply for Myanmar visa
  • Reissue passports and itinerary 
  • Wait and cross your fingers

I became so familiar with the government officials that I’m thinking of baking them cookies just about now! 

So with love from Shanghai and soon from elsewhere 🙂

And I am a big believer in things happening for a reason. Myanmar awaits.