Tag: photos

2007 – Year of the ‘Stache

Stache Guys

For the love of God, I need to take a break from talking about visas. And since it’s long overdue, may I announce that 2007 is officially the Year of the Stache.

Back in December, when a bunch of us were out singing karaoke on a random Tuesday night, we came up with the idea to do something special for the new year. And that something wound up being growing mustaches.

Day 6Originally it was to be a contest with a monetary prize. But a lot of folks chickened out and so it became clear that there wasn’t enough mass to create a worthy pot. So instead, it’s just all about the pride. It began with me, Turley, Michael, and Coley. Since Coley dropped out we have added Dan and Imani to our ranks. And there are some great statements of facial flair coming out of this endeavor.

Check out the full Year of the Stache gallery.

Toys R Us, Shanghai

Geoffrey the Giraffe
Geoffrey the Giraffe

Not having much to do last Saturday night, Xianyi and I decided, at Candice’s suggestion, to join her in visiting the new Toys R Us, Shanghai. Da Hai was in town and so he came along with us.

The place, first of all is pretty big. It is inside the Super Brand Mall in Pudong, which is HUGE. There were a lot of people in the mall itself, but most stores seemed to be empty, except for Toys R Us. Perhaps this will mark a resurgence for the Super Brand Mall.

Right at the entrance, Geoffry the Giraffe is there to greet you, along with Buzz Lightyear and Optimus Prime. There are plenty of Legos, including Socialist Legos, and even Chinese versions of popular American board games like Monopoly.

Check out all our pics here.

Photos of Early Reform Period

1979 Summer Palace, Beijing
When the ban on public dancing was lifted, dancing to rock ‘n roll music was still remote. The spectators stood far apart, and injected occasional criticisms. (1979 Summar Palace, Beijing). Photo from EastSouthWestNorth.

After the Cultural Revolution ended with the death of Mao in 1976, and Deng Xiaoping took over the country and decided that economic reform was the way forward, tremendous changes took place in China. A Chinese blogger who goes by ESWN (EastSouthWestNorth) has discovered about 20 fabulous pictures from the 70s and 80s that are definitely worth checking out. This was a time when bans were being lifted on foreign products, as well as on dancing and games; foreign art was making its way into China, and the people were allowed small avenues of expression such as the Democracy Wall. Have a look at these pictures. I found them through a post on Shanghaiist, a great city blog.