jon lowenstein

photographer. photojournalist

Jon Lowenstein is nice with a camera.  In fact we feel that his career is going to be further testament to the transformational power of the photographic image. He is that serious.  And Jon is not the type to talk himself up so we thought we should take care of that for him. There is the 2004 World Press photo prize, the 2003 Nikon Sabbatical Grant, the 58 th National Press Photographer's Pictures of the Year Magazine Photographer of the Year Award and the Fuji Community Awareness Award to start. Then there is his participation in the Open Society Institute's Moving Walls VII Exhibition and his finalist placing in the ridiculously competitive Gordon Parks Photo and International Fund for Documentary Photography competitions. Jon is serious.

So we were pleased to have a conversation with Jon and get his perspective on some things. Subjects ranged from his home base Chicago to his views on the state of journalism to his covering of the Afghani elections to his current project documenting migrant communities. The conversation flowed so freely that we had to break it in to parts. So check out the first part and know that there is more to come.

nat creole:  Alright cool man, good to be rapping with you. Lets get it started. One thing I know about you is that you are a writer as well as a photographer

jon Lowenstein:  Yeah, but I don't have the chance to do it as much as anymore

NC:   How do you see storytelling with the written word as opposed to storytelling with the photographic image, is it the same? What is the difference in developing stories in those two mediums?

Jon:   I'm not much of a writer but photography has a certain power that I don't think should be translated into the written word ultimately. This one photographer said if you can write it why photograph it? It if you can have the picture from describing it in words, why take a photo? So I feel a photograph has a kind of dynamic power that goes beyond words and that is why we respond to them it has something that is intangible and ultimately the problem with journalism is that we try to make them literal pictures where word people are empowered, and they end up making the decision. I would say that I really like pictures that ask questions. I don't like pictures that make you look at the picture and say “Okay, I know exactly how I feel about that this. I know exactly how I feel about this” At first I didn't realize this but now it's a conscious thing. I want there to be some ambiguity within the photographs, and be a picture within a story that isn't so obvious.

I'm applying for a grant for covering migrant communities around the country and I was talking to a friend. I showed it to my friend and he said we are doing a story that can be done in a very obvious way “about the border and the crossing and all of the perils and I'm covering that because that is a part of the story and a big part of the experience many people share in coming up here. But I want it to be more lyrical and poetic. I'm a poet more than anything and I'm looking for that more than any hardcore journalism

NC: Ultimately we deal with a lot of labels, do you feel uncomfortable with these kinds of labels and when you do have to define yourself, do you find your descriptions of yourself are limited to the labels people might understand? One cat I know calls it the “slash response” because he always puts about 4 slashes in his description of himself (lol), but none of them really works

Jon:   Right, Right. Its really true and the more I'm trying to figure out who I am as an artist and as a person its different. You know along the road I got into journalism because I needed to make a living and I liked it. I got a lot of experience but I'm not purely a journalist, I'm not strictly a photojournalist. But people in the journalism world start to see your work and the label sticks. But in reality I want to do all kinds of stuff. I think it's a kind of professional thing but hey I'm a photographer, I make pictures. If they work communicating in a magazine GREAT. If they work in a gallery, Great. If I can figure out a way to get them up on a billboard, cool. I'm a photographer. The trick is getting work out to as many people as possible. That is the hard part.

NC: I've been thinking about the term “Artist” and I think that its a loaded term, you know? You dig? What are some of your ideas on what that term means or what it signifies?

Jon:   For me, in the past I don't know if I would have said that I'm an artist, but nowadays I think I'm more comfortable with that because I want to be someone who expresses himself. I think journalism is amazing and I really respect it but sometimes I think it's a little too screened. The range of experience and types of composition and the ways that you can put stuff together, the rules that are already ingrained into journalistic philosophy can be frustrating to me. I find that I'm somewhere in between. I do like the (photography) essays because they are about truth, but great art is also about truth. I like both so I'm somewhere in between. A lot of journalists coming up are dealing with a lot of different formats and looking for different ways of communicating. For me I realized that the format can help tell the story, it can be part of the process and experience of telling a story ultimately

NC: You know, one of my favorite words in the English vocabulary is “progression”

Jon: Yeah

NC: And progress, not to get too out there with that but I love the words progression and progress, do they do anything for you?

Jon:  Thats an interesting word, its what our society is built on. You know the progress and progression at work, then its also got this sort of double meaning, sort of negative thing of what happens if you don't progress. And I think some of my work is a part of that. Its about people in places that are kind of left

behind, people who have not progressed that much for one reason or another in the past. Its interesting to see both

NC: That's serious man.  (To Be Continued)

check www.jon lowenstein.com to see more of jon's work

+ profile

ed myers
artist. furniture designer

Ed Myers creates art.  He designs and builds furniture from scratch.  He mentors artists in the Atlanta area through his Underground Arts organization.  Ed Meyers is good.  Here he tells us about his new project in his own words.  Listen close---

Afrika Amerika WE

The Journey ~ My Family

Afrika Amerika WE has begun; it is a visual/video art installation being created to pay homage to the spirits of Afrika in Amerika. The theme considers historic and present cultural contributions made by Afrikans that have made an impact on the prosperity of Amerika. The context follows an examination of the institutionalized Afrikan slave trade through the generational progression of Afrikan culture. The effects of which still pervade present day Amerika. The Myers Family (my family) which we refer to as “The Mighty Fortress” provides the impetus for my artistic exploration. The overall goal is to illuminate the positive outcomes generated by individuals and families whose legacies survive as a rich heritage for their descendants.

My artistic objective is to access my ancestral past; to bring forward all that I was, to bring out all that I am and to cohesively combine film, painting, sculpture, furniture, photography and poetry into a prominent art installation. My endeavor is to excite imaginations, engage and ignite discussion and to set forth a better understanding of how we as Amerikans came to be who we are today.

Granddaddy's Chair

This chair pays homage to my paternal Grandfather who excavated foundations for a living. It speaks about the connection between his work and my life as a furniture maker.

coffee. break. dance

interview w/ suw san. original japanese b-boy

Hip Hop culture hasn’t died; it just got a passport and took up residence overseas. Some would say that it has benefited from its wanderlust. Learned new languages and adopted some of the local flava of the places it has resided. This has been true from Bangkok to Burma and beyond. But one of the first places it touched down was in Japan where the faithful embraced it with open arms and still have not let go. One of the first cats to take in the American ex-patriate was B-boy supreme Suw-san, who has since been rewarded for his openness with an uncanny ability to get open. Suw-san is a break dancer. No, this is an understatement. Suw-san is one of the tightest break dancers in the world. He has been involved with expanding the break dance movement in Japan for over 20 years and recently became a member of the Zulu Kings in May 2005. Our man in Japan, the mighty Kurokobushi sat down with the B-Boy supreme over coffee in a café in Tokyo. Rapping a taste with the dance legend reminded Kurokobashi of his favorite Japanese proverb A clever hawk hides his claws. Sounds about right.

Kkb: Suw-san, you’re one of the giants of Breaking, and B-boy culture in Japan, tell us how did it get started.

Suw-san: For a lot of us, it started with the break dance scene from the movie Flashdance.

kkb: Wait, are talking the early 80’s legwarmers and leotards, Flashdance?

Suw-san: Yes! I remember it was just one scene from the movie. Crazy Legs, Frosty Freeze, Mr. Freeze, and Prince Ken Swift were poppin, lockin, and moonwalking. That was the spark that ignited the moment.

kkb: Did you see this movie on the big screen?

Suw-san: No, I was in junior high school at the time, I watched it on video. I was hooked after watching that scene, I had to know more. So I started practicing in streets, at school, watching movies and reading whatever I could get my hands on.

kkb: Breakin’ in a Japanese Junior High School? That’s hard to believe.

Suw-san: A lot of people were interested but nobody participated, most them were shy.

kkb: What are some of the differences between the American and Japanese scene?

Suw-san: The Japanese don’t really study.

kkb: Come again?

Suw-san: Yeah, they like to do, but they don’t learn the roots. For example, where it came from, the meaning behind it, why it’s popular, you know. They do it because they think it’s cool. There’s nothing wrong with that, but that’s not my style.

kkb: My style! Uh-oh, sounds like you’re going to go Wu-Tang on me.

Suw-san: Good to go, whenever and wherever. I’ll get my elbow pads on now if you want to battle? (rolls backs his sleeves to reveal….official Suw Wear elbow pads).

kkb: Nice elbow pads, maybe we should talk about your clothing line? How and when did Suw Wear start?

Suw-san: It started in America, Los Angeles as a matter of fact. I hooked up with a partner in 98 and we sponsored some events like B-Boy Summit and Pro-Am in Miami. Gremlin put together a team for the Pro-Am’s in 99. We put on a battle exhibition show against Team Puma in 2000.

kkb: Who won?

Suw-san: The key word is exhibition. I remember this one cat, Bebe Nas for Team Puma, he was incredible. In 2002, I started a team in Japan, started a clothing line and opened my website, www.suwwear.com. The line is limited to t-shirts, jerseys and elbow pads.

kkb: Yes, I’ve seen the elbow pads. What’s your current project?

Suw-san: Now, I’m trying to spread the love and teach people about breaking by working with Fox Japan and 20 th Century to release The Breakin’ Collection DVD box set.

kkb: Expand.

Suw-san: Well, I love the movie Beat Street. It is one of my all time favorites. It’s got it all graf, breakin, and turntablism. I can honestly say that without that movie, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. Fox and MGM had plans to do something with Breakin’ 1 and 2, and Beat Street. I met up with some people and that brings us here.

kkb: Okay, but those movies are like 20 years old.

Suw-san: That’s why I’m interested in the project, it’s a good chance to teach people about Hip Hop culture, I also arranged an event with a movie showing of Beat Street, breakin’ , clubbin’ and (an appearance by) Melle Mel!

kkb: Damn. I bet you even have to throwback Puma suede kicks too. (laughing)

Suw-san: Sono Toori! (puts the mint condition Pumas on the table, complete with fat shoe laces)

kkb: Double damn! 100 Headz quiz, from the top of the top give me your top five breakers.

Suw-san: I don’t have a top five, everyone’s equal. Kuriaki (RSC), Crazy Legs (RSC), Ken Swift (RSC), Doze (RSC), Little Lip (NY City Breakers), Crazy-A ( Tokyo B-Boys), Takashi Murayama (Floor Masters), Naoya ( Tokyo B-Boys), K-Won, and Alien Nes (Zulu Kings).

kkb: I guess the number 5 was insignificant. How about a B-boys top five personal items list?

Suw-san: Easy, ichiban my puma with fat laces, niban personalized name chain, sanban Cazal glasses, yonban denim jeans and goban elbow pads.

kkb: (mental note: find out why elbow pads keep coming up). Okay DJs.

Suw-san: Bambaata, GrandMaster Flash, GrandMaster Caz, DST, Cash Money.

kkb: Last question, where can you find the best breakers in Tokyo?

Suw-san: Rhythm Sneakers can be found in Yoyogi Park and Floor Masters do their thing in Yamashita Park in Yokohama.

common

Be

I’m back like a chiropract/ B-Boy survival rap

Chi City

You see I thought grown man rap was on its last leg when Jigga retired. Whatever you say about Jay Z, he was one of the few mainstream cats left that had something to say about grown folks business. Him and Nas. Talib and Mos. Maybe Beanie but he is kind of young (at least in calendar years). So with the rappers of the 90’s retiring, acting or singing, who was going to rep for the aging b-boys and b-girls and the rest of the newly grown and responsible?

But here comes Common, or I should say here comes Common again. Just when you think you’ve lost the cat, he rises like Lazarus and delivers a gem. He follows a period of forced, and ultimately false, growth with resolution and transcendence. Take a look at his portfolio. The overly excited, “can you believe I’m here?” Can I Borrow A Dollar was followed by Resurrection, his classic love letter to hip hop and the city of Chicago. The uneven and choppy One Day It Will All Make Sense was followed by Like Water For Chocolate, the Aquarian production that synthesized neo soul and hip hop and managed to give due justice to both. And now the just plain trying too hard Electric Circus is followed by Be, the best release of 2005.

Shorties get the game with no instructions to assemble it

The Food

You see I’ve always thought of Rashid as the hip hop cat with no particular shtick. He had no contrived character so he had all the character in the world. Somewhere between Nas’ ”view from the window” and Jay’s “master hustla selling game at a fair price” type vibes, Common spoke his piece assertively but understood that didn’t necessarily make him right. He has always understood that there are no instructions to this. This has always made him honest. This has always made him the honest b-boy. So when the honest b-boy disappears around corners to experiment and grow, we find it hard to follow him. It doesn’t seem like he is being honest with us, it didn’t seem like he is being honest with himself.

But then he returns again. Back on the south side of Chicago, figuratively if not literally, and sans Erykah Badu, Common has found his way back home. From “The Corner” and its ingenious incorporation of the Last Poets to “Go”, a ridiculously bouncy trip through a series of sexual flashbacks, Be is as honest as it gets. And more than that, Be is funny, thoughtful and good. So all is forgiven… Again. Common isn’t the only cat who hasn’t figured out where aging b-boys and b-girls go for solace and though he gets off track here and there he always seems to circle back stronger than ever. Around here, we call that honest change. Around here, we call that growth.

spanish harlem orchestra

Across 110 th Street

Some might suggest that the Spanish Harlem Orchestra is the last stand of Salsa. While Salsa nights at nightclubs around the world continue to thrive and the requisite lessons that open Salsa night festivities have become standard fare for early on-the-clock daters. Most of the youngsters who grew up on the music are now dividing their attention among a spectrum of sounds coming out of the Caribbean. As a result, Salsa musicians, and the millions of salseros that truly love them, have been challenged with the task of continuing to sound progressive in an era where Reggaeton, Merenque and Bachata hold court.

Into this fray jumped The Spanish Harlem Orchestra. The band’s members formed like Voltron in the year 2000 to make sure Salsa continues it steady spread across the globe and retains its hard fought-for-place in the culture of the Americas (Hemisphere that is). The first salvo was 2002s Un Gran Dia En El Barrio. The album was nominated for a Best New Artist award at the Billboard Awards and was met with nothing but acclaim from people eager to have a Salsa band make a dent in the mainstream. It is the second album, however, that has put the band in the savior role. Across 110 th Street, won the 2004 Grammy for Best Salsa/ Merenque Album of the Year and established SHO as a dependable brand in its chosen field of play.

The Across 110 th Street title is an ode to East Harlem, the stretch of Manhattan that runs from First to Fifth Avenue and 96 th Street to East 125 th Street. And it is in the energy of El Barrio (NYC name) that the SHO is seeking to capture, reconfigure, bottle and distribute. An almost impossible task really, but the SHO come close to making it happen. Everyone down, starting with pianist and arranger Willie Hernandez, is as tight and realized a musician as can be found on the globe. And the synergy between them is what infuses the music with the team like quality (ball fans should consider the Detroit Pistons with a high scoring offense) necessary to make group sound seamless. Key melody rolls unto brass that rolls over the tightest percussion so easily that you forget you are listening to a 13+ piece band.

But there is good reason for that. Each member of the band has put in work with the definitive artists of the Salsa genre, from Celia Cruz and Jose Alberto to Ruben Blades (who sings on 4 tracks) and El Rey Tito Puente. The Spanish Harlem Orchestra has the pedigree. They have the skills. And although they lack the firepower and energy of the legends they have worked with, they are a tight, cohesive group without weakness. Added to this, they not only accept the mission of placing Salsa in its rightful place in global culture, they border on the obsessive about it. What art form doesn’t need its soldiers? The Spanish Harlem Orchestra is a good look for the future of Salsa. But then again, good music never dies.

dennis brown

Visions

The term “classic” is used quite generously in music circles these days, perhaps due in part to the ever increasing output of “fast food” lyricists, an ultra conservative industry which continues to promote acts with little to no appreciable talent, and the dreaded “that’s hot” syndrome. We long for the days when music made a difference in our everyday lives, allowing us to actually “feel” something more than the prerequisite three minutes and some change of the average “club banger” could provide.

In strides Dennis Brown, the “Crown Prince of Reggae”, and arguably the greatest male vocalist of his (or any other) genre with the undisputed masterpiece, Visions. Originally released in 1978, this album finds Brown at a creative level few others dare to trod, with music that can be described as supremely soulful and at the same time exquisitely human. The warmth and maturity of the man’s voice is remarkable considering the fact that that he was only twenty at the time of its recording, having begun his career at the tender age of twelve.

From the majestic horn swells of the opening track “Deliverance Will Come”, it is clear that this is music of the highest order. The songwriting is exceptional throughout, the musicianship stimulating, and the production seamless thanks to Brown’s partnership with the legendary Joe Gibbs. But what truly separates D. Brown from the numerous contenders to the throne left vacant by the untimely passing of the one and only Robert Nesta Marley is the understated conviction, yet achingly passionate urgency, in his voice. Whether on stirring message songs such as “Concrete Castle King”, “Repatriation”, and the hauntingly beautiful “Oh Mother”, or over the lovers rock of “Love Me Always”, and the poignant “Stay at Home”, the late great Brown never ceases to amaze with his uncanny ability to leave the listener wanting more. “Visions” is an essential album for any serious reggae fan, or for that matter anyone interested in hearing a beautifully tuned instrument at the peak of its prime. In a word, divine.

651 arts

performing arts organization

brooklyn, new york

Manhattan is often given the credit for making NYC the cultural capital of the world. Understandable given the array of visual and performing arts venues the money-making borough can boast. However, if you are looking to satisfy your interest in the arts of the African Diaspora then your best bet may be to cross the Manhattan or Brooklyn Bridge and travel to the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn and check out 651 ARTS.

Established in 1988, 651 ARTS has quickly established itself as a dynamic cultural organization that has greatly impacted the arts communities of Brooklyn and beyond. The organization has presented the work of Abbey Lincoln, Spike Lee and Cassandra Wilson, to name a few, and specializes in programming that focuses on the contemporary artistic expressions of artists of the African Diaspora. Executive Director Maureen Knighton explained her emphasis on presenting the contemporary work of today and tomorrow’s artists as “an idea whose time has come and is over due. It goes back to Sankofa and how you have to know your history. We first looked at our traditions and rich history but now that we have done that, its time to look at what is coming next.”

In addition to its main stage programming, the organization supports emerging artists of color and bridges the gaps between the artistic communities of color around the world. 651 operates three central programs- the Artist Development Initiative, which offers support and resources to Brooklyn and national based artists; the Neighborhood Arts Network, a collaborative program that pairs 651 with other community arts organizations to present cultural presentations; and Africa Exchange, the first program in the United States to underwrite international exchange between performing artists in the U.S. and Africa.

Organizational programming also includes the Salon 651 series, a performance series that uses smaller event spaces to give shine to artists who have limited chances to present their work. “Traditionally we have used large venues so a certain kind of work couldn’t be presented. Now smaller presentations can be made in a more intimate setting, providing an additional way to serve our audiences” Knighton explains. Among the young lions who have participated in the Salon series are Akua Dixon and Carl Hancock Rux.

Finally, (and for some of us- most importantly) if you’re concerned about the cost of Salon 651 events then be assured that Knighton has your interests in mind. “We understand it is important to provide an accessible artistic experience, sometimes price is a barrier but it is always a part of who we are to provide arts at an affordable price. It doesn’t make sense to present the work in a vacuum.”

For more information on 651 ARTS and the Salon 651 Series, visit www.651arts.org on the web or call 718.636.4181.

+book review.

the quarry

damon galgut

South African author and playwright Damon Galgut’s novel The Quarry is a well lived and traveled book. It has spanned three countries over a ten year span only to be called a “new” book again upon its release stateside in February of 2005. The time shaping aura around the book’s birth gives it a kind of timeless quality that fits well with the book’s narrative. Time is an ephemeral concept in the Quarry; it matters little to the characters that despondently hover around the edges of the book, their lives seemingly transpiring without reference to time. Each character seems trapped in a purgatory especially fit for him or her, and because the characters are opaque to the reader, their special problems are as well. What we can surmise is that the past is ugly and/or uneventful so there is nothing to return to. The future a bleak promise, so there is nothing to look forward to. Just the austerity of the here and now and life in a remote outpost somewhere in the hinterlands of South Africa.

The narrative centers on the journey of a nameless man who has committed some unspecified crime and is now being hunted by both tangible hunters (police) and non-tangible hunters (his inner demons). He happens upon a priest who offers him a ride, feeds him, and molests him. At this point, the audience learns that the protagonist is a man capable of sudden and complete acts of violence as he brutally murders the minister. But the reasoning of his violence is not enough to allow the reader to sympathize with the man. Galgut makes sure of this with a flat description of the incident

 The minister was quite dead then. He lay transfixed by an extremity of stillness and only the dust bore witness to his final convulsion in an etching of scuff-marks and lines….The sun was almost on the horizon and it had cooled into a red coin but of what currency or what value the man didn’t know and he walked to a log nearby and sat. He bowed his head into his hands again and hunched forward and seemed about to cry. But he didn’t cry.

 After killing the minister, the traveler assumes the pedophile’s identity and duties at the nearby missionary outpost. There he meets a host of characters all seemingly more empty than the last. The people of the outpost give him lodging, steal his (or the minister’s) possessions, and fill his church services with equal measures of apathy. Only the outpost’s police chief, who becomes the protagonist’s new hunter, and another petty criminal, who is drawn into the destruction the traveler seems to bring with him, are imbued with a sense of reason and activity beyond waiting for time to pass. It is the shared destiny of these three men that provides the gist of the story, but it is the lack of hope crystallized in the ferverent, desperate battle for freedom that is the true story.

Against this backdrop, Galgut uses prose that adds to the book’s sense of displacement. The writing is sparse and muted like the feelings and emotions of the characters but powerful enough to capture the sense of urgency and desperation so implicit in the actions of the protagonists. Galgut also pushes the action forward at a fast clip, further collapsing time with a flowing current of events that rush headlong into the book’s climax.

+travel essay. china (beijing, shanghai, hong kong)

Emails Back to the States

alia jones

3.08

Longest plane ride ever! I slept for the first six hours. When I woke up there was a happy hour in the back of the plane. The stewardesses were using alcohol to calm the natives. It was working. Cool opportunity to meet some of the other trip attendees. Many cuties, the trip should be fun! After 12 hours, 3 movies, 3 dinners, 12 orange juices, 2 packs of tissues (the cold really kicked in on the plane) and more sleep, we landed in Tokyo!

3.09

Wow! I am in Tokyo! 4 hour layover. Too bad I can't hop a taxi into the city. When will I be in Tokyo again? Pretty basic airport. We decide to have a sake hour at the bar (when in Rome:-)! Then I had some authentic tempura, edamame, and miso soup, of course! Back on the plane. 2 hours to Beijing. Off the plane. Went through customs, met the tour guides, headed to hotel and waited. The rooms were great!

3.10

Breakfast at the hotel. Awesome American buffet! Women outside in the garden are folk dancing. Tianemann Square (Mao's body on display, no photos of military-threat of jail time)! The Forbidden City- did you see the Last Emperor? I was there! Lunch was awesome. Lazy Susan with twelve dishes to sample at each table. The people on the tour are really nice. The Temple of Heaven and then the Summer Palace (the most beautiful residence on earth). If I were the emperor, I would have made the Summer Palace the primary residence (forget The Forbidden City). World famous Peking Duck for dinner. It tastes like candy!!! Clubbing all night at The Hard Rock Café and The Loft!

3.11

Breakfast again. Three plates this time. The Jade House in the morning to see how the famous Jade figurines are carved. Then off to the Great Wall. I climbed over 2000 steps to get to the top (well, it felt like it). I had to stop quite a few times. The view is great. Then the Ming Tombs. Kind of creepy. Necessary leg and foot massage for 1.5 hours by a cutie back at the hotel (Great Wall relief). Dinner downtown at outdoor food stalls. Clubbing in the club district.

3.12

Breakfast again. The last day in Beijing. Did I say that the tour guides are awesome? I have learned so much. Eaten so much. Partied so much! This place is great. Who would have thought this was a communist country. Now I am off to the Lama Temple. Tibetan Lama Buddhist Temple. Amazing. Best stop of the trip so far. Learned about all of the different praying Buddhas. China is amazing. Prayer with the Buddhist monks. Turned the sutra! Good luck forever-- Infinite knowledge and wisdom. Lunch at the tour guides cousin’s house for traditional Chinese meal. Awesome. Rickshaw ride around the neighborhood and by the river. Off to the airport... China Airlines served something that looked like Shrimp Jerky. Shanghai is huge and all of the skyscrapers are amazing. Same as Mexico, beer is cheaper than water. Clubbing in the ex pat district. All the clubs close at 2am on the week days. Isn't that odd? Headed to an old bomb shelter for more fun until 6AM-- The Underground. Ridiculous.

3.13

First stop on the tour was the Museum of China. It was pretty interesting. Exhibits on Porcelain, Jade, Calligraphy, Painting, Furniture. Visited the tea room in the museum for a large dose of caffeine. Headed to a carpet factory; can you say up-sell the tourists on our products. The rugs were between 200-2000 USD (didn't they know we are students); some people bought rugs. Then the cashmere factory-- too silly. Ready for lunch; on to a Mongolian Barbeque. The food was good (if you stayed away from the Sesame Sauce). More tourist excitement, we went to a traditional Chinese garden. Turns out that the original garden was destroyed when Japan invaded Shanghai. This was a replica with a famous tea house across the way. I couldn't take anymore. Ditched the rest of the tour and went walking through Old Shanghai with Andreas. We ended up on The Bund. The Bund is a cross between the Baltimore Harbor and Las Vegas. Beautiful view of the PuDong (their Wall Street district). Headed back to the hotel. Group went to see the famous Chinese Acrobats. Awesome. Amazing balancing acts, body contortions, plate twirling, juggling and magic. Raining tonight. Had great dinner in downtown Shanghai. Tried Chinese liquor (worse than the worst Sake ever). Tried a thousand year old egg (you have to see the picture). Eating in groups is a great concept. The whole meal was about $5/person and we had about 8 entrees. Other benefits...eating with chopsticks makes you eat less and eat slower. Back to the hotel to dry off. Sat in the hotel lounge (bad move). They were featuring the Dynamo Band (cover band that sounded like bad karaoke). Went back to The Underground with a larger group to close them down again.

3.14

Leisure day! Slept from 7AM to 4PM. Not really pressed to do anything today. Went walking downtown after a great dinner. Went to the Grand Hyatt for a view of The Bund from 87 floors up. Very chic hotel! Met up with other tour members at Pegasus for International night. A nightclub in Shanghai hosting international night. Hilarious. I met cuties from France, Guinea, Lebanon and Spain. Few Chinese. Headed home for some sleep before Hong Kong tomorrow!

3.15

Up and out early to go look at antique furniture with May & Todd. Found a gold mine of the most beautiful furniture for low prices. Can you imagine a 100 year old armoire that is gorgeous and only about $200 ($1800 Yuan)? I took a card for when I get rich (or have living space). On to Hong Kong!!!! Dragon Air to Hong Kong had better food. Hong Kong -- it is humid here. New tour guides whisk us to the hotel. We see The Peninsula Hotel (famous for the view of Hong Kong Island). They love the lights here. Oh, by the way, we left China in Shanghai. They say Hong Kong is now in China but that is bologna. We had to go through customs, change currency and get stamped in Hong Kong. We changed and headed out for seafood in Hong Kong and then clubbing. We started at Home-- more late night hanging out for people that just don't want to go home. Then we tried out our card at this members only club called Drop. They had fresh fruit martinis that were amazing and a DJ that rivals New York DJs. Finished up at Propaganda so we could check out the boys in Hong Kong!

3.16

Woke up for the corporate visit to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. Given a presentation on the functions of the HKMA. $1 USD = $1.78 HKD. Then we went on a tour of Hong Kong Island. We started out taking a tram up Victoria's Peak to see the whole Island from the highest point. Amazing. Then we took the bus down through the expensive housing district. All the rich people (I thought the tour guide was calling the area Richmond but he was saying Richman area). We went to Aberdeen to see the Boat People. These people live in their only means of transportation, Sampan boats. We went on a boat ride and then back on the bus. Headed to Stanley Market for great bargains. We weren't impressed with Stanley Market. Where is all of the so-called fake Prada? Took a double-decker bus back to downtown ( London flashbacks). Passed by the resorts and beach communities. Took the ferry back over to Kowloon to change at the hotel. Our last night in China, what to do...We went to a restaurant called California for dinner. No more Chinese food! Then we partied with the rest of the tour group in the Lan Kwai Fong area. All westerners. Imagine a huge street party for a three block radius. All of the clubs flowed out into the street. It was like Buckhead in Atlanta or Cancun during Spring Break! Lots of fun and a great way to say good-bye to everyone.

3.17

Back to the real world...What a wonderful world-wind trip through China!

Alia (Cool on Chinese Food for a while!)

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