Let It Begin...

I haven't decided how this blog will develop, but for now on this page you will find a record of my thoughts, opinions, experiments and findings during my time of study. I will also be posting experimental work, which I will be under taking alongside my University work. Anyway I hope you enjoy and don't forget to comment on and share anything that takes your interest.

I thought the best way to start of this blog is with an account of my Experiences over the summer. So here we go.

A Month In Shanghai.

I was very lucky to get the chance to go and experience Shanghai over the summer. It truly is an amazing place, however i'm not going to beat about the bush. The moment I arrived in the airport i Hated It! I remember thinking "what have i done, here for a whole month on my own". This was due to the fact that all I could see was awful high-rise accommodation blocks through the very very dense smog. On arrival to where i would be staying, things got a little better.

 

I stayed in a very nice gated community near the Shanghai Zoo (miles from the center of anything fun) . As it was free accommodation in a city known for being very expensive, one can't really complain. 

 

The First Outing

We dumped the bags and headed straight out to see the sights, mainly as we had to power through the time difference and staying at home (my new home) would have 100% resulted in me catching too many zzz's for my own good.  

We headed straight for the area where i'd be working Xintiandi (But is spoken with a Z)  Now things are getting interesting. The area is lovely, no wonder its bright purple in my guide book, which indicated a zone of restaurants, cafes blah blah blah. As the entire blocks is just that. More importantly it holds the offices i'll be working in..... Studio Shanghai.

 

The Bund - I visited it on the first day, its a stretch of land on the Huaangu river. The main attraction to this area is the amazing panoramic view. From this point you can see the Jin Mao Tower rising skywards on the opposite river bank. Unfortunately the view is often hidden due to the severe amount of smog in shanghai. It was at this point that I really started to think i would enjoy myself here. I would just have to get over the heat, smell, people and of course the language barrier. 

 

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The Pearl Tower in all its smoggy goodness.

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Panoramic view across the River.

 Xintiandi - Its really an amazing place. When i described where I was living to some who lived there, he really wasn't lying when he said "That's right in the middle of the rich  part of the French Concessions". Which is the rich and European part of Shanghai. So I was working in the rich of the rich, this is going to be good fun. I found out after starting at Studio Shanghai all the surrounding area "Xintiandi" was actually designed and re-planned by Ben Wood "Head partner and founder of Studio Shanghai". It was one of the first restoration projects in shanghai. Which previously the standards were demolish everything old and replace it with brand new air conditioned monstrosities. 

Working at the Studio- First day at Studio Shanghai. My first thoughts as I walked into the building "ahh...it's soo cold, I love it". Air conditioning is an absolute necessity in Shanghai, hence why every residential building has them hanging off it. The office which is on the third floor of the main office block in the Xintiandi off "Madang Lu". Pretty clever trick by Ben Wood, design a really nice urban block with a great office in it and then move into it and watch all the surrounding areas develop and the prices soar. Back to the studio, its a long sort of dark corridor. It was my favorite studio I've visited (all 3 of them, well 4 by the end of my trip). 

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The first person i met was "Jenni Wei", who was who i had been corresponding with for over half a year and was the one who actually got me the internship. I also met Matt, an american who I was to bond with quite well a few days later over drinks.

I didn't really do much over the first day just lots of getting to know the people and understanding there sort of work they do. 

Next few days: Well what can i say it got interesting (and rather scary) fast. "Here you go Alex, here's a list of places we want you to photograph and a crudely drawn map".  Oh what fun, it was only day two and I spoke no Chinese, brilliant. 

It was actually a great assignment (to start off), as it got me out in Shanghai looking at places i'd never have been too before. The only negative was that this went on for three days and a lot of the addresses were wrong.

My little book of notes and maps.

Lets Go To Some Tall Buildings As A Typhoon Is About To Hit

Jin Mao Tower- That is really an expensive if you can go to cloud 9 but if not just stand at the base and look up. These three buildings are some of the tallest in the world. The Jin Mao Tower, The Bottle Opener (Dont know it's real name) and the being built Corkscrew. It was really weird standing at the base, mainly as the buildings seem to lean out over you. I went at night, which was amazing. Also as Shanghai was on the verge of a typhoon, so as we looked up the clouds were flying past. It really was surreal. I think it made it more impressive as there was a contrast (natural) against the ultimate of man made structures.

Cloud 9 Bar- The sureality of having a bar on the 87th floor of a sky scraper, especially when the grand hyatt starts halfway up. The view from the top of the tower is amazing. Looking down on the buildings which are 40 odd stories tall, is a very strange feeling. Anyway if you have the time go and have a look up there, but dress nice.

Jin Mao Tower

View from Flair Bar

Flair Bar - It's not quite as strange as Cloud 9 bar. But it is was up there (get it). It's located at the top of the Ritz-Carlton (58th floor). It is amazing, especially as its an open top terrace. Something which would never happen in the UK. Health and Safety would have a field day. the best part of the view is out towards the Pearl Tower. At night the view towards the Bund is great. I'd defiantly recommend it to anyone who visits.

That's pretty much all of it from that trip to Shanghai. To anyone who is thinking of going, just do. its an amazing place with amazing people. It's so friendly and welcoming, you can always take refuge in any of the american/ expat based bars when it all gets a bit too much. There's the odd little thing left but I wanted to give them there own post. So look out for them. 

That's all for now.