Friday Funny Jan 28, 2011

So many photos, only one Friday a week.

Sure, blame it on me.

Elizabeth goes to an abattoir Jan 12, 2011

Did I get your attention? Yes, it really was an abattoir, but a renovated one, now called 1933.

Here's the blurb from another website:

Conceived as a new commercial hub for creative industries, Shanghai’s 1933 in historic Hongkou District has a rather inglorious past – that of a former abattoir and derelict factory that dates back to the 1930s, and until the refurbishment, has largely laid in ruins.However, that unfashionable past has been turned on its head, and given a marketing spin to deliberately draw attention to its former incarnation as a slaughterhouse.

Think along the lines of the Les Halles (Old Central Market) in Paris or the Meatpacking District in New York, and you will have an idea of the inspiration behind 1933 and the direction it is heading.

I went with my friend Eliza and we had a great time exploring this lovely structure. 

For those of you who love Art Deco, fill your boots! You know who I mean.

Fabulous facade

Flowering column

1933 reminded me of the Distillery District in Toronto, except it's just one building. Eliza and I checked out numerous boutiques, actually former workshops,  on the first floor. It was one of my more pleasurable shopping experiences in Shanghai.You all know how much I love to shop...only under duress, but at 1933 I actually bought something for myself. Alert the media.

Some of the "air bridges"
These were different widths to control the flow of animals.

O.K. I know this was an industrial building, but look at the architecture! Great lines.

The ramp that the cattle used to climb up to the air bridges and then to the top feeding pens where they would eat and rest before meeting their Maker. This ramp was only used by animals. The human workers used separate stairs for safety and hygiene.

Note the rough, anti-slip surface of the ramp

Where the bad cattle went.

I guess you could have only three misbehaving cows at once.

Another view of the ground floor

Eliza and I made our way up to the second floor. We took the stairs. 
The ramp was just a little too creepy.


A Chinese restaurant called "The Golden Bull".
Get it?

We didn't have lunch there. We instead went to this amazing place, Rosso Italiano.


Outside lounge area

A little nippy to sit out here


Inside Rosso Italiano

Now you can see why it bills itself as an "art gallery/restaurant".


My glass plate
Remind you of a certain store, Wendy?

Lunch was equally stunning... 

Veal tonnato


...and filling

Chick pea soup


The main course

I know this isn't a Friday Funny, but I just had to include the menu.

I especially love the mangled geography, being Canadian and all.

After lunch, Eliza and I ventured up to the third floor to check out the theatre. It was a workshop in its former life. The floor of this theatre is made of tempered glass that can, and has, supported a car when they've held various fancy car presentations there, such as Ferrari, Mercedes, Porsche. 

Standing on the glass floor looking down to the lower levels and the air bridges is supposed to be very Escheresque.

See for yourself

The floor was reminiscent of the glass floor at the CN Tower, but obviously not as high or scary. 


Yours truly showing off  doing a cartwheel across the glass floor.
Believe me, this took a few tries to capture.

 Ta dum!

Eliza and I then headed out of 1933 after having had a lot of fun. She drove home and I took the subway. Yes, I do that in Shanghai.

This is what I noticed on my walk to the station.

What a weird building! What is that on the top?

Zooming in for a closer look from the side...

It was easier to figure out if you were actually there, but this was a chicken coop! 

This was confirmed by what I saw sidewalk level. Yes, in the city.

Practically free range, just lose the brick.


Never a dull moment in Shanghai if you keep your eyes open.

Marija's visit Jan 2 and 3, 2011

My friend Marija, her husband Paul and their two sons, had a stopover in Shanghai as part of their family Christmas vacation. How excited was I to see a friend from home? If you said "very", you'd be right!
The timing couldn't have been better. They arrived just as Jay left, so I had their presence to fill the Jay-sized hole.

You all need to know this about Marija, my dear readers. She is the woman who nagged encouraged me to write this blog. When she heard I was moving to Shanghai, she would say to me every time she saw me, "Elizabeth, you need to do a blog, you need to do a blog." As you can see, I took her words to heart and I am very glad I did. Thank you, Marija.

Dinner at a Xintiandi restaurant

Good food, great company

After, we headed to a local bar to listen to live music.

Getting silly

The next day, Marija, Paul and their sons and I 

went to the Tianzifang area off Tai Kang Lu.

Yes, you've seen this neighbourhood before. 

We puttered around and then went for a lunch at a charming, tiny Italian restaurant.

After, they had to make a beeline for the airport.

Their stay in Shanghai was short, but sweet.

Thank you, Paul, for being the "official photographer" of our time together. 

I can hardly wait to see you both again in Toronto.

Jay's birthday celebration Jan 1 and 2, 2011

Although Jay turned twenty in Thailand, we also celebrated in Shanghai and spread it out the fun.

First order of the day, steak dinner. We went to a place called "Mr. Stone" where you can cook your own steak on a super-heated volcanic stone. The whole process made me a little nervous, quite honestly, all that spitting fat. At least we had protective aprons to wear!

Perusing the menu

Steak or steak?

We ordered the steak.

Are you surprised?

The birthday "boy"

The best shot I have of Hare, if you can believe it. The kid would not co-operate and give me a decent smile.

Next day, we had a trip to the spa for massages. Rakesh and I had the head and shoulder version while Jay opted for the head and foot combo. This was taken afterwards when he was as relaxed as a cooked noodle. Hare missed out. Maybe he'll want to try it for his birthday.

After, we all went to a local bike store. Not my choice, but you know all the guys loved it and hey, it wasn't my birthday.

Memories of Cyclemania?

The next afternoon, we went to the Moganshan district. You remember that place, right? The artistic area where graffiti is allowed? I went there way back in September. This time, I was accompanied by the family and my very own "tagger" who requested that I not show his face. I'm probably going to get in trouble for posting this, so enjoy it while you can.

Starting small

First step, the letters

Second, the outline

Getting acrobatic

Guess what Jay's tag is?

Montreal yo, yo, yo!

 Jay sprayed into the early evening. 

He had a ball doing this. 

We indulged him. It was his birthday, after all. 

He had an audience.

A tag for Hare

Now that's brotherly love.