Tianzifang 田子坊

Taikang Lu

Tianzifang 田子坊 or Taikang Lu 210 has become my new favourite shopping area. It contains shikumen and other old Shanghai houses like Xintiandi, but is not as massively restored/renovated and therefore retains a more authentic look, a less touristic feel. In addition to that, more than half of its old residents actually still live there. The place has a mix of boutiques, restaurants, art galleries and residents going about their business like before.

A few lanes in Tianzifang

Read an interesting article about the man behind it. Liked the fact that a few more old houses have been saved from the bulldozer. Fancy Shanghai looking just like Singapore or Sydney soon and I feel sorry for us all. I am all for clean toilets (a must) and modern amenities, but at least try to keep some of the old shells for the future - lest we look, eat, buy the same no matter where we are.

Big panty small shoes

Having said that, I just bought a few dresses from Promod and Zara at jacked-up prices - but I had no choice since I couldn't fit into the small Chinese sizes sold in the local shops. Waiting for the Chinese to fatten up like the rest of us so that I can start buying local designs - not just western stuff made-in-China.

This is the back of a boutique so it's clean and bright

Opposite Tianzifang is a new shopping mall that I have yet to explore (remember that I haven't had much time since my arrival in the city), but I've walked through the few lanes in Tianzifang rather quickly and look forward to re-discovering them at a more leisurely pace soon.

Chat with your neighbours as you wash up

There seemed to be quite a number of Thai restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, fashion boutiques, a café claiming to serve the best cheesecake in Shanghai, art galleries, a nice little creperie...and here and there you'll find dirty, dark old doorways with an old lady sitting outside chatting with her neighbour(s). As the boutiques etc are usually clean, well-renovated affairs, the old houses in more or less their original states provided a sharp contrast - very interesting, actually.

How many families live in this house?

I found the paintings I've bought in Dongtai Lu selling for "fixed" prices over there in Tianzifang, though I suppose one could always try to bargain if so inclined. At 20 euros each for a small one they were pricey - but if you can't afford a real Warhol of Mao, they'll have to do.

Dongtai Lu "Antiques" Market, Shanghai

Dong Tai Lu Market

It is so hot now nobody wants to play outside or go anywhere. It is fortunate that I managed to squeeze in a spot of shopping at the Dong Tai Lu "Antiques" Market in Puxi in May before the rains came or the sun decided to shine non-stop and make us want to hide in air-conditioned comfort.

You find porcelain, little Mao books, old posters, jewellery, figurines, tea...

Dongtai Lu is just a few blocks away from Xintiandi and contains an outdoor (with bits indoor) market spread over a few streets. The few times I was there it was pretty quiet, with a few tourists hanging around and a stream of bikes or scooters going up or down the narrow lanes.

The vendors themselves were pretty laid back, none touted his wares too actively, only coming out to talk when you expressed interest or asked a question about something in their stall. You will need to look hard as there probably were gems in all the rubbish you see displayed out there, but most of them would be replicas or just plain old stuff nobody wanted anymore. And bargain hard, very hard - easier said than done. When I see something I like, it usually means I would like to have it. Unlike new stuff, it's difficult to place a price on something used and usually not easily found anymore.

Even the roof was full

There were a few shops that were dark, dirty, smokey and smelly and they were subdivided indoors into smaller shops selling anything from old pictures to furniture. Others claimed to do antiques but you have to like the style, usually pretty dark and heavy.

Nice wooden balcony

I am into old stuff lately and was there trying to find leftover Chinese cloth - something pretty rare and expensive today. I don't sew but thought it would make a nice gift for artistic friends who may know what to do with it. I also bought touristy stuff like embroidered squares and replica paintings with Chinese themes (pretty kitsch and expensive but will look really nice if properly displayed) that I hope to bring home as gifts for my friends. I ended up having some difficulty parting with the stuff as I rather liked them for myself.

Goods everywhere including inside the dark alleys

I am definitely no expert in bargaining, in fact I almost never bargained - not having any idea how much anything is really worth. And if I faced an old man or a heavily-pregnant woman - I would feel bad and would just accept whatever they asked me to pay. Hub said that I have paid too much for a country like China, but I think he didn't realise how expensive Shanghai is generally. Wish there were blogs that would advise about how much to pay for shopping in Shanghai.

Junk Furniture

Today's spoils

As you know I have been furniture hunting since my arrival in Shanghai. People who have been living here for years (Shanghainese included) told me that they've never been to half of the stores I've been to.

Old cupboard - rotten here and there, no longer straight in the middle

The doors of the cupboard

The day before I had guests for lunch and they insisted that I bring them to a few of my furniture stores when they saw the stuff in my house. One of the shops sold junk (or "curio" as they called it) and it was this one that I visited this morning with my neighbour C.

Old table probably had its legs sawed off to become a coffee table

She was really excited when she saw the junk shop and said that she would have to return another day with her hub. The shop is dangerous, dark and dirty - but it fulfils most of a treasure hunter's fantasies. You just want to dig, dig and dig when you are there - and hope to find something for a decent price.

See why I call this a junk shop?

Prices are reasonable, but they are increasing at an alarming rate (e.g. I calculated around 20-50% each month) as more expats turn up through word of mouth to buy from them. You cannot really negotiate as the owner knows that most people who go there are looking for a bargain and he probably suspects that we like old used stuff.

I always ended up buying something each time I was there. This morning it rained cats and dogs and the place was darker than ever - but it only made the whole shopping experience more exciting. I picked out a bale of leftover blue cloth, a small wooden box with kama sutra-like paintings inside, a kungfu bench, tiny wooden stools, a pair of embroidered slippers, an old wooden tray, a used bird cage...

There was bird shit in the cage when I bought it and I freaked out, asking them to clean it up for me. The bench was rotten at parts and had a very quick wax job as we waited at the front of the shop, listening to loud music and the sound of paper coming off the presses in the shop next door. I do not know what I will do with the cloth yet (yesterday I bought almost the same thing in Puxi and had it made into a table cloth) and I have already changed my mind about giving away the tiny stools to friends with kids - I found them quite useful for putting shoes on at my own entrance. Besides I am fond of squatting occasionally and the stool makes the act more comfortable.

Small wooden wedding box

I could have bought similar stuff new - but somehow prefer it when they have been broken into, when they are even a little rotten. I am still looking for a rectangular tea table, a small low table (for my flower pot), vases, flower pots etc. But will take my time as there must surely be more interesting finds elsewhere in Shanghai and I do not want to end up finding something nice and not having the space for it.

Wholesale Plant Market in Pudong

Harvest from plant shopping

It's spring and I can only think of plants, flowers, soil, fertilisers and flower pots...It has become quite an obsession. I could have gone to the nearest plant market to stock up - only I want variety and I want it cheap(er), and thanks to one of my neighbours I have discovered a wholesale plant market in Pudong. That was where I've spent my morning yesterday.

A wholesale plant market in Pudong

I haven't suddenly discovered that I have a green thumb. It is because I don't that I need to make sure that I do not spend a fortune on plants that I'll have to buy again in no time. Actually many of the sellers have no clue either how to look after the plants or make them grow again (or they'd rather not tell) - they just know how to collect money from you.

Never go to the plant market on a hot day. It would be too horrible as you would need to walk around quite a bit - as I've discovered on my first trip there. The weather was cool yesterday so it was perfect for shopping in the wholesale market. Though one still risked being knocked down by a van or having one's foot spit on as usual.

You may find outdoor plants, decorative stone sculptures, wooden material, indoor plants, orchids (they mostly come from Taiwan), bonsai, flower pots, soil/fertilisers, roses, cacti, fruit etc. Some of the sellers come from other parts of China like Guangzhou and Chaozhou, in fact I gave some of them a shock when I let known that I could understand what they were saying to each other when they were speaking Teochew. But still they wouldn't reduce the price as it was normally meant for people who buy in bulk.

Bought this plant in 3 colours : white, purple and cross-bred. Like father, mother and baby :-)

Afternoon spent repotting the plants

I only bought a few plants and pots as it took a lot of time looking through each shop and sifting through the rubbish that some of them contained. Then of course I was as usual indecisive. I do not need a garden since we have a common one in the compound that is looked after by an army of gardeners, but I feel that I still need a few plants of my own to look after myself.

My new green flower pot

Does the salon need more plants?

I have no idea what most of the plants are called, but I am pretty pleased with them and can only hope that they will live for a while. I found this green flower pot yesterday that was quite lovely which made me want to buy more plants so that I could hunt for more pots for them. I think I'm going to give another smaller and nearer plant market a go next week to see what I can find in it. And I'll need to hunt for a low table to carry my flower pot - so it'll be back to a spot of furniture hunting.

My 2 New Babies

Canon EOS 500D with EFS 18-55 Lens

If you know me by now, I am like my mother in many ways. Like if I couldn't decide between 2 things I may end up buying 3.

I woke up this morning and decided that I needed a new camera. Do not get me wrong, I am not going to abandon my old and trusty Sony Cybershot DSC-T5 that I have been having for donkey years now. I've spent a part of my childhood writing English compositions pretending to be a lost or abandoned pencil, so I have a lot of respect for inanimate objects. I have lost my nice pink Parker 3-in-1 pen the other day and I am still mourning its loss, wondering if it's lying alone in a drain or being abused by some gipsy. Where are you, pen?

I just felt that my camera needed a sibling and/or friend. I've been toying with the idea of a reflex camera for a few months but my reflexes being quite slow in general, I haven't found the money courage to go ahead and buy one. And then ever since Tati lent Hub her camera to take pictures of the girls underwater, I've craved for a water-resistent camera...

Well folks, I've acquired non-identical twins this morning : Olympus MJU Tough 3000 and Canon EOS 500D with EFS 18-55 lens. Since I take pictures without ever finding the time to print them out, I'm sure I'll have fun (and space) trying to use both cameras.

My birthday is coming up in a week, so I'll try to pass them off as my birthday present.

Poltrona Frau's Vanity Fair

I want this. A pair of them. Poltrona Frau's mythic 1930's Vanity Fair armchair. More than 4000 euros each. Beautiful, isn't it? Should I have it in red, black or brown?

"Vanity Fair is a replica of the celebrated 904 model that was part of Poltrona Frau's catalogue in 1903 and became an archetype after which modern armchairs have been patterned ever since. It is known the world over for its typical rounded shape and the rows of leather-covered nails that add the finishing touch to the seatback and arms. The padding uses both hand-fashioned vegetal horsehair and rubberised horsehair, the seat cushion is filled with goose down. The springing of the seat, back and arms is by means of biconic steel springs, tied manually and rested on jute belts."

(source : Poltrona Frau)

It is also known as the Ferrari of club chairs, as Poltrona Frau makes the leather interiors for Ferrari Automobiles.

Now you know why I want this. Could I, pleeease?

New Bag

My Bikkembergs bathing in the morning sunlight

It is getting colder by the day, Summer is definitely over. This is depressing.

To mark my resistence to the coming period of shorter days and colder nights, I have bought myself a piece of sunshine.

A purple Bikkembergs bowling bag in suede and cotton. Colour...I heart it.

TaylorMade R7 425 TP Driver (Left-handed)

TaylorMade R7 425 TP Driver (left-handed)

I was on a golf roll this morning. No, not with hitting balls on the driving range, but buying them (and more) from ze comfort of the home.

I've not bought Hub a birthday gift as you know. Certes, I've thrown him a party, but somehow I still feel bad about not giving him a present. I was on the Net buying golf balls, golf towels, divot repair tools, golf shoes etc for the children (yes, 3 kid golfers, imagine the financial damage) and then I saw this TaylorMade R7 425 TP (left-handed) Driver.

It was originally selling at £430 which is crazy for a metal stick. But when I went on the Net to check the reviews, they were excellent, with some claiming that the driver's even better than Callaway's etc. Before I could change my mind, I bought it.

Hub would freak out if he knew, but it would be fait accompli by the time he sees it. And since he's the only left-handed player in the family, no one else can use this club. Price aside, I'm sure he'll welcome the chance to improve his game (and I'm going to start praying that this happens or I'll be nagged to death). He doesn't have much time for leisure, and he spends whatever little time he has on the golf course. Hopefully this driver will be a welcome addition to his current set of Callaway clubs.

The Teenager has a TaylorMade driver too and he absolutely loves it. He has been mentioning Odyssey putters (and putting is apparently his point faible), but I do not think that he merits anything this expensive for now. My blood is still boiling when I think of his Maths grades...

R7 425 TP Driver (description taken from the website) :

More Distance. More Accuracy. More Control.

Large 425 cc clubhead offers exceptionally high MOI and forgiveness for consistently long, straight results.

Choose from nine swing weights and 1,230 sets of launch conditions by utilizing 98 grams of movable weight across four widely-spaced TLC ports

New TaylorMade RE*AXTM shaft featuring Fujikura ROMBAXTM technology reduces ovaling and creates greater stability from the top of the shaft to the tip.

Inverted Cone Technology provides a larger area of the clubface to deliver higher ball velocity and greater distance even on mis-hits.

Ultra-Thin Wall Technology saves critical weight and permits the clubhead walls to be 0.6mm thin, 25% thinner than the walls of the r7TM quad and r5TM dual drivers.

Mens Left Hand: 10.5

RE*AX® 55 TP shaft - By Fujikura

I am still only hitting with the N°7 iron. It's a total embarrassment.

Retail Therapy

My new 24-cm Le Creuset Cocotte

It was a nice morning and P and I zoomed off to Fidenza Outlet Village with the hope of buying P's first set of top quality European kitchenware.

Adrenaline pumped high and P's face turned white as I zoomed at my usual 135Km/h on the highway (just a bit above the speed limit - usually shouldn't qualify for a speeding ticket with that), and we arrived as planned for the outlet village's opening at 10am.

We headed straight out for the Le Creuset boutique where P's eye was caught by a beautiful cream 35-cm oval cocotte (lucky folks out there in Hyderabad who would soon be treated to a good biryani) which cost a small fortune. Then she turned around and saw something shiny - steamer and pot - followed by a lovely round grill (boy, I want one too!). I hope that her dear Hub was ready for the damage to his bank account, but boy, we agreed that the journey back to the car with those bags and bags of kitchenware was orgasmic and exhilarating. We felt a bit like those heroines in Sex and The City.

We also went to do some damage in the Lagostina boutique for some good-quality and well-designed Italian stainless steel kitchenware. Those shopping bags we had to bring to the car first as 2 pairs of hands were all that we had.

La céramique collection

I got some Ferrari polo shirts for the Teenager and GF Ferré swimwear for Baby Girl and managed to exchange my damaged 24-cm Le Creuset cocotte for a new one - as it was under a life-time warranty. Also bought another set of ceramic pots among other things, it being difficult to walk out of the boutique empty-handed when you were on a shopping high.

Cute, isn't it?

If the bags were not so heavy we would have swung them in our euphoria, but as it was, they were weighted. And of course we couldn't risk dropping them. But P finally understood the meaning of retail therapy and my fondness for it and it was great to have someone understand you for once.

We went to Reggio Emilia for lunch at a Chinese restaurant (P's treat) and I had a good dose of my favourite pig's blood and intestines to replenish my iron.

She should have had some of my dish as once again she lost some colour as we drove back. But I am sure that her joy this afternoon as she unpacks her spoils would make her forget all of that and I'm already trying to imagine how nicely those safran rice or curry dishes would look in her new cream cocotte.

Meanwhile I am now off to cook a Beef Curry in my new red one, it will be for tomorrow's dinner, but curry often tastes best when prepared a little in advance. I have to sweeten my own Hub for the day when our credit card bill arrives. He doesn't yet fully understand the meaning of retail therapy.

Apple Gadget

No, not the electronic apple, the real one. The fruit and its gadget.

I almost never eat apples because I dislike having to slice them. But I found this gadget the other day that makes it easier to cut an apple up and decided to give it a try.

It is so cool, I heart it. Only problem is that your apple has to be smaller than it. Most of my fuji apples were too big.

Now I find myself wanting to eat an apple all the time.

Le Creuset

Le Creuset Tagine

P wanted to buy a pot from Le Creuset to bring home to India and I knew of a private sale going on. Sent her the link, then I decided, out of curiosity, to take a look at it myself. I ended up spending a few hundred euros in a few minutes. I just love this brand even though I have already lost 2 of their cocottes in the last 10 years due either to misuse on our part or bad manufacturing on theirs. Anyway, as you can see, I've decided to give them another chance.

Small ceramic pot

26cm Le Creuset cast iron pot for 6 (couldn't resist the colour)

21cm Ceramic pot

31cm Crèpe pan

P, I hope that you've found what you're looking for!

As for me, I need a bigger house. Where am I going to find space for all of the above?