March - 2017

LETTERS FROM SHANGHAI

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Uneasiness and Chicken Wings

Uneasiness and Chicken Wings

Toto, we're not in London anymore If you’ve ever been to China and had dinner with a Chinese person here, you will inevitably come across a very simple yet gargantuan question. To welcome us to Shanghai a lovely friend of ours took us out for dinner where she casually dropped it into conversation. “So, what do you think of China?” There was a moment of brief silence whilst Mark continued to eat, unaware of the situation unfolding. In the back of my mind I’m deeply suspect of

Tenderness and Xian Dou Jiang 鹹豆漿

Tenderness and Xian Dou Jiang 鹹豆漿

All Shanghai women match their knickers to their surroundings We are now settled in our new flat, the nagging maintenance is finished and the slightly stale smell present when we moved in has gone. A housewarming gift arrived from my sister, a gorgeous paper cut map of Shanghai. I’ve already had it framed and immediately the place is starting to look like a home. Whilst Mark is waiting to be paid, I am trying to be cautious with money. Having spent almost all of my savings on

Loneliness and Kao Fu 烤麩

Loneliness and Kao Fu 烤麩

A lonely week, not through boredom, but through a feeling of isolation, like I’ve suddenly gone deaf. I’m sure most who have ever migrated to the other side of the world, to a vastly different culture have experienced this. While Mark is at work, I spend my day wandering around alone, sometimes not even speaking. There is a sense that everything is muffled, I hear conversations but they wash over me, I haven’t a clue what anyone is saying. The first delivery to my new home wa

Letters from Shanghai

Letters from Shanghai

My grandfather, Xu (Zee) Bao Shan and grandmother Doris Zee Do you remember what were you doing this time last year? I was cooking and shooting images for my book, waiting for the rising and setting suns for the right light, not too dark and not too bright. Mexican breakfasts like Divorced Eggs or twists like a Green Shakshuka were on the table and I had neighbours popping in to feast on the leftovers. I was making changes to my recipes on the fly, ticking off each dish on a