..Miss Brightside..

Want to be a famous hipster in this day and age? No worries, all you need is a famous mother/father/sister/brother/boyfriend!! it seems that these days there’s a fast-track to notoriety and adulation in the tabloids and glossy magazines. Countless young starlets who grace the covers of Nylon, Dazed & Confused and gossip columns of tabloid papers all seem to have one thing in common; their time in the spotlight comes courtesy of their parent’s or siblings hard work!

This trend caught my attention when it reared its ugly head most notably with Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton’s propulsion to stardom, for being, you guessed it, famous as a result of their family name. Trading on their surname secured them their own TV series, an entertaining stage upon which Nicole and Paris were able to showcase how being a Hilton or a Ritchie entitles you to get away with murder!

The backlash Peaches Geldof has received in response to her debut column in Nylon Magazine brings up a few good points. Firstly, why are we so quick to worship people who have not had to work hard for the opportunities given to them? While Peaches may have had to grow up in the limelight because of her dad Bob Geldof’s and mum Paula Hutchence’s fame, does this mean she is owed a career in the media as a result?

Many responses to the column argue that there are so many more deserving journalists who could make real use of writing for a high-profile magazine. Peaches herself uses her column to make a few depth-less observations about her new life in New York, a place she assured us there’s “always something exciting to do”, ranging from buying pizza from street vendors to uhh… doing more shopping.

Then again, what were the readers of her column expecting? She is 19-years-old whose shopping, partying and love life are the main topics of interest in magazines such as Heat.

Positioning people like Peaches as a celebrity says a lot more about us, the consumers, than her. She is merely taking advantage of the public’s ever-growing need for the same old drivel. It may not be thought-provoking or memorable, but we still lap it up as though it were! Judging by the comments on her column, it seems celebrities who are famous for nothing aren’t as loved and adored as they may think. Rather, they conveniently satisfy our hunger for magazine columns and editorials in the same sense that fast food satisfies our desire for cheap convenience.

I think we are all guilty of over-indulging in the meaningless dross Peaches’ column exemplifies, precisely because it doesn’t challenge you, and is easy to consume. I just hope that celebrities like her, who are essentially famous for doing f’all, try to use their status and position for a more useful purpose.

Thanks to the Chinese National Holiday at the beginning of October, I managed to escape the bustling metropolis for the first time since I arrived at the end of July.

Xi Tang
My first trip involved hopping on a train to the tranquil water-town of Xi tang. For just 13 kuai we took the train to a town called Jia Shan and upon arrival we were besieged by dozens of taxi drivers eager to take us to Xi Tang, about twenty minutes away. To my surprise there was only a handful of lao wai (foreigners) in the whole tourist area!
We were lucky enough to be treated to a private performance by a group of locals, in one of the various gardens dotted around Xitang, which was a really moving and memorable moment. A few minutes after that they packed up and left, meaning the large tourist group that got there just after us missed out!
The scenery itself was stunning, and we had time for a boat ride as well. The guy who steered us along the canal had actually been doing his job for a decade or so, and from what we could tell by the smile of his face he wouldn’t want to be doing anything else! Highlights of the day trip were the gorgeous cuisine we had for lunch; I was introduced to fried pumpkin and it made me wonder why I would ever bother with plain old potatoes again! After sampling some pure cotton candy (it was bright white!) and making our way around the various lanes, we hailed a taxi… it was a glorified bike with an engine attached to it! I really appreciated the tranquility of the area, and it was a bit of a shock to return to energetic Shanghai later that day.

Anji

The next day, it was up early at 5.45am to make sure caught the bus to Anji, a place which is probably most famous for its bamboo forests. After a hap-hazard start to our journey which involved a change of bus in Hangzhou (the place was rammed due to it being golden week), we arrived to this one-of-a-kind town a few hours later. The second we stepped off the bus and sat in the city centre waiting for some other friends, we seemed to perplex every passer-by. After various shouts of ‘hello’ and some long, uncomfortable stares, we began to make friends with the locals. A young couple helped us find a place to chill out while waiting for our friends, and when we were near the main road a Chinese pilot who often flies to California was so compelled to help he pulled his car over and proceeded to make sure we were OK and knew exactly where we were going. A pit-stop to a Chinese supermarket will forever reside in my mind; there I am trying to decide what flavour Lays crisps to buy and what should happen but a baby shits on the floor?!?! Only in China does this fail to draw attention of anyone but me. The father found it quite funny and laughed about it, and thankfully after a few minutes an attendant cleared the mess up!

Our friends were due to arrive to Anji by motorbike, but one of their bikes broke down on the way. After arriving in town in search of a repair shop, we gradually became the source of great interest by the locals of the town. It never ceases to amaze me how Chinese people never seem to be on their way to anywhere - they ALWAYS have time to just stand around, chat with complete strangers and act like they don’t have a care in the world. It makes me realise how at home no-one seems to know how to just stop and stand still anymore!
The campsite itself was beside a beautiful lake, with only one other group there - and even they were on the other side of the large area, so in effect it was literally us, our campfire, and the stars! My highlight of the trip was meeting a generous, happy-go-lucky tea-farmer named Shammay (?). We stumbled upon her farm and she beckoned us into her hut where she proceeded to offer us food and allowed us to sit at her table. Despite our inability to verbally communicate with her, we had a great time and I kid you not when I say her face never stopped smiling! Me, Kate and Ylva were pretty moved by the experience… She seemed so much happier than so many people who are seemingly ‘better off’ than her; it made me wonder why so many people bother working in an office environment when it is obviously so much more fulfilling to have a bit of your own land in Anji valleys! Being surrounded by the picturesque countryside and with as many friends as Shammay, it did indeed make me wonder why so many people are depressed with their 9-to-5 lives when they could be as happy as Shammay.
Our friends had the great idea of bringing an inflatable mattress camping, and it doubled up as a raft for passing time on the lake in the gorgeous sunshine. It was such a blessing to be in a place like Anji for sunset, with no background noise other than the local wildlife. It was painful to have to leave this place the next day, but as much as I want to profess my love for the nature, I can only cope with being away from electricity, running taps and a toilet for so long! The next morning, one of our new-found friends from Anji picked us up from the campsite and drove us into town where he proceeded to introduce us to some gorgeous Chinese cuisine. All in all, our excursion to Anji played out before me unlike anything I was expecting, and it was the perfect way to recharge your batteries - you can’t underestimate how draining it can be living in Shanghai. There is SO much to do here and people work such long hours, before you know it four months have passed by and you haven’t actually spent a full day inside your apartment. Anji was the perfect excuse for me to take some time out and appreciate Shanghai for the hustle and bustle that it is!

Suzhou

Another weekend, another destination. Suzhou, China, is very close to Shanghai and so is the number-one choice when you want to see something new and the city doesn’t seem as appealing as normal! Despite being delayed by 40-50 mins due to gridlock traffic on the way there, we arrived around midday and promptly headed for the Suzhou silk museum and the North Pagoda Temple.
After a few necessary pictures posing alongside Buddha and in front of the pagoda, we made our way up to the top of the spectacular landmark. After what seemed like forever we reached the top observation deck, where we were treated to some blissful views of Suzhou. Of course, it always helps when you have gorgeous weather! The Humble Administrator’s Garden was a big highlight of the day for me. With its larger-than-life lily pads and neverending trails to different corners of the area, I would have loved to spend longer there. We wandered alongside on the town’s canals and then made our way into the town in time for sunset.

Before I leave Shanghai for the year, I have just two weekends left!! My and my friend Ylva were considering a trip exploring the suburbs, perhaps Zuibaichi Park and the zoo in Chongming district. Consdering metro costs so little and train travel is also such good value, I want to make sure I explore as much of the surrounding area as possible!

Before I arrived in Shanghai, it struck me that there would probably be a slight difference between Western fashion trends and those in China. These days it is hard to pinpoint geographical distinctions in trends… what people wear in London for example is just as varied as what people wear here in Shanghai. The main difference I have noticed is that people make so much more effort with their appearance here; from their eyebrows to their nails, no expense is spared when it comes to looking good! Here’s a rundown of some of my observations while out and about on the streets of Shanghai.

Personal Grooming

+ Manicures are mandatory here - there’s a nail salon on every corner of my area with a glittering array of choices. Glitter spangles? Snoopy? 3D ceramic flowers? They will cater for the craziest ideas here, and you it’s entirely possible to have enough scope to change your nails every day for the rest of your life! I got some acrylic nails painted a mean black shade this week, for just 80 kuai, but was tempted by the idea of those 3D ceramic flowers just because they are so different! Thankfully my nail artist got preoccupied with her friends’ wig (she left me alone for half an hour!) so i cut short our session and made a swift exit!

+ Tattooed Make-Up. I have only just started to notice how so many Chinese women I see every day have shaved their eyebrows off and have tattoos instead. Eyebrow shape plays a surprisingly large role in the harmony of your face, so once you’ve found the most flattering shape it makes sense to have it permanently!

Clothes

+ Luxury Brands. There seems to be a massive obsession with brands here in Shanghai. Whether the majority of bags hanging off young women’s shoulders here are fake or real remains to be seen though! While it is obviously a clear status symbol, the motto ‘money can’t buy you taste’ holds true from time to time… I have seen so many beautiful outfits ruined by one of those disgusting fake Lousi Vuitton multi-coloured logo bags that Vanessa Feltz used to sport circa-2000!

+ Wearing evening wear during the day. I love how a lot of Shanghainese Fashionistas wear expensive looking silky evening dresses to work, but dress them down with a plain polo-neck jumper and work a layered look with cardigans and gilets. Not only does this increase the potential of your wardrobe, it’s an idea that can save you from the boredom of the blouse and black trousers look!

+ Co-ordinating your outfit with your boyfriend’s. Another quirky phenomenon I’ve noticed as I go about my daily business involves couples wearing the same t-shirt to profess their relationship status and bond with each other. This one makes me laugh because it must be pretty funny phoning up your partner to discuss what t-shirt to wear!

Shoes

+ High-heels, high-heels and more high-heels. Get the picture? Even when I went to Suzhou’s Humble Administrator’s Garden the other weekend, the majority of Chinese women there sported sky-high heels and still undertook the task of navigating the cobbles and rocky paths. While I tend to shy away from wearing heels during the day because I am lazy, (and because it means leaving for work earlier due to my inability to walk in them!), the Chinese philosophy seems to dictate high-heels are required uniform.

While browsing some blogs recently I came across some runway photos, and although I wouldn’t say I’m an avid watcher of the high-end designers (partly due to my inability to ever purchase their items!), yet I’ve got to admit I’m slowly being sucked into the excitement and suspense of watching the runway shows. Below are some examples of the designs I liked, and that I feel even us poor graduates can interpret into our own daily wardrobe.
+ Catherine Holstein

The trend for high-waisted belts and shorts will obviously be with us for a good while yet… and why not? As well as flattering the figure, it means you can bring together a whole new element to an outfit purely with the simple addition of a good belt. I also love the incongruity of pairing a tiny vest top with an oversized cardigan!

Nautical stripes are another big trend that just doesn’t seem to go away, and I think a navy, red and beige colour scheme can never fail to draw attention. Oversized t-shirts are great staples of anyone’s wardrobe because with the simple inclusion of a good belt you can create a flattering shape. Holstein recognises this and paired the stripey top on this model with a one-off, triple-tiered skirt. While I don’t think I would ever wear something like that out of the house, you could implement the ideas from the design by teaming a nautical top with a suitably basic beige skirt… add a red belt and voila!

It seems absolutely ridiculous to place a thick belt OVER a cardigan, and yet this is precisely what Holstein does… Obviously there is a lot of room for this look to fail in a big big way, but I like how it is evidence of a certain playfulness with fashion conventions. Holstein’s collections had a big emphasis on shoes in nude shades, so as not to distract away from the clothes themselves! Living out of a suitcase for the past few months, I made sure I packed a few pairs of cream/beige/nude coloured shoes to ensure they work with as many different oufits as possible!