Hello from Shanghai!
frank
February 11, 2008, 09:37 PM posted in General DiscussionHiya, kids! How's everybody doing?
I landed in Shanghai at about 5PM local time on Sunday and fired off a quick note to let a buddy know I was here. Within two hours, I was having dinner with Jenny, Hank and Dave! Want to see?
Here's my Flickr page.
Not everything is the dinner photos, of course, but if you want to see Shanghai through my eyes for the next week or so, that's the place to look. I'll be updating it daily (at the very least).
Oh... and a quick study note for those of you who dream of dining with the ChinesePod crew -- review this lesson. They nearly liquefied my internal organs!
See you soon!
henning
February 12, 2008, 04:32 PMFrank, you seem to follow an optimal holiday strategy....flirting, spicy food,... Too much time on the web, though. While posting here you already missed two dishes and several 二锅头. And as you are now in the land of open opportunities: Ever thought of publishing your next SciFi in Mandarin?
azerdocmom
February 11, 2008, 10:16 PMOh wow, Frank! How wonderful that you are there! Your photos are beeeewwwtiful! Thanks for sharing. What's the weather like? It's 75 degrees and T-shirt weather here. Are the streets still littered with fireworks debris? Is the CPod factory back up to speed now?
rich
February 11, 2008, 10:31 PMNo fair Frank gets dinner with them. *sigh* Someday, someday....
TaiPan
February 12, 2008, 04:30 AMFrank, Truly Amazing Pics. I nominate you to upgrade the Chinesepod staff's photos for the shows and website. Keep 'em coming. I'll check back daily.
henning
February 12, 2008, 05:56 AMHmmm, 辣子鸡, I really like 辣子鸡... Frank, all the best for your trip including your projects!
trevelyan
February 12, 2008, 07:21 AMMy impression of Frank's timeline after arrival: 2 hours before walking into a spicy Hunan dinner. 2.1 hours before minor flirtation with our (admittedly really cute) waitress. 2.2 hours before being dragged into the kitchen to check out the snakes. Looks like a full day yesterday as well.
fudawei
February 12, 2008, 07:57 AMHank looks like a James Bond villain here: http://flickr.com/photos/newbabel/2255402308/ /I don't expect you to talk, Mr. Fradella. I expect you to die [insert maniacal laughter].
frank
February 12, 2008, 08:28 AMFuDaWei -- That's so weird! He actually said that!!! calkins -- Thank you, sir! I'm working with a nice digital SLR, but the depth of field stuff is sooooo much different than the video camera. I'm digging the experiment, though. azerdocmom -- The debris is rampant, but the weather is gorgeous! Cool and clear, with just enough chill to make your nose red. I'm loving it! rich -- Not every meal with them is spicy, I hear. They took Bazza for pizza! TaiPan -- Thanks, man! I nominate me, too! I'll make sure to snap some mug shots tomorrow. :-) henning -- Thank you very much, kind sir! I'll let you know how it all shakes out! trevelyan -- I would have flirted with her more if -- a) my Chinese was better, and 2) I was sure she wasn't, like, 14 years old. LOL Totally cute, though. She'll be a heartbreaker. New photos coming soon! Check back often and please feel free to comment on the ones you like!
frank
February 12, 2008, 09:37 AMNew pictures are up! You'll notice a pattern here. I like: Doorways Pathways Empty chairs Sculpture and stone work Cute little kids Macro photography of flowers As a point of interest, the first short story I ever published was called "Empty Chairs." Not that it matters, but it's a long-standing theme. (The keen-eyed will notice that my user icon on Flickr follows this theme as well.) Anyway... enjoy!
calkins
February 11, 2008, 09:58 PMFrank! Your photos are quite beautiful. You have a great eye (why wouldn't you, being a filmmaker and all). Looks like you learned the new camera pretty quickly. Great eye for detail and composition...thanks for sharing these.
frank
February 12, 2008, 11:12 AMrich - After all that, we didn't even have the snake! Next time!
lunetta
February 12, 2008, 11:17 AMFrank, you've managed to make me very jealous! Not only are your photos very beautiful but I want to be in Shanghai even more now. I especially noticed all the flowers and it made me wonder about the weather. Has all the snow disappeared now? For a while it was the only thing I would hear about China was how all the snow blocked everything.
wei1xiao4
February 12, 2008, 01:00 PMFrank you really are an artist. I loved your pictures. Hope you have a wonderful time in Shanghai and don't be afraid to practice your Mandarin.
tvan
February 12, 2008, 02:10 PMI liked your photo of "Wanted: Talking Girl". (Does he know what he's wishing for?) Was that a picture of coffee and a cinnamon roll for breakfast? Come on Frank, where's the 油条 and 豆浆。
azerdocmom
February 12, 2008, 02:37 PMFrank, your photos are magnificent! 非常非常美麗！
frank
February 12, 2008, 03:33 PMlunetta -- Thanks! The snow here is all but a memory. That was by special arrangement I made with my travel agent, though. Not everyone gets that treatment. wei1xiao4 -- No worries on that score! Before I went on my date tonight, I don't think I spoke a word of English. No lie. (And thank you for the kind words!) tvan -- I know! I can't 'em, man! I've scoured the neighborhood a bit, but I can only walk so far before it's not breakfast anymore. :-) azerdocmokm -- You are far too kind! Thank you!
scottyb
February 12, 2008, 03:44 PMFrank, I'm really enjoying your pictures, even though they highlight the hopeless inadequacy of my own photography skills. Thanks for letting us live vicariously through the lens of your camera. By the way, if befriending someone to gain help learning a language makes one a "language rapist", does enviously visiting your Flikr site make me an "travel parasite?"
frank
February 12, 2008, 03:52 PMscottyb -- Perhaps, but I think you should embrace it. Find a way to use it to your advantage. Like... I don't know... find the word for "leech" and make it your Chinese name. :-)
rich
February 12, 2008, 10:30 AMFrank, I commented on your picture of the live snake. Tasty? Wiggly and squiggily inside you? :P
frank
February 11, 2008, 09:45 PMI should probably mention here that the last 14 photos on my Flickr site aren't from the Shanghai trip. That's just me goofing off at home and learning the camera. I just got this thing about two weeks ago and I'm still learning how to use it. (Because, yes, I needed one more thing to do.)