Shoreditch weekend: art and gentrification

I've been thinking about gentrification lately. Take this definition from urbandictionary or even this one from dictionary.com. Do you have a particular definition for what it means? I think of gentrification as when a local resident is evicted or displaced before a new establishment comes in. Maybe it's the wrong definition, but it's what I understand it to be. And maybe I define it as such because I think of a new establishment taking over an old, unused, area as simply change. Lots of people don't like to accept change in any way.

I was recently talking to Carlo about this, and he asked a good question of how to incorporate locals into these new "local" shops with "locally grown produce" and the right tag lines? I don't know the answer. I watched this video this morning about the Mission. What makes the Mission of San Francisco such a hot topic when businesses coming into the Arts district of Los Angeles is accepted? I really do think it goes back to whether change is seen as a good or bad thing and how it's framed. 

I spent the last two weeks back in England for work, and spending a day and a half in London also reminded me about the impact of gentrification. I want to tell you about Shoreditch because it's an area with so many layers to its identity. 

To the millenial who's keeping up with what's trendy from their latest Urban Outfitters trip, Shoreditch is probably known as the canvas of Banksy's on Brick Lane and the like. It's quite amusing actually. I saw people with cameras all over the place, immediately drawn to the biggest and flashiest mural they could find. So many people were posing in front of the walls with that one leg up look or face turned to the side, complete with red lipstick, tilted hats and kicks. 

Here's Phlegm for example. Apparently, while he was doing this commissioned piece, he got asked so many times by pedestrians whether he was Banksy that he started tallying it (see the left corner).

And while most people were getting distracted by the widespread murals, l was more interested in these simple beauties. I wonder what you would have noticed if you were with me. Probably very different things! 

Just for perspective, that is the bottom of a wall close to the sidewalk. It says "99% of people will not notice this." 

That silver mold was on a ton of street corners by Ronzo

Pretty sure this is Jonny Arnold 

Not sure if this is Ronzo again, but I am fascinated by this eye. When I went to Rio de Janeiro, I saw the eye graffiti EVERYWHERE but I never did find out who the artist was and what the meaning behind that eye is.

I agree. Happiness is so simple.

Did you know that all of England is constantly monitored by CCTV? Not by this camera!

Love this one in particular

The typewriter was a common one. I looked this one up, and it's Wrdsmth - a guy from Hollywood!

The World Cup seems like so long ago, doesn't it?

ELK

Don't know when this was done - Yipi Yipi Yeah 

If you get a chance to go, I highly recommend you do the London Alternative Tour, because the tour guides are artists themselves who care so much about the art they point out and they love them. It's like they want you to fall in love with art itself and with the neighborhood, and they try to get you to understand the history of Shoreditch as well. My favorites from the tour were Jonesy (see the sculptures on top of the post),Clet Abraham (always to do with street signs), and Vhils (really cool wall etchings).

  

Apparently this whole building is about to be demolished, so I hope you get a chance to see it. It's pretty incredible.

Now beyond the art, there's a lot to take in. The neighborhood is part Bangladeshi, part Jewish, part French, and a jumble of other influences. On one street, there is a mosque that was once a synagogue and before that a Catholic church. On parts of Brick Lane, the street is lined with posts, some that date back to the 1800s, where they took real cannons to create the posts. Down another corner is the Village Underground, a non profit organization that serves as a community space (and the building has a decommissioned train on the roof). An old parking lot was once an old manufacturing site, and the neighborhood was known as "Area A," targeted during WWII for its role in providing war supplies. Now, this area that was once a place of refuge for marginalized communities is a place worth millions. 

A lot of the stuff on the right is by Donk. The building facade shows remnants of Jewish establishments.

Street art changes constantly. Is the art part of gentrification? Paints get buffed out, stencils get drawn over, tags get tagged, and papers get torn. And that's part of the art itself. What about neighborhoods? 

The New Year.

Sally, as the year starts again and full fledged winter of Baltimore has begun,  I'm sitting here thinking of a few things, particularly the places I've been and the things I've seen. In the final month of last year, I spent it in Baltimore, Southern California and New York. This also includes my layovers in Las Vegas and Chicago - Midway airport.

Airports serve an interesting place in my life and I would think you too. Airports are an intersection of strangers about to embark on something in their lives. It's such a special place. One time I sat in the departure section waiting for my mom in Melbourne, Australia. The departure section is where people say their goodbyes, heart wrenching ones, hugs. I saw and felt it all in a span of 15 minutes. The departure section is the only place where my dad hugs me and gives me a kiss on my head.

This last month I spent sometime on planes, cars, subways and buses, my unknowingly favorite activity in life. New York is one of those places where you go with no plans because there's always so much to do. I went to see one of my favorite bands of this year - Lucius. They are such a lovely band. I love every single song they sing.

This was New York:

Arrived late at night where my friend had me meet her off of Court St. metro. She had a few martinis in and it was pouring rain. I loved it. We walked over to her friends who were at a bar called Dutch Kills. This place was my kind of bar, you walk in to what feels like a saloon. This place reminds me of the speakeasy in Cole's Intimate booths filled with friends and people flank a narrow walkway. Dark brown, with dimmed lights, and a waiter who was originally from Baltimore, my friend was in love with him and perhaps I was too for about 2 minutes.  I had some sort of hot toddy, her friends were fun, very New York, quick witted and talkative. It was intimate although I had just met them and they knew nothing about me. I didn't talk too much either, but I didn't really need to, the city was talking and I was listening. We went home to Brooklyn-ish area and had a few quesadillas.

I "slept in" (i.e. until 10 am). Her apartment was very New York: she lived with a Lesbian couple who seemed to be doing some sort of artsy thing. They were very clean, the apartment was small but large for a New York apartment and also cutely decorated with plants. There was a cat and a kitten. I've never been around a kitten before but it was annoying (but adorable).

We met up with my two other friends for brunch. I hadn't seen these friends in a little over two years so I was excited. I asked them to meet me at 11 am. I showed up at 11 am to Marietta in Clinton Hill and was confused. It was empty. To myself, I thought, why did my friend choose an empty place? I didn't care and thought it was cool but was wondering why it was so empty. Apparently after they all arrived, I learned that brunch in New York doesn't start until 1 pm.

Why didn't you tell me?!
Well, we don't mind this time, plus we can actually hear each other. Regular brunch is stupid.
Oh okay.

And perhaps the people at Marietta hadn't woken up either. I asked for Earl Grey tea but they gave me decaf earl grey. Then I asked for a different one with caffeine in it (because wtf) and they said English Tea - but they gave me cheap ($3.00 for 50 packets) Lipton tea. This place will forever be the place where I bought one packet of lipton english tea for $3.00. Aside from that, I had fun catching up with my friends and laughing with them. All three started to complain like New Yorkers and I relished in their grumpiness. I wondered if (and perhaps hoped) I too would be grumpy by the end of the trip. They're wonderful people and I miss them dearly but that's the nature of my friendships being such a mobile person. I see them and we reconnect like no time has passed. This is all I know about friendships really.

The rest of the day was spent with my friend Donna who does illustration in New York.  I was excited that she proposed we go to an art museum because I often can't find someone who wants to do that with me. To my delight we went to The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) I've been to the one in San Francisco and have always wanted to go to this one but my New York trips were always in such haste  that I don't have time to slow down in a museum. Since it was raining, everyone and their mom's decided to go to MOMA. There was long snake like line for tickets, everyone was super puffy from their coats and it was stuffed. Tensions were high:

WE'RE LEAVING!! I'VE BEEN IN LINE FOR COAT CHECK AND THEY WON'T LET US CHECK IN WITH OUR COATS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TICKETS. -said the overly frustrated father to his kids.

Well okay. I was entertained. We saw super famous works of art. I loved one floor while Donna loved another. I learned that she liked art in a very different way than I do and I loved that I learned that about her and was so interesting because for some reason I think - doesn't everyone like to see what I see? But that wasn't the case. I like art that has a lot of meaning and process to it, but may not really seem like "art."

I was staring at a canvas that was full of different subtle shades of black. I loved it. I inched closer to see what it was about and it gave me this quote:

"I don't understand in a painting," he said, "the love of anything except the love of painting itself"

Looking at art makes me hungry. Then I had what I believe to be crack but in food form, Halal Guys. It was raining so we couldn't enjoy it outside so we sneaked into another cafe with our bright yellow bag. Devoured it and went on to go see one of my favorite bands of the year, Lucius, at Terminal 5.

Terminal 5 is a great large but intimate venue. Aside from the large disco ball that hung above us, the venue is three stories with the ability to stand on all those levels - we chose the ground floor. The band was nothing short of amazing - they crowd surfed through the audience, went into the audience to sing amongst us, and also said hello to their entire family who was sitting on the left side of second floor. They shared with us their magic and made us wear white for the winter. At the end, they sang a Christmas song and all this white confetti fell on us. It was a fantastic final show of the year.

The next day was a bit of a blur of running around Chinatown, finding dried guava, dim sum, and catching the bus back to Baltimore.

Why I like trains and public transportation.

You don't need to think and can forget about all your responsibilities, yet you still move forward.

Magic of Disney

I don't think you share in the Disney joy as much as I do...

but the photos from our Walt Disney World trip just came out, and these made me laugh out loud. Hopefully they make you laugh too. If not, just pretend you're watching a movie that I think is funny and you don't (which happens a lot)...

Dinosaur: Apparently I think closing my eyes and covering my chest is the way to defend myself against an attack

Everest: #lol look at BLoo!

Space Mountain: Poor Katherine...she didn't know what Brian was getting her into

Splash Mountin: We were trying to bite our medals. #fail

Tower of Terror: We were supposed to be YMCA on the right...Greg (3rd from the left) held that pose the ENTIRE ride because he didn't know when the photo would actually be taken #doublelol

Chicaaaaago

Kim,

I know you've already been to Chicago but I want to tell you about my trip there! By the way, do you count Chicago as the Midwest? It's got a different vibe from the quaintness of Wisconsin, and I'll need you to tell me what Iowa is like. I hear the twang of folks saying flat a's (baaag, Chicaaago, Saaaally), but I also hear a valley girl accent every now and then that makes me do a double take when I find out they're not from California...

I went to Chicago for the first time when I was sixteen for a school choir trip, and I remember LOVING the city. I remember my teenage self thinking that one day I would call Chicago my home. I don't know when I lost that lust for Chicago, but I've only made 2 trips to the windy city since moving to the Midwest. Maybe it was the wonderment of traveling to a new city more than the actual city itself. Having said that, every person I know from the Chicago area loves the city without being able to distinctly describe why, so there must be some magical sense of home to it. I'm determined to find my own love for the windy city one day, but in the mean time I'm ok with finding wonderment in the little things.

Anywho back to what I actually did! The sole purpose of our trek was to get dim sum because we haven't found a place that meets our fancy in Madison (yet). So first stop = Chinatown. A friend had recommended Three Happiness, but it was closed for renovation, so we went to Cai instead. It didn't disappoint! And no, that's not all we ate, but I got too busy eating to take pictures. The girl sitting across from me had major RBF. Also overheard during our meal was the girl next to us telling a benign story in a dramatic way, and when she said "I'm not trying to throw shade or anything, but..." and the three of us bust out laughing. I can't keep up with the latest slang, but is that supposed to sound cool?

One of the things I've noticed from traveling is that you'll still manage to find reminders of familiar things. Take this Pavilion in Millenium Park for example - it was designed by the same architect who did the Disney Concert Hall in LA. It's like sister theaters! Apparently there was some controversy when this was first built because of height restrictions in the park, but they got away with it once it was designated as a piece of art, rather than a building.

Other notables as we walked through the city:

Different rocks from all over the world on the side of the Tribune building

So crowded, but worth checking out the Christmas Market. Getting these mugs were the coolest part.

Juxtaposition of anger from Ferguson/Garner/etc with holiday cheer in the streets

Giordano's pizza was a 1.5 hour wait!

I love my Old Fashioned's. This was at the Publican, a yummy place that pays homage to beer, pork, and oysters.

Playing around at the bean never gets old, but have you ever taken a pic at night? It's pretty magical. Also, did you know it's actually called the Cloud Gate and inspired by liquid mercury?

I love old ads. So cute. The Hershey store has a chute for you to "make" your own candy in a bucket too!

I'm fascinated by how Chicago used to be the capital of crime and gangs in the 1920s. If anything, I think I want to make my next trip to the city to explore that historical aspect.

Monday in Baltimore.

Remnants of a Chinatown? - Perhaps. Baltimore, MD

Sally.

Today I didn't do so much, since I mostly worked. Mondays are the worst. Baltimore is an interesting city. One that I will continue to talk about and explore while I am still living here. I know you've visited and liked it but I believe there's more to see - I just haven't seen it yet.

Baltimore has a small town feel with a strangely simultaneous urban feel to it. You go from one block to the next and find completely different things. If you look carefully at the buildings I think they tell you a story.

Today I got home and was bored. I've been feeling this strong sense of boredom lately but I think this is due to my new job and "new" time that I have on my hands. So out of that combination of boredom and loving to cook to get my mind off things - I went to Potung Trading Company - the only Chinese market in town.

Potung feels like a typical Chinese grandma's house. Crowded with food items collected over time, children passing time, blasting Chinese opera music, and that herbal smell. Nestled on the edges of Mount Vernon, you wouldn't really know what it is. Nearby you can find remnants of what could of been a Chinatown in Baltimore, stereotypes and all its glory, the words "China Doll" in that asian font falling apart - symbolically representing what once was some sort of Chinese community.

Potung keeps it running though, with fresh asian vegetables each week at prices well below the prices of grocery stores, farmer's markets and the likes around. You can find frozen halal meats, fish sauce, bitter mellon, tendon meatballs, Chinese fried pancakes, dumplings up the wazoo and of course, my greatest weakness - Mama Noodles. (I always pick up two on my way out). Potung is only two narrow lanes of food - but it's filled with so much, sometimes I retrace my steps to see what I accidentally missed. In every single nook and cranny you can find something that will remind you of home - even an old cantonese man preparing vegetables or a mom cooking a meal in the back for the family. The color this place holds, draws you in like a kid in a candy store so to speak. All the spices, the flavors, and types of noodles - wakes you up to a world that you didn't think possible in a place like Baltimore.

I believe the kitchen is where love is - and I think this is true for many second generation Asian Americans. We might not speak the same tongue, but when it comes to food there is no question.

I come here to remember my roots. I come here because I just want asian food and this is the closest thing I got. I come here because sometimes when you are so far away from what you might consider to be home both literally and figuratively, sometimes 15 minutes in a place like Potung is all you need.

P.S. You're in my tier-1 too.

Friendship galore

I forget who actually posted this on Facebook, but I read the different Types of Friendships this morning and can't imagine Kim anywhere but in Tier 1 of my life mountain. It's worth a read and reflecting on who we are to our friends too.

Don't know why, but this is still one of my favorites. Blurred dancing and smiles :)

As Kim once named her photo albums, we pretty much embody "GOODBYE [not] galore" because it's never the end for us.


Berkeley graduation parting charms May 2008
 

Tokyo public transportation posters August 2009


 

Hong Kong eats with new friends October 2009





Hanoi (Vietnam) run ins May 2010
 

Albany Bulb (back in the Bay) art tag December 2010





LA roots 2011

 

 



One of my favorites - Silverlake (CA) June 2012





Bucket list Hollywood hike October 2012



#midwestlife August 2013

 

Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington DC April 2014