"Socialist Realism" is a guideline published in Russia in the 1930s that stipulated that works of art should be embedded with political propaganda messages and in a way that workers can understand it. It therefore showed everyday scenes of peasants, workers and soldiers with chiselled faces and muscular arms sailing into a utopian world, like... Continue Reading →
Dalian. Mar 2014 There were no women on the beach today on this cold winter morning. Only men. Some were walking along the beach. Some were sitting down having a chat. But the vast majority of them were just standing there, gazing into the horizon. They were, of course, in their secret dreamlands. Maybe they... Continue Reading →
Dalian. Mar 2014 Today morning, I saw a group of people practicing Taichi in the Dalian beach. You always see them in China: women and men under apartment blocks, in parks and in public spaces. A free and friendly health and fitness group right in your neighbourhood which you can join anytime. I had the... Continue Reading →
Dalian. Mar 2014 I grew up in the beaches of the East Coast Park and Changi in Singapore. And I have been to the beaches in Tioman Island and Penang in Malaysia. Krabi and Pattaya in Thailand. Bintan and Bali in Indonesia. Cebu in the Philippines. Bondi in Sydney and beaches along the Mornington Peninsula... Continue Reading →
Dalian. Mar 2014 Dalian. A city in the southernmost tip of the Liaodong peninsula in Liaoning Province. The Koreans, the Chinese, the British, the Japanese and the Russians all fought here. Sit here on the beach and the waves will bring you a million untold stories. Stories of Men who fought here for days and... Continue Reading →
Dalian. Mar 2014 Second day in Dalian. I walked into a seaside cafe and ordered a coffee. It was a sunny day with the sea breeze drifting through the windows. I was feeling restless and I didn't know why. I walked around the cafe and browsed their rock band post cards. And as vivid as... Continue Reading →
Dalian. Mar 2014 One of the weekends, I took a high speed rail from Shenyang to Dalian, a two hours' ride. I booked a hotel via Ctrip without knowing that it was on a hill top. That's the flip side of doing something unplanned, you get surprises. But I was happy to deal with these... Continue Reading →
Dalian, 2017 Red is an important auspicious colour for the Chinese. Houses, shops and offices are always decked in various red flags and banners with festival greetings during the Chinese New. It is also believed that wearing something red during the Chinese New Year holidays brings you good fortune. This can be a t-shirt, a... Continue Reading →