China - week two

So week two and I'm still sick, and very much look forward to a week of health. Maybe week three? 

This week there was french bread, italian dinners, orange blossoms and wonderful rain storms. Claps of thunder and lightening and cooling rain gave way to extra humidity and frizzy hair. A rainbow cake, bus trips home - scrambling over fences to short cut through the highway. A trip on the metro watching little girls with red ribboned hair all dressed up on their way to somewhere. Slippery tiles, umbrellas, and being careful while wearing thongs.  

Perma Bakery

Well this was a nice way to spend the morning - in a quiet laneway eating fresh pastries from a french bakery in downtown Guangzhou. Sitting at a large table with a bunch of new friends, with that Saturday morning sound of about three conversations on the go at once. 

As forewarned the coffee isn't great, but the bread is fantastic and the pastries are good too. How is there a little boulangerie off a laneway in Guangzhou? Apparently the owner is French and met his wife while she was studying in France and now they are back in her part of the world. And I was thinking, there must be so many nice little stories like this - of why people end up in places you don't expect. 

Anyways, the bread is good and I'm sure I'll be back. Parma Shop: No.38 Jianshe Wu Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou

Hello Kitty cake

So I ate Hello Kitty's head and then I got shabby pains in my stomach. For four days. Coincidence? I think not.

Number 5

Markus Lüpertz in China

I always end up seeing a lot of exhibitions that I normally wouldn't go to back home, and often it's a bit hit and miss but Saturday was a hit.  I hadn't heard of Markus Lüpertz, but I was keen to get into some cool air conditioning after a long walk and 10 RMB seemed like a good deal. 

It's not a huge exhibition but the work is really interesting - I actually loved the paintings. While the sculptural pieces are not my thing, they contrast well in the room and the multiples make them fun to look at.  The quote at the end is a winner too: : Artistic creation should be independent from the prosperity of art market.

Redtory

Redtory is a fantastic space which has been repurposed as an arts precinct. Not a great lot to see in terms of art practice, but an interesting area to mosey around on a Saturday.

http://www.redtory.com.cn/english/gallery.php?cid=3

Dogs of China # 1

"Her name is Vicka - she is very mean."