:: taken in Shanghai, China, just outside the Neocha studio.  // AjS

:: taken in Shanghai on Huaihai Rd.  // AjS

:: taken at Archie’s birthday party; the DJ booth. Happy birthday Archie! // AjS

:: taken on my kitchen counter in Shanghai; my new all-occasion mug.  // AjS

:: taken in Shanghai on Huaihai West Rd.; my favorite windows in the city.  // AjS

:: taken in my apartment building in Shanghai; my neighbor’s window sill. Can anyone help me understand what the hell this is for? I see it everyday on my way to the elevator and just haven’t gotten around to asking Mr. Deng yet.  // AjS

:: I spotted this throw-up today in Shanghai while heading down Xinle Rd., near the the Huating Rd. intersection. I recently saw the same throw-up just around the corner from this one. Does anyone know whose work this is? If you spot graffiti or urban art anywhere in China, please share it with me at EDGE@Neocha.com. I’d like to document it on NeochaEDGE. For more graffiti in China on NeochaEDGE, link here. // AjS

This post was originally published on NeochaEDGE, a site I regularly contribute to. To see more of my posts on NeochaEDGE, link here.

NeochaEDGE is a daily-curated, bilingual website and discovery engine dedicated to showcasing leading-edge creative content and emerging youth culture in China.

:: taken at the Shanghai Botanical Gardens (上海植物园), where I spent my Sunday picnicking and lounging with friends on this grass patch of paradise. This photo was taken on my iPhone using PANO, a fun panoramic (vertical or horizontal) application I highly recommend. This is four separate photos stitched together, the application can do up to sixteen. Me like-y.  // AjS

:: taken in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; a pedicab driver wearing Warrior (回力) sneakers.  // AjS

:: taken in Shanghai on Maoming Rd. near Nanjing West Rd.; a soon-to-be chai’d building.  // AjS

:: taken in my apartment building in Shanghai; an electrical box of sorts.  // AjS

:: see below for some photos and anecdotal (sometimes random) notes from a recent trip I took to southern Vietnam. This was only my second time in Vietnam, so please correct me if I got anything wrong. Thanks.  // AjS

snaps ::

scribbles ::

• Vietnam is really two words and should be spelled Viet Nam.
• Pepsi not Coke.
• I have never seen stores selling caskets before. In Vietnam such stores are all along the roadside. It’s very sad to see a stack of children-sized caskets ready for the sell.
• There are a lot catholic churches in Vietnam.
• Vietnamese cemeteries are above ground and beautiful.
• Warrior sneakers and Tiger beer are the only Chinese brands I noticed in the Vietnamese market.
• Pho is of course never better than in Vietnam.
• Motorbikes not cars.
• Vietnam has some of the most interesting signage, particularly government propaganda anti-smoking, and disease awareness signs.
• Vietnamese people don’t stare, at you in fact, you’re lucky if they look at you at all.
• Some local fishing boats look like teacups floating in the water.
• In-store / shop / home Buddhist shrines have flashing neon lights.
• Quite a few people speak Mandarin. More than I would have expected.
• Samsung and NOKIA seem to be market leaders in the hand set space in Vietnam.
• A few KFC, no McDonalds. A good thing.
• WIFI internet access is fairly readily available in HCM city. The fastest internet connection I’ve accessed in years in in the HCM city airport courtesy of Vietnam Airlines.
• Vietnamese coffee is still the best coffee in the world to me.
• Automobile horns are different…they are considerably louder, at a higher pitch, and more annoying.
• Buildings are tall, skinny, and deep.
• Motorcycle helmets is a good industry to be in.
• “Same same.” is a full and proper sentence in Vietnam.
• Unlike the most of the rest of East Asia, Karaoke is not a very big deal here.
• Barefoot.
• Limes, not lemons.
• Bugs are bigger here.
• What’s the point of the last 3 zeros in local currency?
• The Mekong River is very muddy.
• The Vietnamese, like almost every country I’ve ever visited (accept Germany) appear to be quite patriotic.
• There is no subway in HCM city, although I understand that is going to change soon.
• Although the official name is apparently HCM city, most local people still seem to refer to it as Saigon. Saigon sounds much better, but
• HCM was a pretty interesting guy and probably worst have a big Vietnamese city named after him.
• A lot of graffiti tags, but couldn’t really find and proper pieces.
• There is an odd and very obvious surplus of older Western men with badly done arm tattoos running around this country.
• Palm trees and coconuts.
• To my great delight, 8bit Nintendo is still played by the average Vietnamese “gamer”
• The Saigon River-front in downtown HCM city reminds of what Shanghai must have looked like in the late 80s or so.
• Bread appears to be a pretty standard part of local cuisine…unlike most other East Asian countries.
• Petro not gas.

:: taken this weekend in Shanghai; rainy days.  // AjS

:: taken in Shanghai on Dagu Rd.; wires being sifted and sorted by a garbage recycler.  // AjS

:: taken in the lobby of my apartment complex in Shanghai. A box for “needed repairs” (left) and complaints / recommendations (right). Look quite jiong-y if you ask me.  // AjS