Jonathan Biddle – Made in Taiwan

Tag: Shanghai

  • Taikang Road

    So I am here in China for the first time in six months or so; at least since joining the Latitude design team.

    I am here during Expo, and I will be sure to take the chance to go and take a look at it in the next fortnight, hopefully finding a way to avoid some of the worst queues. But before I even step foot in the Expo, I can see the collateral effects that it is having on the city.

    Taikang Road (where I am sitting right now) was one of my favourite design spots in the city, always offering an easily-accessible good vibe, some interesting design, and all washed down with a good cappuccino.

    Now? Well there are still the design shops, but it’s been heavily cleaned up, and some of the more interesting businesses have made way for little more than tourist nick-nack outlets. Not unpleasant, exactly, but it’s certainly lost some of the pioneering atmosphere that it once had.

    I suppose every ex-pat had the same stories; “I remember when this place was authentic.”. At least it has not been demolished to make way for a shopping centre – though the street opposite has managed to sprout one in the last six months.

    What’s the next project for China after the Olympics and Expo? I asked the taxi driver this afternoon if China could just relax for a bit, and he laughed a knowing laugh of “no, our next project is the world.”

  • Shanghai Quickie


    View from my hotel room – I am quite a big fan of the Renaissance in Shanghai – not super downtown, but close enough.

    It also floats above Zhongshan Park, which I had written about before. It’s quite a pleasure to drop in on the way to the Shanghai Dell offices, and get a little slice of everyday Chinese life before logging into the old e-mail.


    Old dudes together, found everywhere in the world.


    Pleasure boats, lined up for a weekend of action.


    Practice makes perfect.

    As has happened with Hong Kong, it’s a little strange to realise that the regular trips I make there are becoming routine. When people ask ‘hey, how was the Shanghai trip?’ it seems terribly spoiled to say ‘oh, normal’ … it just doesn’t cut it!

    I think much of that is down to losing some great friends from the city (now in Germany and … well, I am not too sure), and I am building up some new links and all. It will get its mojo back, of this I have no doubt.

    Next trip for me though, is of course Miami … still blows me away that I will be there in a matter of weeks!

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Shanghai Tools


    The right tools for the right job (notice the saw, for cutting that huge diameter of pipe). Of course, four people need to watch at all times, in China.


    It shouldn’t, but I found myself exceedingly amused by seeing a scooter on fire while on the way to a factory visit.

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Total Eclipse of the Heart

    The longest eclipse of the sun for 300 years, and only my second total eclipse ever … and it was raining!

    Still, lots of fun running outside the China Dell office rattling off a bunch of shots. Thought it was rather amusing to see lights going on in the apartment buildings around the plaza … how inconvenient an eclipse must be when you have things to do.


    Flash. Interesting to see how much video was shot of the sky on cell phones. Those tones of grey and black you will surely be showing your grand children!


    Star gazing.


    Even quicker than it arrived, the rain disappeared and the light returned.


    Time to call your friends and tell them about it!

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Ye Shanghai

    In Shanghai and Hong Kong for a few days of business and pleasure.

    I haven’t quite found time enough to talk about the amazing number of visitors to Taiwan in the last couple of weeks, and indeed my intrepid parents in New Zealand, but I promise I shall soon!


    View in the other direction from my hotel – think I prefer the park-side view!

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Zhongshan Park


    Zhongshan Park from my hotel room

    I wait six months to travel with Dell, and then I travel twice in three weeks. Can’t complain.

    High above Zhongshan Park, through my hotel window I looked down each morning to throngs of people doing Taiqi, flying kites and ballroom dancing. It was clear that I had to get down in between the people, and I am glad I did – all the stereotypes I have happily built up are true.


    Perfectly synchronised Taiqi


    Hot stuff


    Some rather stylish ballroom dancing


    These guys really spent some time trying to persuade me to have a Taiqi lesson … very friendly chaps.


    It’s pretty awesome how active old people are out here – learning new things and obviously enjoying themselves while doing it.


    … and some just chill out.


    … and some are clearly a little confused.


    The guys with the birds remind me of my first trip to Hong Kong bird park – now just round the corner from Tanja and Michael.

    I think this is about my fourth or fifth trip to Shanghai, so it is fair to say I have got used to the place and know my way around fairly well. None the less, I am always surprised at the pace of development here, and it makes the already quickly developing Taipei seem like a backwater. It is for this and other reasons that I am really quite excited about the direct flights from Taipei (and the downtown airport no less!) to Shanghai. I lose my convenient excuse to drop in to see Hong Kong, but on the other hand the cost of flights out to HK must be plummeting right now, so maybe it is all good.


    Crane city – though I was told by Gerhard that last month in Shanghai, zero properties were sold or exchanged. Hard to believe, but it is clear that the credit crisis is hitting hard.


    My trip coincided again with Pecha Kucha, with lots of architects talking earnestly about building things from carrot shavings and recycled Freitag bags. I guess they will all be flying home for Christmas and knocking out any potential savings they had made thus far that year.


    Wandering the ever larger reclaimed area around Taikang Rd. Every time I go there are more and more cool places to see, and all the time the Chinese locals continue to stay there, creating a funny combination of washing hanging out and Grafitti.


    On the one hand in Shanghai, there are loads of wee little cool design shops and boutiques – especially in the French Quarter. On the other hand, wandering around of an evening looking for some standard noodles or rice is not easy. I’ll have to settle for the Gorgonzola Balsamic Salad again. Life is hard.


    And I finally got to see Coco – friends with Nelson from his previous life in Shanghai. A real pleasure, and an institution of ‘old Shanghai’.

    And while I might know my way round better, I was getting frustrated that my taxi trips across the city were completely inefficient, so I geekily have started adding my fave places in a Google Map – you can see it below.


    View Larger Map

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Shanghai at Work

    It took six months, but I finally navigated the corporate travel application system to jump on a plane (well, two – I missed out on the direct flight) to run over to Shanghai for three days of meetings. A tough few days in the saddle, but I did manage to make some time to meet with fellow designers Gerhard and Klara. But it ain’t the same without Anke and Lars!

    We jumped in the ‘Great Wall’ SUV with a view to checking out the new bars and restaurants in the top the new Shanghai World Financial Centre – or, the ‘Bottle Opener’ – now the tallest building in the world at the roof (other buildings cheat I think with enormous masts and spikes). Although we couldn’t get up to the helipad, situated in the middle of the hole, we did get a guided tour of the entire three floors of bars and meeting rooms, since the official opening is actually next week. Pretty bloody impressive, quaffing drinks above the Pearl TV Tower!


    Blade of light


    A quite remarkable view, floating above The Bund and the Pearl TV Tower.


    Team Asia – Shanghai Chapter


    … and after, we ran over to the Hyatt to stare down the 44 floor lobby. Completely nuts. If I had dropped the camera someone would surely have died – it felt more like something from Star Wars.

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Shangz

    Sitting in my hotel room watching BBC World, sipping Tsingtao and
    catching up on e-mail. If only my VPN wasn't working!

    3 days in Shanghai off to a decent start. But isn't it cold!

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Victory Beer in Shanghai Airport

    After all my stress and anxiety and hard work and rushing around Asia and really feeling rather full up and not myself quite for the last few months, I feel like I am sitting on top of a mountain right now with everything happening down below me.

    …. I am now in Shanghai Airport having a beer with my boss Corrado, after finishing a large pan-Asian design strategy project – crucially having a good response and teeing up a second phase. The key difference with the second phase is that I will no longer be working for DEM, but instead working as Design Manager for Dell in Taipei from the end of the month. That’s worth another post.

    So…. what a way to finish my DEM experience – beer in hand and staring down the fresh-out-of-the-shrinkwrap Pudong Terminal 2. One day left in DEM, and then two weeks on beautiful Bali. Bloody well done me!


    Reflected in the the immense windows of the even more immense Shanghai Pudong Terminal 2 … spot Corrado on the phone behind the taxi.


    Say “ahhhhh”

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…

  • Shanghai Rendez-Vous

    In the spirit of big surprises, it was only fair to jet into Shanghai to see Anke & Lars off before they head back to Germany to pop a sprog. So, an entirely self-indulgent choice for an expensive weekend that was worth every penny to see these guys in their natural setting.

    Michael & Tanja had flown in from Singapore also for a nice weekend and we had just about managed to persuade A&L; that there not going to be any surprises, when I turned up at her door, loaded down with luggage bulging with Taiwanese bullshit that would surely set off multiple airport alarms if only they knew.


    Street racing in Shanghai

    The weekend was structured as a series of alcohol-fueled toboggan rides around the city, punctuated by extended periods of indulgent massage, good food and generally tuning back into the experiences we all shared in Taiwan together – which took all of 3 seconds.


    Taxi rage

    Shanghai is not the most walkable city, so taxi rides in all directions are necessary if you hope to actually get anywhere. The drivers in Taiwan and China do share a certain love of attempting to scare their passengers at every opportunity – usually by jumping red lights or feigning swerves towards static objects or oncoming lorries.

    Where they diverge is in their respective communication and friendliness towards their clients – Taiwanese cabbies are a friendly bunch, and the diametric opposite of their colleagues across the water who verbally maul their passengers. In our case we can hardly blame them – we told him to ‘follow that cab’ that contained the lead group and was piloted by the Chinese Fernando Alonso. Particular skills were displayed in lane changing, cornering, and sudden braking. He also had no clue he was being followed, and knew only that he was in a rush to a vague destination. Our driver, on the hand, knew full well that the only person with the address was in the front car, and he desperately tried to keep up, until he exploded with rage, pulling alongside the other car and battering expletives to the bemused driver, all accompanied by a background soundtrack of snorting belly laughter and the flashing of cameras recording the event.


    Hangover cure no. 163 – great food at a cute little Italian restaurant


    Nice doorways in the area that is being saved, reclaimed and protected by the local design industry – much to the bemusement of the locals who would probably prefer a new shiny apartment building.

    Inevitably, with Anke and Lars and a farewell party, a trip to a hot spring was in order for the afternoon. Now, I am usually (and perhaps slightly inexplicably) slightly ambivalent about these places, but I knew we had our heads screwed on when I saw the neon rising above the skyline. Think Club Med for Chinese people, combined with the very worst neo-classic Gothic / Greek / Holiday Inn architecture, and several thousand locals running around in ridiculous day-glo pyjamas. Welcome to Shanghai, traveler.


    The boys are back in town (but sadly missing Markus, although we all spent the entire time terrified that he would storm in on us … especially while sitting butt naked in the sauna!)


    “I would like to add one thing”


    I can see you!


    Happily detoxed, I was happy to see that retoxing services were also available inside the premises.

    Luckily, Gerhard and Klara had planned a big house party in his place for the middle of the weekend, and in full Easter theme, they had dressed up as rabbit and chicken. As the alcohol flowed, the costume somehow managed to migrate its way round the party, inevitably ending up with Michaell Lars and I, and predictably howling laughter from the ladies.


    The Easter Bunny


    Das Rabbit


    Abused animals

    Luckily, the guys had planned a final Oesterbrucker (or however it is spelled) and this capped off a really great weekend of good food and good people and bad alcohol (I can still taste the Jagermeister, Gerhard). With any luck I should be able to pop in to see the guys again while on business in a week or two, and of course I am sure to see M&T; before too long in Singapore. But what a weekend.


    Preparations


    View from their apartment down to the boats chugging by below.


    Team Taipei (minus Markus) in full effect … with ‘Made in Taiwan shirts that I believe everyone will cherish for eternity.

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…