Guy Bourdin: Image Maker @ Somerset House

The entrance.

Guy Bourdin was born in France in 1928 and taught himself how to draw and paint while the staying with an art dealer Lucien Henry. In the year 1948, when Bourdin in his military service in Dakar, he was introduced to Photography. When he back to Paris, he became a surrealist like Man Ray,and published his first fashion photo on Paris Vogue in 1955. He has kept a very good relationship with all the magazine publishing company such as Paris Vogue. He also worked with fashion designer Charles Jourdan, produced an advertising campaign between 1967-1981.

The work for Charles Jourdan

This exhibition is so far the largest one of his work at Somerset House, there are over 250 works presented, large number of them are unpublished, and from his late 1950s-1990s fashion photography for Vogue and his clients Charles Jourdan, and rarely-seen paintings and sketches.

Main room of the show.

When I studied photo history, Bourdin was truly a image maker that all the photos of his shows an character,it will make people wondering where he got all the ideas and how did he come up with way he shoots. The colors he chose are so intense, it’s very 70s look like color, each color is so enhanced from it’s own, it shows a big difference with model’s skin color in the photo.  

Charles Jourdan, Spring 1979

Once Paul Rand said “If you can’t make it good, make it BIG. If you can’t make it BIG, make it RED!”, red is truly a color for Bourdin, he made everything good, big and red. Look at all the work from last century and it will not give you an impression that everything is made by now. The fashion photo he shoots never out of date.  If he still alive, the new technology of the photography now will push his work to another world of fabulous.

“Red,big and fabulous” 

I have a book of his work at his earlier age, he is so different when it’s at beginning, I don’t know who to use to compare to him, because I don’t think I can find one. The influence he bringed to me was so unique and from the way I practicing art. I still like to draw the models with no body just the legs, I think that’s all from him.

Unpublished, for Charles Jourdan.

This is an wonderful show, you will be surprised what he did 50 year ago! This big exhibition will continue at Somerset House until next March 15th.  Go find out him by yourself.

Hakkasan London – Michelin Star Restaurant

As a food lover, you always wanted it to go try out the michelin star restaurant, no matter how many star they have, I wanted it to go. 

The logo at the entrance.

Hakkasan is already a very well know restaurant all over the world. I have been to their locations in Miami, New York, Las Vegas and Shanghai, but I always want it to try to  most original Hakkasan in London. Hakkasan London was founded in 2001 and become one of the michelin restaurant in year of 2003, the executive Head Chef Tong Chee Hwee has led the Hakkasan kitchen since its inception, and his dedication to Chinese cuisine has achieved the group numerous awards  at Hakkasan locations across the world.

Hakkasan’s  traditional techniques is to  use fresh local ingredients to ensure the contemporary dishes retain the essence of conventional Cantonese cuisine, they cook with their experience and passions took the cuisine to an next level. People from all over the world want it to try this restaurant.

There are two locations in London, one is Hanway Place, which is where the magic starts, and the other one is at Mayfair, I went to both couple times, and I really do like it. Compare the experience I had in other Hakkasan, here is different, I will give you more idea of dining at Hakkasan Hanway place.

I always like to arrive little bit early for the appointment time, so I can have little time to see the restaurant and get more idea of the dining location. The severer at the entrance was really polite and welcoming. They will ask you name and walk you downstairs (The restaurant is located underground). Then she explained I am little bit early, the table is not fully set up, so I can sit at the bar for some drinks. The waiter came to me right after I ordered the drink, so it will be bring to the table.

The passion fruit flavor martini with a real flower on it.

Menu on the table.

The menu is really nice covered by real leather with the pattern and Hakkasan logo on it  and the candle light on the table really give an mood of being in the exotic place.

Another waiter quickly introduced the restaurant and the menu, there is also a wine specialist explaining the wine for each dish. Then I ordered for the whole table, there are total three of us.

Freshly made Spring roll

The Dim Sum platter

Chicken Dumplings.

 Fried soft crab.

Stir-fry lobster in spicy black bean sauce

We had spring roll and the dumplings as the starter, the spring roll are really fresh and the outside skin is very crispy and the veggie in there with rice noodles are taste wonderful, the chicken in the dumpling are extremely juicy and tender, it works really well the flour skin. The dim sum platter contains several steamed seafood made little bites, the fried soft crab and the lobster are also very worth ordering, the lobster with corn and pepper, it gives you different taste in on dish, the chef really know how to attract people’s attention in details,  you will find in the picture. We also ordered couple vegetable dish I forgot to take photos.

After we finished the main dish we still have some space for the dessert! That’s always exciting.

The passion fruit souffle with nuts and banana ice cream.

The apple sorbet.The raspberry mousse cake with vanilla ice cream

Wow! This has been an amazing experience, the found place of an world well know restaurant, it always has been a dream for me to come here. I really enjoyed it.

Wedding Dresses 1775-2014 @V&A

This wedding dresses exhibition reviewed the change of the wedding dresses in the last two centuries, there are over 70 of very classic dresses from 1775 until now, including: Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, Vera Wang,  Norman Hartnell and Charles James, etc.

Silk satin wedding dress, designed by Norman Hartnell, 1933, given and worn by Margaret, Duchess of Argyll. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

The most important dresses are the one from 1840 on Queen’s Victoria wedding, this is an dress white lace on the edge. It’s really different the gold and silver one that the royal family used to like, then the white wedding dresses start to play a big role in the history.

There is another important dress is designed by Alexander McQueen’s creative director  Sarah Burton, worn by wife of Prince William, Kate. It cost over £250,000 to made. There are also some celebrities dresses, such as: American model Dita Von Teese’s violet color wedding dress, also the Kate Moss’s gold shining wedding dress.

Kate Moss’s wedding dress, designed by John Galliano, 2011.© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

This exhibition is not only about the wedding dresses, also the story behind it; every wedding dress has a story to tell, the person who have worn it and own it, it will tell us how their life goes and all of their taste about fashion and world, all is going to show in the exhibition.

This is exhibiton is going to continue showing until March 15th of 2015.

Reflection on Ha Jin and “The woman from New York”- 3

Ha Jin

Continuing from last post about this story is in fact, the people contradict themselves when it comes to the reason why they so readily believed that she compromised herself for money: her appearance. Jinli’s newfound confidence and vanity make the people believe the worst about her. When the rumor is first mentioned, they say “her makeup and manners verified the hearsay;” when she talks about being with her family, they say “by her appearance, we doubted that”.

However, on their part, the people are very concerned about appearances as well, just in a more destructive way. The people may judge a little lipstick, but they are not averse to “combating poison with poison” as they expect Jinli to fight for her “name and honor” by fighting dirty publicly shaming her slanderer, whom they all so readily believed.

The most of the rejections Jinli experiences are because of the people’s attempt to keep up appearances. Her family rejects her because they do not want to look like they support such a woman. She is denied the tour guide’s job and her old teaching job because they do not want to be represented by such a woman. She is even denied an apartment to keep up the “foreign and exclusive” appearances of the building project.

Then, a woman’s life is ruined because of social biases, changeable moral values, and superficial judgments. The people project their own hypocrisies unto a woman who has done no wrong except try her hardest to succeed both for herself and her family, and maybe look good while doing it. Thus, “The Woman from New York” shows how destructive hypocrisy can be.

This is not the only story that Ha Jin’s work has been shown such issues, what he has been through in Tiananmen Incident is not something we can imagine.

Most of his story is based on China, but not much has been writing in Mandarin because the subjects are too sensitive, it will never get published in China, I really do enjoy reading his novel and stories, some of the feelings of his are the same as mine, we all once leave our country to pursue the education we wanted, to fight for something we don’t have.

Reflection on Ha Jin and “The woman from New York”- 2

“The woman from New York” is one short story of this book

Another this made me thinking about the social hypocrisy in the in the story is the social expectations on women with regards to their family. The woman is the one who is expected to be completely devoted to her family and the one who always takes care of them.

Thus, the people reacted to Jinli’s sacrifice by saying: “What a heartless woman. How could she abandon her family like that?”. If a man had gone abroad to improve his family’s life, one would think that people might not have been so judgmental. At the same time, the people are aware that Chigan would not have made such a sacrifice. He does not even care enough to keep his daughter’s home clean and safe. Then, when Jinli returns, finally ready to help her family, she is thwarted.

Contradictorily, just as the people judge that it is wrong for her to leave her family for their own good, they also judge that it is wrong for her to return and take them back. Even though she is more responsible and able to take care of her daughter, the daughter is given to the people who would poison a child against her own mother out of spite.

There are more examples of social hypocrisy is the way that the people think about money. One of the main reasons that Jinli fails to succeed in any of her plans is the rumor that “she had become the fifteenth concubine of a wealthy Chinese man in New York City”. Thus, without really knowing the truth, they distrust her character because they distrust the ways in which she earned her money.

However, the people have no issues with trying to take advantage of her and her supposedly ill-gotten wealth. When they find out that she is probably wealthy, “some people began to suck up to Jinli, saying they would help her find a job or a place to stay”. Before that, no one had offered to help her; they simply sat back and entertained themselves by keeping track of her failures. At the same time, they said saying: “why not buy her parents-in-law a twenty-seven-inch color TV…surely they’d have let go of the child”.

Therefore, despite the supposed method in which she earned money being the root of her troubles, the people show their hypocrisy by saying that this money could have simply solved all of her problems.

Reflection on Ha Jin and “The woman from New York”- 1

Ha Jin was born in Liaoning, China. he is a contemporary chinese-american poet and novelist.

 

He is now teaching at Boston University.

I recently read his book “The bridegroom” and found out there is a story in there was really interesting, and I have some reflection about it.

Cover of the “The Bridegroom” by Ha Jin

The story is named “The women from New York”, for people who grew up in western societies, the social situations in “The Woman from New York.,” might seem strange and unfamiliar.

This story is set in New China, when China was struggling hard to rebuild its economy. To do this, they had to make some very radical updates to their policies. Despite these changes and the opportunities they afforded the people, human nature being the way it is, the people had a hard time adjusting their biases and fear of the foreign.

This is what Ha Jin tries to show in this story about a woman who tries to take advantage of this opportunity and lives in New York for four years to try and improve her and her family’s lives. When she comes back, these biases make her lose not only her family but also what advantages she thought she had.

Despite the unfamiliar culture, closer look at this story reveals a theme as old as time and just as universal. Comparing and contrasting how the people judge Chen Jinli and how these judgments reflect their own values, the disease of social hypocrisy is revealed.

 Before the actual content of the story, the narrative style plays a big part in establishing this theme. “The Woman from New York” is narrated by some unknown first person. From the consistent use of the word “we,” in fact, one can say that the story is narrated by the people of Muji City.

This allowed us to generalize about the citizens of the city, assuming that they are all of the same mine. At the same time, this allows Jin to establish Jinli as the “other,” just a subject of interest and no longer a real part of the community.

The people treat her, not so much as a person, but an object that exists for their entertainment and judgment. At the same time, this also takes the personalities away from the people.

This also made us to think of the citizens of the city, not as individual people with individual thoughts and feelings, but a mob. It becomes a fight, with Jinli on one side and everybody else on the other.

Abeno Too – Okonomiyaki Restaurant in London

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese savoury pancake containing a variety of ingredients, sometimes we also call it “Japanese pizza”.

The name is derived from the word okonomi, meaning “what you like” or “what you want”, and yaki meaning “grilled” or “cooked”, all the topping is vary depends which part of Japan you trying to eat, but here in London, you will find similar taste like Japan, also you will find your London flavor.

The Entrance

Abeno is Europe’s only specialist ‘Okonomiyaki’ restaurants, the first Abeno was established in 1993 in Colindale by two emigres, one of them is from Abeno-ku in Osaka. Osaka is a really important city because of it’s the culinary hot-pot of Japan and also the home of the Okonomiyaki. Abeno has trying to provide the best and authentic Okonomiyaki  in London, which is a dish has evolved over more than 400 years.

I went there with two of my flatmates and there is no line waiting! We get to the table pretty fast, all the waiters working in there speaks perfect Japanese, not by just greeting you in this language, they communicate too. (Even the wait who is from London).

All the waiters and waitress are extremely nice.

The biggest Okonomiyaki on the menu is “Abeno Special”, which has Organic Beef, Chicken, Bacon, Pork, Black Tiger Prawns, Asparagus Tips, Konnyaku, Lotus Root, Mushrooms and Garlic. It’s massive!!

Every Okonomiyaki is freshly made right in front of you, they will prepare all the ingredients needed, and mixing everything, then they will put it out on the hot pan, they will make sure the shape is perfect and flip it very regularly.

The chef are making right now!

After about couple rounds of shaping and flipping(They add all the toppings to the side),it took like about 20 mins to cook this massive Okonomiyaki, the regular size one will only took about 10 mins.

The chef is decorating the Okonomiyaki.

It’s not look that big, but it will make you feel really full and satisfied. three of us shared this “pancake”, that we still left a piece.

Abeno Too is located at leicester square station, go try it out and let me know what do you think! The flavor do taste like the one i tried in Japan last year.

Allen Jones RA @ Royal Academy of Arts

Allen Jones is British pop art artist best known for his sculpture. The sculpture he made 45 years ago, “Hat Stand, Chair and Table” are still causing the discussions between other people.  

What you will see before enter the exhibition.

These three “famous” sculptures of female mannequins been tied with leather bondage has been turned into household objects. when you enter the exhibition, “Table” of this series will becoming the main focus of your eye, what you can see the figure has exposed the breast and wearing a really tight yellow leather shorts, gloves and high heel boots, and kneeling down with hands on the floor, looking herself in the mirror, the mirror is being placed on the rug where she is kneeling and the table glass are on her back, this is what you will see at first.

The next room you will see some early time stuff he made when he was young, all the little objects has been put in to the shelves, you will have an idea where he get his inspirations. Continuing you will been in to this huge space with his large size paintings, the color he use on the painting was fabulous, some of the paintings you can’t even find a brush stroke, really smooth and flows really nice with the whole environment. The subjects he pain most are women, men and some others, such as: airplanes and buses.

“Sun Plane”

The next room is filled with all the installations, the sculptures are placed in the middle and paintings hanging on the side. This will put you into the real situation that you are will all the models, you are in one space that have some sort of connection. You can stand in the middle of all the sculptures, makes you feel you are standing in the crowd.

The sculpture room in the exhibition.

It always has been some argument about the Jones’s work subjects – women, but I think it’s more about how men look and think about women.  It’s more of an idea of how women dress and present themselves, when you enter the last room of the show, what you can see under the dark mood light, are a lot of plastic figures, Kate Moss was also in there, it gives you a mysterious and sexy feeling of who women and fetish are presented.

Another “chair” you will see on the way out.

It’s an very interesting show to see, I haven’t seen his whole collection of work for ages. It will remind you a lot of the past if you know Allen Jones’s work for long.

A Bear Called Paddington

Paddington Bear is a character created by English author Michael Bond. Since 1958, he published over 14 books about the Paddington Bear series.

Curator Hilary Young prepares a signed first edition of the first ever Paddington story called A Bear Called Paddington. Image credit: Matt Alexander/PA Wire

To celebrate this lovely, well-mannered bear to be on screen in the new film PADDINGTON for the first time, Museum of London start a little special exhibition, this is also the first time Paddington Bear appear to public as an exhibition, the objects will include: books, illustrations, video clips, photos and movie props in the past 60 years.

Paddington Bears around the world. L-R: Germany, UK, USA, Japan. Image © Museum of London

The reason of this exhibition is because of a new PADDINGTON film is going to be released on 28 November 2014, also there is going to be 50 Paddington bear statues in different costumes all over London for people to see.

Benedict Cumberbatch’s Paddington Trail bear at the Museum of London.

I still remember this bear when I was young, I don’t even know his name was Paddington, what i remembered this bear is wearing a red hat and rainboots and have a suitcase with him all the time, it was my best toy and I still have it now. It’s a little emotional for me to see this little bear still the same and I already grown up.

The original look of the Paddington bear at Museum of London

This bear is also a little representation of London, it’s a name after a train station, for a foreigner who just moved to this city, this show and the movie made me feel so nice and warm to live in this such lovely city.

Paddington statues map in london, Find them all!

The exhibition at Museum of London will runs until 4 January 2015 and don’t forget to see the movie! You will love it!

London Best Tonkotsu Ramen – Kanada-Ya Ramen Bar

Ramen is a very common food in Japan, people eat it everyday. It is not easy to find a very good ramen bar, but here in central London, there are few of them are specialized in Tonkotsu ramen.

It all depends on where you from, some of my Japanese friends like to go to this famous chain ramen restaurant, some English friends like to go to a tiny one near piccadilly circus, but this new ramen bar, they all like to go. It has become their favorite.

Special made pork bone broth.

Kanada-Ya ramen bar just opened in London, the headquarter is in Yukuhashi, Japan, it only opened two other restaurant in Kobe and Hong Kong, so London is their 4th location, and they are very specialized in making Tonkotsu ramen, which is ramen usually has a cloudy white colored broth from pork bone.Japanese people also call it “cappuccino ramen”, due to the thick pork bone broth can easily become form and the color is whiter than others.

The Menu

The menu is really simple, all the Kanada-Ya Ramen bar have the same menu, it only have three Ramen type: Original (£10), Moyashi (£11), and Chasiu ramen (£12.5). All the soups are the same, specially cooked for 18 hours by pork bones. When you order you ramen, the waitress will ask you about how you cook your noodle, it has 4 choices: soft, regular, hard and extra hard, and also you can ask for the special garlic sauce to make your ramen taste more authentic.

Chasiu Ramen with boiled egg Moyashi Ramen.

It only opened less than a week when I wet, but there are lot of people lining outside to get a table(It’s really small bar.) It’s not taking any reservations, first come first serve, so be ready there is a line.

Kanada-Ya Ramen Bar is located near Tottenham Court Road, on the St Giles High Street. The opening time is from Monday to Saturday 12pm-3pm and 5pm-10pm, closed on Sunday.