shanghai 2010

This is my friend Dave from Shanghai. I have not been in close touch with him in the past year since I relocated to Glasgow, United Kindom to chase my dream, promote Chinese culture, study marketing, make more international friends, and to totally open up myself and let life take me somewhere.

A while ago he told me he formed a band called Grand Flower Children. Holding the spirit of a young Bob Dylan, he wanted to experiment different possibilities to express his musical experiences. The band has then successfully covered MGMT Kids on Earth One Hour @ Mao Live House Shanghai. Mao is currently the hottest indi music playground for Shanghai's curious kids. I obviously missed it out because of the relocation.

This is the wonderful year of Shanghai, when Shanghai Expo took place and many new facets of Shanghai developed, Dave's band being one of them. It feels like an aspiring place. Once I left home I could look in and look more clearly.

I'm proud of the changes. I'm proud of my culture. Right now I can feel my blood boiling. And I'm glad I'm not the only Chinese youngster who feels the urge of giving our country another great reason to change. Less self-centred, more daring to face the challenge, willing to open up, fight the spirit vs money system, change the world's opinion on Made in China to Design In China. This may take a decade, or a generation. Who knows? But most importantly it's happening now! So, you, the western world, be kind to us now, accept our learning curve being long and winding, because it is the yielding of an entire nation!

Click here to watch this brilliant video created by Shanghai's indi music label Split which showcases 2010's achievements in art and music where my friend Dave was featured in an interview. Find out how Chinese youngsters react to the conflicts between dream and reality in the hurricane environment a modern China provides.

God, I'm home sick now. :)