Mom - this post is for you.
...So, my mom told me she needed "selfies" for an upcoming art show. In case you do not know, a "selfie" is slang for a self-portrait photo, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone. Selfies are often shared on social networking sites such as Instagram and Facebook. They are often casual, and are typically taken either with a camera held at arm's length or in a mirror.
My selfies are the "arm's length" version. I got a bit carried away and had the time of my life in the process!
This afternoon, I rode with my friend on his motor bike to go for Sunday brunch at Bastian's - a popular brunch spot among foreigners located at Laowai Jie (Translation: "Foreigner's Street"). He was busy concentrating on the road and weaving in and out of busy Shanghai traffic, cursing under his breath at unnecessary honking and general noise pollution. Meanwhile, I had headphones in and was jamming to the "Of Monsters and Men" playlist while taking hundreds of selfies on the back of his scooter.
Through tunnels, across murky brown (Shanghai-style) lakes, up bridges, beneath underpasses, bumping over construction sites, zig-zagging between street food stalls and fruit markets, dodging dogs dressed in tu-tu ruffled outfits. I tried to capture my surroundings in the backgrounds of my various selfies - taking viewers on my ride through the streets of Shanghai.
You could not even imagine the stares, shock and overall excitement that this "selfie project" brought to the locals passing by on their motor bikes. One kFC delivery man on his motor bike even took a smartphone photo of me taking a selfie. We exchanged thumbs-ups and a slight head nod of approval. A cab driver hollered "jiayou" out his window - wishing me encouragement and good luck. It is not everyday Shanghai locals get to see a blonde foreigner taking selfies while cruisin' in and out of congested Shanghai traffic. I am sure I will be part of many locals' dinner table talk tonight.
...So, my mom told me she needed "selfies" for an upcoming art show. In case you do not know, a "selfie" is slang for a self-portrait photo, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone. Selfies are often shared on social networking sites such as Instagram and Facebook. They are often casual, and are typically taken either with a camera held at arm's length or in a mirror.
My selfies are the "arm's length" version. I got a bit carried away and had the time of my life in the process!
This afternoon, I rode with my friend on his motor bike to go for Sunday brunch at Bastian's - a popular brunch spot among foreigners located at Laowai Jie (Translation: "Foreigner's Street"). He was busy concentrating on the road and weaving in and out of busy Shanghai traffic, cursing under his breath at unnecessary honking and general noise pollution. Meanwhile, I had headphones in and was jamming to the "Of Monsters and Men" playlist while taking hundreds of selfies on the back of his scooter.
Through tunnels, across murky brown (Shanghai-style) lakes, up bridges, beneath underpasses, bumping over construction sites, zig-zagging between street food stalls and fruit markets, dodging dogs dressed in tu-tu ruffled outfits. I tried to capture my surroundings in the backgrounds of my various selfies - taking viewers on my ride through the streets of Shanghai.
You could not even imagine the stares, shock and overall excitement that this "selfie project" brought to the locals passing by on their motor bikes. One kFC delivery man on his motor bike even took a smartphone photo of me taking a selfie. We exchanged thumbs-ups and a slight head nod of approval. A cab driver hollered "jiayou" out his window - wishing me encouragement and good luck. It is not everyday Shanghai locals get to see a blonde foreigner taking selfies while cruisin' in and out of congested Shanghai traffic. I am sure I will be part of many locals' dinner table talk tonight.
