365#160
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Chinese people often refer to their ethnic identity as “descendants of the dragon”. The dragon is believed to be fierce, strong, dignified, wise and auspicious. Hence the celebratory dance, historically performed by acrobats, up to 50 dancers per dragon, who hold it up with poles and move it mimicking the movement of the dragon’s river spirit in an undulating and flowing rhythm. It is quite captivating to witness and it is accompanied by loud drumming and clinging of cymbals from the musicians. As many times as I have seen this dance, I still witness it with incredible awe, and I find that it causes you to stand taller, prouder and stronger, and somehow induces an inner calm afterwards. A mysterious gem of the Chinese ancient culture…
Tags: china dance drago dragon dss shangha dss shanghai shanghai sliders sunday HSS
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365#286
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I once heard a story about a man who hated the rain. This man's mood and emotional state were completely influenced by the presence of absence of water falling from the sky. So he once had a great job interview coming up and he had prepared himself for days and weeks to be at his best that morning, because more than anything he wanted to get this job that might change his life to the better. The morning of the interview he got all suited up, sprayed on a last touch of cologne and opened the door only to see his enemy facing him outside the door. Needless to say, he went to the interview reduced from his best to his worst and yes, you guessed it, he did not get the job.
I am teaching myself to love the rain, walk in the rain, shoot in the rain and am enjoying every minute of it. Bring on the endless rain!
Tags: rain bike bicycle bokeh light umbrella shanghai street china mimo khair photography 365 color
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365#316
Dragons have fascinated me for so many years and they still do. They come up in legends of old Europe, in the bible, in many different cultures, myths and religions and here in Asia, their representations are everywhere you look. In China the dragon (龙, lóng) is considered the embodiment of universal wisdom and is highly revered. All over Asia dragons are looked at as representatives of the primal forces of nature. So, I wonder if a creature is indeed mythological and fictional, then how does it come to appear in so many different ancient cultures at times when there was no contact between them and no swapping of fantastical sketches? In any case, they make for an incredibly intriguing research subject with a wealth of references from all over the world.
photo taken: steam near the dragon boat on the Huang Pu, Shanghai
Tags: dragon boat steam river shanghai huangpu china culture mythology black and white mimo khair photography
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Tags: solar eclipse river huang pu shanghai china pudong sky clouds sun moon morning mimo khair photography shanghaiist
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