Qing Fang Fabric Market

Having checked out IKEA a few times for household items, I thought it would be nice to branch out a little, see something a bit more local. Qing Fang Fabric Market (轻纺市场) in Putuo district made a perfect adventure. It's public transportation friendly - my particular route was Metro Line 3/4 to Cao Yang Lu, then transfer to bus 717 or 860. A taxi is obviously less tedious.

The market follows the standard "cram lots of stalls into a huge building" format. There are three floors: ground floor has rugs/carpets, bed linens, towels and curtains; second floor is clothing; and the third floor has a mishmash of home decor stuff such as paintings and fake flowers. I spent most of the time on the ground floor, looking at decorative cushions and rugs. Most things can be made to order (pick the fabric, tell them the measurements) and I assume turnaround time is fast because there are sewing machines on site.

While there is a lot to choose from, nothing really struck my fancy. Don't expect anything too high end or trendy. I did end up buying a RMB 30 mat for the kitchen, but probably over-paid because I couldn't be bothered to negotiate! It's worth the trip to Qing Fang Fabric Market if you're looking for a one-stop shop for all your home textiles (and don't want to buy from IKEA). Since I'm still looking for the right cushions, next step is to check out the small fabric stores closer to home...there's one across the street...

Banana Cake with Chocolate Chips

Whenever I have ripe bananas lying around, I'm always tempted to make banana bread. I wanted a simple recipe, so I looked in the Joy of Cooking. Sure enough, there's a recipe for banana bread (interestly named "Banana Bread Cockaigne") with a list of simple ingredients, all of which I had available at home! I added some leftover chocolate chips for good measure and within an hour, I had hot banana cake! Delish! I call it banana cake because it has a fluffier consistency, less dense than the usual banana bread.

And just in case you were wondering what the "Cockaigne" means, from Wikipedia:
In the popular cookbook The Joy of Cooking, the author's favorite recipes include "Cockaigne" in the name, (e.g., "Fruit Cake Cockaigne"), explained in the foreword to the 1975 edition as after the name of the Becker country home in Anderson Township, near Cincinnati, Ohio.

Note: after a day, the cake was pretty dry. I recommend adding an extra quarter stick of butter (1/8 cup) and extra banana for good measure. I also omitted the lemon zest, since I didn't have any. Here's the modified recipe:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a "normal size" loaf pan.
Whisk together:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Beat in a separate large bowl:
2/3 cup sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas
Add the dry ingredients in about 3 to 4 parts. The batter should be thick and fluffy. Add optional ingredients such as chocolate chips or nuts. Scrape the batter into the greased pan and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Original recipe calls for 1 hour in the oven, but in my oven, it takes only 30 minutes.

Obvious, but true: fake Uggs are not made for walking

Nine out of ten girls in Shanghai (or so it seems) wear Ugg-like boots during the winter. And when I say Ugg-like boots, I mean fake Uggs. This article made me think of them schlepping around:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1258073/How-cheap-imitation-Ugg-boots-crippling-generation-fashion-victim-women.html

Real or fake, Uggs are not for me - there are boots out there that are warm, comfortable...and better looking.

Handsome Furs Asia Tour video series on CNN

I thought it was pretty cool when Handsome Furs played Shanghai late last year (hot, sweaty, and fabulous show), but what's even cooler is they documented their tour through Asia and turned it into a video series on CNN. Check it out:

Indie Asia: on tour with Handsome Furs
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2010/indie.asia/index.html

St. Patrick's Day Parade

Friends, families, performers, volunteers, and general onlookers gathered at the entrance of Fuxing Park this morning for the St. Patrick's Day parade. Flags, stickers, and chocolate were handed out to the crowd to complement the already festive atmosphere. Joseph, Frank and I milled about looking for a good viewing spot. The parade was short, led by a bagpiper, followed by the Irish community, students, clowns, a green dragon, and rounded out by a marching band from a local international school.

The crowd followed the procession down the street to the stage area, where there were eats (meat pies), booze (Murphy's beer), t-shirts, and info on the Irish Pavilion at the World Expo. After the requisite and somewhat lengthy speeches by the organizers, entertainment included singing, dancing, and musical performance. One of the highlights was the "Chinese Riverdance" group - apparently fans of Riverdance started a group and studied the steps by watching the DVD!

All in all, a fun event and definitely recommended for families!

Photos and video (from top):
- Clowns, regular and on stilts
- Green dragon (note the guy in the front holding his beer showing Irish spirit)
- Student marching band
- Frank all decked out with his Murphy's Irish top hat, Irish flag and nomming a meat pie