The great lesson from the true mystics ... is that the sacred is in the ordinary, that it is to be found in one's daily life, in one's neighbors, friends, and family, in one's backyard ...
[Abraham H. Maslow in Religions, Values and Peak Experiences]
Mordor's Light | 魔都的时光
Back in 2014 I watched God's Pocket directed by John Slattery and featuring Philip Seymour Hoffman in one of his last roles before suicide. It is set in a dark worker's milieu somewhere in Philadelphia's suburbs, where people live from cradle to grave without leaving the neighborhood. I loved the movie, because it shows mankind's beauty in midst of gloom and misery. On these pages though, I want to hold on to Eric Idle and look on the truly bright side of life. The pockets of God which are the object of description here are as a matter of fact not the gloomy part of reality, but the most splendid experiences which I was grateful to make in my Shanghainese vicinity and extended Asian neighborhood. And here we have our common denominator with the film: the divine can be found everywhere, but in particular in the ordinary.
Much can be said about Shanghai in years past aka the Paris of the Orient, so why write this guide? After returning from a journey to Europe, where I marveled at the architectonic gems of Prague, Vienna and Budapest, which are by all means not the highlights that continent has to offer, I am inclined to describe Shanghai as esthetic Mordor, probably a fitting translation for one of its other established names Modu | 魔都. But this is not how I feel. Quite on the contrary. Shanghai might seem vast and mind boggling, desolate and full of greed, but it harbors also much delight, which is mostly found by watching how its residents go about life, how they find serenity in this quick paces and ever changing environment.
These pages are written with the intention of bringing China in general and Shanghai in particular closer to a visitor who wants to explore the city in the most natural and local manner by walking through neighborhoods - in the body of a resident, but with the mindset of a curious visitor. I will describe several city strolls, which we have found most rewarding in our time spent here and usually start close to our own apartments in the vicinity of Jingan Temple, and in addition to these Mordor Escapes, journeys to cities or regions in Shanghai's cultural neighborhood through which we did not only replenish our batteries but also deepened our understanding of China proper.
Much can be said about Shanghai in years past aka the Paris of the Orient, so why write this guide? After returning from a journey to Europe, where I marveled at the architectonic gems of Prague, Vienna and Budapest, which are by all means not the highlights that continent has to offer, I am inclined to describe Shanghai as esthetic Mordor, probably a fitting translation for one of its other established names Modu | 魔都. But this is not how I feel. Quite on the contrary. Shanghai might seem vast and mind boggling, desolate and full of greed, but it harbors also much delight, which is mostly found by watching how its residents go about life, how they find serenity in this quick paces and ever changing environment.
These pages are written with the intention of bringing China in general and Shanghai in particular closer to a visitor who wants to explore the city in the most natural and local manner by walking through neighborhoods - in the body of a resident, but with the mindset of a curious visitor. I will describe several city strolls, which we have found most rewarding in our time spent here and usually start close to our own apartments in the vicinity of Jingan Temple, and in addition to these Mordor Escapes, journeys to cities or regions in Shanghai's cultural neighborhood through which we did not only replenish our batteries but also deepened our understanding of China proper.
Often I feel I go to some distant region of the world to be reminded of who I really am. There is no mystery about why this should be so. Stripped of your ordinary surroundings, your friends, your daily routines, ...you are forced into direct experience. Such direct experience makes you inevitably aware of who is having the experience. That's not always comfortable, but it is always invigorating.
[Michael Crichton]