Shenzhen Artist Village 2009

Where else can you find the Venus De Milo in the middle of a city of 18 million? It's not Paris, it's Shenzhen,China - I went to the Artists Village, and what an amazing place - literally right off one of the main streets (6 lanes of traffic going in 5 different directions). I had heard about this place since we moved to Hong Kong, and had to check it out. Very quirky, very chinese. But it really did have a creative feel to it. 85% of the world's quick art (hotels, etc.) are painted right here. They are also master copiers - I saw ab out 50 Mona Lisa's (one smoking a doobie - explains the smile...), and huge 10'X10' grand oil paintings that grace the world's most famous estates - from Napoleon atop his white horse, to the Blue Boy, to Gandalf, they've got it all here... Oh... China.

Venus at the entrance to the Artist Village, Shenzhen

A little square in the center of the village - not much traffic that day, it was rainy and overcast, but wonderful sculpture everywhere.



Busts of famous painters also everywhere - a little incongruous, until you realize that these Chinese artists are busy recreating every work of art in the world.

Display at one of the shops - many get family paintings done from photographs

Shop exterior

Another shop exterior - lots to choose from!

Lots of buildings were brightly painted, and art spilled out onto the streets

Framing at unbelievable prices - for a picture, purchased for 180 Remimbi (about $25CAD) it cost an extra $8 CAD to get it framed...

Lots of artists right there, doing their work while we walked past

Main entrance to the village

Good thing I went with friends who knew which shops were good, and which ones to avoid

History of the Artist Village - quite a success story for the poor, unrepresented artists in China

Coming off the main street and into the village

Hand with paintbrush sculpture at the entrance to the Village

Fun day, and we went home with lots of packages!

Bob is Borneo Bound - March 2009

March 2009 - view from the window of my suite a the Pacific Sutera in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo

27 hole golf course surrounded the resort- I didn't bring my clubs!



view of Kota Kinabalu from Signal Hill- Borneo was leveled by the Allies in WW2 so the architecture is quite bland


Jen gave me a "little trim before I went on the trip

Bruce and Kat- Bruce presented on behalf of our school at the convention- Kelowna boy

Bruce and I strike the tiger pose in honor of Malaysia's national beer- Tiger

down town Kota

Great Market culture in KK- people are very friendly and you bargain for everything


tailored suits for about 50 bucks Canadian


my favorite part of KK- the food- everything fresh and cooked to order

now those are prawns!



barbecued on a skewer- each for about 50 cents

I'll remember the colors and smells

divide by 3- what a way to end a day

beach at the resort- jellyfish alert so hardly anybody in the water

poolside

the island the resort is on is manmade with a marina in the middle and 2 hotel sites


staff members enjoying life on the equator

Margaret Atwood at CDNIS

Wow, what a night, March 12, 2009! The Hong Kong Literary Festival is in full swing this week - a huge week-long event here, featuring authors, poets from all over the world - including Markus Zusak (The Book Thief), and Margaret Atwood! We were asked to provide the venue for the event featuring herself and Mr. Charles Foran, another Canadian author and columnist in conversation about the environment. After 4 months of planning, we welcomed over 300 guests for an hour-long 'event' onstage, and then a cocktail reception and book signing in our theatre lobby to follow. Wonderful night!

Ms. Atwood arrived at the school for a tour at 11am - with Charles Foran,
the other author - really nice guy! She looked pretty old and frail,
actually - jet-lagged, her husband was supposed to have joined her, but
caught a lung virus and couldn't travel, so she did the trip herself.
She's 67, and looked 10 years older.

But, when she arrived at the front entrance to the school - we were all
there in our best big and tucker - it was fun to see everyone so nervous
and excited- even our big wigs. The Gr3 choir was ready, and as she came
in, they started to sing Oh Canada, in french and english, and then
finished with a chinese song. Pretty cool - major cute factor. She was
charmed. (Actually it felt a bit like the Queen Mum). We got our pictures
all taken with her in front of a large totem in the lobby, and then she
went on a tour of the school. I chatted with her a bit about her husband
Graeme Gibson, an author and big wildlife advocate, and the snowy weather
in Canada, and then off she went.

That night, she came in a taxi, and went right into the Green Room -
onstage I had organized a whole set to look like a comfortable den, and
they spoke about all sorts of issues, mostly environmental - both her
parents were environmentalists, and her last book, Payback. I read it
actually, it's very good. She hinted that she has just finished her next
book, but couldn't talk about it.... but that it was continuing her
environmentalist theme. She talked about the struggle to get a book out -
how there are 'battles' along the way. The first battle (with her editors
and copy editors) was about the title, then the cover artwork, then the
typeface, and lastly, and she was so funny about it, the battle of the
comas and colons... Kind of a neat insight into the world of publishing.

Then 7 of the 32 students from the Enviro Club, the Writer's Craft club,
etc. got a chance to ask her some questions, and that was great - they
were all so nervous to speak to her. The questions were mostly about her
books, her involvement with P.E.N., her views on women depicted in
Shakespeare (that was really interesting, as she said - Shakespeare was
writing during Queen Elizabeth's time, and so almost all of his female
characters were interesting, and strong, and that if men treated them
badly in one of his stories, they generally 'paid for it later') She was
very interesting.

After that, she came upstairs to the lobby, which we had all decked out,
caterers and waiters, our students playing jazz on the balcony, it looked
gorgeous. She signed autographs for 2 hours, and then took off in a taxi
at 10pm last night. I got home at 10:15, and was asleep by 10:30.... I
was a bit of a drill sergeant last night - with 12 student ushers, and
cleaning and maintenance staff, security guards, and box office - really
fun.

She was funny, hugely smart - and commanded the rapt attention of all 350
who were there. Very gracious to sign books for 2 hours (instead of the
original 30 minutes) - the line up didn't end. Quite a thrill for all of us involved!

Gong Xi Fa Cai 2009!

Happy Chinese New Years, everybody! Can't believe it's our second one.... how time flies! I've posted some pictures (sorry about how many there are - I'm not that great at 'editting'), of the school, all of the wonderful decorations, and of course, pictures of the arts centre lobby, which underwent significant renovations in November and December.

2009 is the year of the OX - it is also a 'yin' year (2009 ends in an 'odd number), not a 'yang' year. The Ox characterizes dependability, good leadership skills, and hard working, but also stubborness. They wish for prosperity and health. Chinese New Years is also the time for the biggest migration of people on the planet - millions of Hong Kong'ers, and mainlanders, will be travelling to their home villages or cities, to celebrate the holiday with their families. Chinese New Years day is January 26th, and they will eat ALL day. I've heard that the family that has the biggest fridge usually hosts the meals!

Hong Kong is awash with red and gold decorations - all of the malls have spectacular displays - usually several stories high - yesterday I was in the mall, and watched as dancers, suspended in harnesses, 'flew' around the open area, with long red ribbons, and carrying huge red balls, and circled above the audience to music - amazing.

We will be staying here for the holiday - and going into "Central" to watch the fireworks display over the water. Sleeping in and jammy days are in the plan! Bob is off to Savannah, Georgia, on Wednesday for a week-long conference, so it will be just us girls! Very fun! Love and hugs from Hong Kong!

Front entrance to the school

Looking from the main 9th floor entrance, down the 'spine' staircase that takes you from the 9th floor, to the 2nd floor.

All of the main beams are made of Canadian cedar- you can see a 15' totem on the right, the stairwell up to the library on the 10th floor. Great height to suspend the firecrackers and chinese lanterns.

Decorations made by the lower school grades, all winding down to the bottom floor.

More handmade decorations, hung across 'the Forum' on the 5th level, an open area which used to hold a lot of the assemblies, recitals, etc. before the Arts Centre was built. In the last few weeks, it has hosted lunch hour "Cdnis has got talent" auditions, with students all up and down the stairs, peering over and watching the show.

Looking from the main entrance doors into the lobby area. You will see potted chrysanthemums and dahlias of all colours, plus potted tangerine trees everywhere - all very traditional.

This mural is in the main lobby, donated to the school when this campus was opened.

The plaque for the mural in the lobby.

The front entranceway to the Leo Lee Arts Centre, or LLAC.

Sculpture and beautiful potted tangerine trees - a big part of the Chinese New Years decorations - they're everywhere - and edible (a little sour!)

Lai See envelopes and other decorations on the plum tree - whose blossoms were opening on a daily basis - a wonderful addition to the main lobby of the LLAC

Looking a the potted plum tree, in between the doors to the balcony area of the front lobby. Surrounded by potted chrysanthemums and tangerine trees - all very traditional.

The gorgeous lobby - all decked out last Tuesday, when we hosted the Board of Governors for a reception and meeting. The dish of 'goodies' in front, is also a very traditional welcome to visitors.

And, you're looking at the reception area and my office area (right) - the red glass was 'melted', so it would curve around the counter. We hung lanterns in the alcoves, and you can also see the huge painting of Mr. Leo Lee - for whom the arts centre is named, and some of the fun red modular furniture that was designed for the lobby - it can be moved into all sorts of combinations to accomodate whatever event we are hosting.

Another look at the reception area.

All of the artwork, with the exception of some sculpture and 3 paintings, is all done by the students of the school - I have an amazing "Monet-style' painting right above my desk.. lucky!

A look into the LLAC lobby and balcony area from the front doors. The renovations we did in November/December included paint (it was just white primer before), artwork hanging systems, new furniture, and huge sliding doors along one wall, encasing the computer and equipment that run the air and lighting systems, and elevators in the Arts Centre (covered in silver vinyl snakeskin...)

Looking from the balcony door towards the front entrance.

The theatre auditorium - we also hung tons of lanterns.

The stage area, where we hung lanterns and huge Chinese firecrackers (not real!!!), and the banner we ordered for the Chinese New Years Concerts we hosted on Thursday and Friday.