The Other Side of the World

I’ve been to lots of wonderful, beautiful places in the world. Some places feel like an integral part of me, like Gdansk, Poland, and others are places I’d visit but never live in, like Las Vegas. Some places are the setting of a fantasy life- Paris comes to mind. Others are simply places where I’ll bide my time until the next city, my home in Northeast Ohio is one.

Then, there was China.

A couple weeks ago, my boyfriend got an e-mail from a connection in Taiwan, extending an invitation to the both of us to visit Shanghai. The next thing we knew, we were in an airplane hurtling ourselves to the other side of the world. I had no idea what to expect or what I would see. I only had the references from movies and books to draw upon. I didn’t even know what a major building was in Shanghai. (The Pearl TV Tower.)

And what I least expected to do was to fall in love with it.

Amid the scary traffic, the horrendous pollution, and the never-ending droves of people, there hid a gem of beauty and surprise. The French Concession offered up boutiques filled with clothes and shoes of incredible style. The Old City had gorgeous old buildings with curvy roofs and dumplings sold out of open-walled restaurants. The Bund revealed the heart, and beauty, of the financial district complete with towering skyscrapers of which their sizes need to be seen to be believed. The best part was the Antique Market. Rows and rows of booths filled to the brim with figurines, statues, jewelry, tokens, coins, perfume bottles, birdcages, wall hangings, artwork, and boxes. I learned the true art of negotiation and realized at the same time, the depth of friendliness and openness the inhabitants of Shanghai possess.

My idea of China has been transformed completely. My newfound love of Shanghai sprung out of nowhere, and it will never release me. Which is why I’m so happy to say, I found a new place to leave a piece of my heart. On my next trip, I plan to bring home multitudes of perfume bottles and exotic jewelry to find a home through our shop!

Happy vintaging,

Beatrice