The world of Chinese massage and TCM

陈风 (Chén Fēng) is a 33-year-old native of Sichuan Province. Born under the Chinese zodiac sign of the sheep, Chén Fēng fits the profile of a nurturing, calm person who enjoys taking care of people. At the age of 24, the same year she got married, Chén Fēng began to teach herself the art of massage. She believes that massage can help people's body and health. A few years later, Chén Fēng decided to leave her husband and new son in Sichuan in search of work. She arrived to Shanghai where she was immediately hired by Butterfly Spa, a chain spa offering a range of massage services. 

Despite only have 3 days off of work a month and working 12-hour shifts, usually with around 6 customers per shift, Chén Fēng loves her job. When she has lulls during the day, Chén Fēng studies English books, making sure to always take advantage of the opportunities Shanghai offers to meet international people and get a leg up. She views Shanghai as a city to learn. Despite her busy schedule, Chén Fēng manages to find time to go home to Sichuan several times a year, and her husband also comes to visit her in Shanghai.

A massage bed at Butterfly Spa

Unlike in the West where massages are often viewed as a luxury, in China massages are more often viewed as a health necessity! Chinese people who can afford it will often get a traditional massage once a week as part of a normal body care regimen. Chinese cities offer a wide range of massage experiences - you can pay from around 40 RMB (~7 USD) for a one-hour body massage in a hole-in-the-wall parlor with people smoking cigarettes and talking on the phone, to over 400 RMB (~70 USD) for a high-end hotel spa massage full with oils, music, incense, whispers, and other unimaginable comforts. Butterfly Spa where Chén Fēng works offers a simple but dimly lit, quiet interior, a clean change of clothes for ultimate elastic relaxation, and friendly masseuses with tough hands all for 88 RMB (~15 USD). 

Massage is a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that has been promoted in China for more than two millennia. Traditional Chinese massage relies on acupressure, whereby the masseuse applies physical pressure to acupuncture points. A Chinese massage may not always be the most soothing - it might even leave you sore! Our bodies have hundreds of acupuncture points (穴位 xuéwèi) that when stimulated are said to affect different parts of our bodies and help to balance our "qi" (气) or inner life energy. Qi plays a key role in TCM theory as well as martial arts. By taking measures to balance our qi through exercise, meditation, and TCM, we can lead healthier and longer lives. Though TCM and the ancient and trusted concept of qi are still viewed as "alternative" in the West, more and more people around the world are turning to Chinese forms of natural healing instead of Western chemical-based medicines. 

An old Chinese acupressure chart

Pick up some useful Chinese phrases for getting a massage below:

按摩

Ànmó

Massage

脚按摩 

Jiǎo ànmó

Foot massage

全身按摩

Quánshēn ànmó

Full body massage

有一点痛

Yǒu yīdiǎn tòng

It hurts a little bit

力度可以吗?

Lìdù kěyǐ ma

Is the strength okay?

轻一点

Qīng yīdiǎn

A little lighter/weaker

重一点 

Zhòng yīdiǎn

A little stronger/harder

翻过来

Fān guòlái

Turn over

Snap back caps with a Chinese twist

Anyone who knew Devan in his teen years -  donned in XXL jerseys, seriously sagging jeans, and high-top sneakers appropriate for his well-practiced breakdance moves - might not be surprised that his first venture after university is designing Shanghai-themed flat bill caps, a staple of urban street wear. A half Iranian, half American native of Michigan, Devan moved to Shanghai with his family at the mere age of seven, where he remained for 11 years until graduating from high school. Shanghai is the place where Devan experienced his adolescence, and is the place that he calls home. 

Several years later after graduating from the American University of London with a degree in Communications and Art Design, Devan describes his personal style as an eclectic fusion between hip hop and deep v-necks (Europe has taken its toll). Despite always being drawn to American street culture like graffiti, hip hop music, and urban street wear, Shanghai's unique blend of 24-hour bright lights and back alley traditional life have drawn Devan back to the real city that never sleeps where he has taken the entrepreneurial track. Devan is starting his first company, Raised in China, beginning with snap back caps with a Chinese twist that he recently displayed at 2012's first Design Art and Fashion Fair (DAFF).

Having grown up exclusively in China, but with strong American cultural influences and in a largely expatriate community that international schools offer, Devan is what we call a "third culture kid" or TCK - someone who grew up outside of his parents' original culture. Often times, TCK's have a difficult time identifying with one particular place, but Devan is creating an entire brand around the place he calls home. PMF explores Devan's new adventure and his brand Raised in China.

Devan, the dude behind new brand Raised in China.

PMF: Tell me about your concept behind these hats.

Devan: The decision to do hats started with the pretty harmless desire to own a 上海 (Shànghǎi) hat and the hope behind it was that other people were feeling the same way I've been about wanting and never finding one here. As I started designing, I saw a potential in this beyond just expanding my collection of hats and own my own creation, so Raised In China started developing.

PMF: Where do you see the company going?

Devan: The goal for the company is creating a place for people like myself that grew up here to get the chance to make something out of their artistic talents that was influenced by being from/living here. My hope is that other eager designers will join RIC and have the chance to showcase (and profit) from it. Say you want to do t-shirts or hats: I'd find the manufacturer, we'd get he product to your standard and satisfaction and put it on the site, and sell it at other future events. You pay for the manufacturing of it and RIC only takes a small percentage, hopefully around 20% and requests that you put our logo somewhere on your design. We also don't have a set logo, we want the designers to make their own, as long as it says "Raised in China" or "中国成长" (Zhōngguó chéngzhǎng) somewhere on or in your product, along with your own brand logo.

PMF: What is it like for you working with Chinese manufacturers?

Devan: It can be tedious, but the fault is my own. You need to be incredibly specific down to the thread color code and expect nothing less than what you have in mind. I'm currently working on the second hat and I just got the second round of samples; the colors are still off and there are some problems with the design, but hopefully the third time is the charm. When communicating, sometimes there are words I don't know off the top of my head or a design idea that I see that they may not understand. Language can create a bit of confusion.

PMF: After so many years in China, where does your Chinese language skill stand now?

Devan: You never stop learning Chinese is for sure. At DAFF I had a 奶奶 (Nǎinai / grandmother) correct me. I said "做大学" (Zuò dàxué / do university). She was quick to interrupt and correct me, she told me it was "读大学" (Dú dàxué / study at university)  - you don't "do" school, you "learn" at school. 

PMF:  How has learning Chinese or your experience in China influenced your brand?

Devan: Growing up here I guess especially during the 90's when shanghai was developing at an insane speed, I got to be here when it was still I guess really 'innocent' to Western influences, so I got to enjoy seeing the changes and 'globalization' which definitely helped with my appreciation for the 'old and new' of China. The ability to speak the language and communicate with people here allows me such a great access to the people, because obviously someone's going to be more inclined to talk to you when you both speak the same language. But for me the big influence was that I identify with China as home. I lived in London, I've been all over the US, and the world, but nothing compares to this place in my eyes. I love the people here.

The first line of Devan's caps reads "Shanghai".

PMF:  Why is it so important to have a hat that says "Shanghai"? 

Devan:  Growing up in international communities, the first two questions you're asked are "what's your name?" and "where are you from?", so where you're from is a big part of who you are. It's just how I identify people. You see a bazillion New York hats, and that's cool because it's a hip hop icon, but for me the letters or images on the front of your hat are your flag; whether you're showing off where you're from, what sports team you like, or what you think defines you. I believe Shanghai has earned the status to be a city repped right there, with pride.

PMF:  What is your favorite Chinese word or phrase?

Devan: "本地人" (Běndì rén / native/local person), so my favorite phrase I guess would be "我是本地人" (Wǒ shì běndì rén / I am local).

PMF: So where can we buy your caps? 

Devan: I'm still working on the site, but this is what I've got so far: www.raisedinchina.com. I'm going to be taking orders through the site so people can order through the Contact Me section.

Getting to know bass player 小D and Shanghai's jazz revival

In the 1920s and 1930s, the city of Shanghai was known for its commercial trading, bustling night life, and unique art forms. Already one of the largest cities in the world by the 1930s with a population of 3 million, Shanghai was known as the Paris of the East and the New York of the West. The city was rife with dance halls, gangsters, and opium dens, as it was the center of the Opium Wars. 

A large part of Shanghai's heyday was the jazz music that had been introduced by Westerners who called the city home. Until the 1930s, the jazz scene in Shanghai was dominated by Westerners and Filipinos, but soon local Chinese created their own "Shanghai Jazz" that was a unique combination of jazz and traditional Chinese music, including instruments like the two-stringed 二胡 (èrhú) accompanied by Mandarin or Shanghainese vocals. In 1935, The Clear Wind Dance Band was created, marking the first ever all-Chinese jazz band. 

When communist leader Mao Ze Dong took power in 1949, jazz was one of the art forms deemed dangerous for its connection to an unclean and decadent life, and jazz was banned from China. What was once one of the most loved Chinese dance hall songs, 得不到的爱情 (Dé bù dào de àiqíng / The Love You Can't Get) was put on the top of the list of undesirable music! Check out the song, sung by famous vocalist of the time, "Ginger" Zheng Zhi Xiao.

It wasn't until the '80s under ruler Deng Xiao Ping that jazz and other art forms were allowed in China again, and the jazz scene slowly began to grow. Thirty years later, jazz music in Shanghai is finally experience a renaissance, with a popular annual jazz festival, JZ Festival, drawing international acts and thousands of fans, several jazz clubs and bars around the city, and more casual open jam sessions abundant. Almost every week one of Shanghai's longest standing live music venues, 育音堂 / Yuyintang, is host to one of these casual sessions where jazz musicians can jam and listeners can enjoy a relaxed evening. PMF spoke to one of China's well-known jazz musicians, 狄冰瑜 (Dí bīng yú), who frequents the Yuyintang jam sessions with his band. 

Known among friends as 小D (Xiǎo D or Little D), bass player 狄冰瑜 speaks to PMF about his experience with jazz music:

PMF: 你玩什么乐器？你在那里学了？ 

What instrument do you play? Where did you learn to play?

小D: 我十五岁玩乐器，在石家庄学习Bass，到现在有十四年了。

I've been playing an instrument since I was fifteen years old, I studied bass guitar in Shijiazhuang [Hebei, Northeastern China], it has been fourteen years.

Li Rong Ming Jazz Quartet,
with 小D on the right.

PMF: 你的乐队叫什么？

What is your band called? 

小D: 现在的乐队叫李荣明爵士四重奏，之前在阿修罗，声音玩具乐队.  这两个是成都的乐队。

My current band is called "Li Rong Ming Jazz Quartet". Previously I played in "Asura" and "Soundtoy" bands. Those two were in Chengdu.

PMF: 你那里介绍爵士乐？

Where were you introduced to jazz music?

小D: 我在一个美国的朋友有指导下认识爵士乐。

It was through an American friend and mentor that I came to know jazz music.

PMF: 你为什么喜欢爵士乐？有什么特别？

Why do you like jazz music? What is special about it?

小D: 我觉得爵士乐是触动人类心灵的音乐，他将自由和民主的精神融为一体，这个是喜欢的原因之一，最重要的是我听到了爱。

I think jazz is music that touches the human soul, its spirit brings together freedom and democracy, this is one of the reasons that I like it, the most important thing is that I heard love.

PMF: 你觉得上海的爵士乐怎么样？中国呢？

What do you think of jazz in Shanghai? What about in China?

小D: 上海爵士氛围很好，至少在中国是最好的，应为上海比较国际化。当然也可以看到很多好的演出。

Shanghai's jazz scene is great, it's the best at least in China, because Shanghai is more internationalized. We can of course see a lot of good performances here.

Friends enjoy the live
jazz music at Yuyintang.

PMF: 那里是你最喜欢玩音乐的地方？

Where is your favorite place to play music? 

小D: Jz   育音堂。 Jz就是爵士乐没什么好介绍的，但是育音堂这个地方很有意思，应为任何形式的乐队都来这里演出，不分风格，很自由这个我喜欢。

JZ Club and Yuyintang. JZ Club is just jazz - it doesn't need any introduction. But Yuyintang, this place is really interesting, because all kinds of bands come here to perform, regardless of style, it's really free and I like that. 

PMF: 谁是你最大的音乐影响？

Who is your biggest musical influence?

小D: Jaco Pastorius

PMF: 你有没有任何其他工作，或只播放音乐？

Do you have any other work, or only music?

小D: 我十几年没有过固定的工作，基本就是靠音乐活着，在音乐里感受人生。

For more than ten years I have not had any fixed work, I've basically been subsisting off of music, its through music that I feel life. 

PMF: 你的梦想是什么？

What is your dream?

小D: 我的梦想就是做个好人，让音乐继续。

My dream is just to be a good person, and to go on with music.

Check out a video of 小D and his band, Li Rong Ming Jazz Quartet, playing live at Yuyintang!

Here are some useful phrases for music lovers learning Chinese:

What kind of music do you like to listen to?

你喜欢听什么样的音乐？

Nǐ xǐhuan tīng shénme yàng de yīnyuè?

Jazz music

爵士音乐

Juéshì yīnyuè

Rock music

摇滚音乐

Yáogǔn yīnyuè

Electronic music

电子音乐

Diànzǐ yīnyuè

Reggae music

雷鬼音乐

Léi guǐ yīnyuè

Where can I see live music?

我在哪里可以看到现场音乐？

Wǒ zài nǎlǐ kěyǐ kàn dào xiànchǎng yīnyuè?

What instrument do you play?

你玩什么乐器？

Nǐ wán shénme yuèqì?

How much is a ticket for the concert?

音乐会的门票是多少？

Yīnyuè huì de ménpiào shì duōshǎo?

No MSG! - Healthy living in Shanghai with wellness girl Cheryl

In a city like Shanghai where life is so fast-paced and it always seems like everyone is out to achieve some greatness, personal health and well-being is something that is often taken for granted. We live in a world where life is constantly at the tips of our fingers (often through our keyboards) - there never seems to be enough hours in the day to squeeze in work, play, and our own personal time. In Shanghai it's easy to live a life of 24-hours McDonald's delivery, cheap taxis, and convenience-store caffeine. But PMF's friend Cheryl tries to live her life on the heathier, greener side.

Cheryl plays with her dog, Simba, outside
dog-friendly vegetarian eatery,
Kechara Tea House.

Taiwanese by ethnicity, Californian by birth, and Shanghainese by upbringing, health-kick power girl Cheryl has been exposed to many different cultures and lifestyles throughout her youth. At 23-years-old, after graduating from Hong Kong University with a degree in Sociology, Media & Cultural Studies, Cheryl has chosen the life that makes most sense to her - a healthy life. Cheryl is currently enrolled in a distance learning course based in New York at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Upon completion of the course, Cheryl will be a certified holistic health coach. Meanwhile, she is also working as an intern at a small start-up organization in Shanghai called "The Wellness Works". Through this multi-layered experience, Cheryl hopes to gain a better knowledge of health and nutrition and to pursue a career in the "wellness industry". The wellness industry is a movement that is geared toward healthy, balanced living, physical and emotional wellness, and preventing rather than treating disease in a world where toxins are abundant. 

Check out PMF's interview with Cheryl! 

PMF: What is the wellness industry and what is Wellness Works? What do you do there?

Cheryl: The wellness industry is a huge industry that includes naturopathy, holistic health doctors like Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors, nutritionists, chiropractors, yoga teachers, and mindfulness trainers. It's a really broad field that is all about improving the well-being of individuals. 

The Wellness Works is a platform to bring health and wellness to individuals or corporations. For example, we organize events regarding health like organic farm tours, healthy cooking workshops, seminars about naturopathy (basically a Western version of Traditional Chinese Medicine - healing using herbs, no chemicals), and structural wellness retreats. We create corporate wellness programs for companies that teach the employees how to be more efficient at work and in their daily lives by being more healthy. We also talk about living greener, like riding your bike more versus taking a taxi or driving.

I'm an events assistant intern at The Wellness Works. I respond to emails regarding our events and help out with random administrative things like consolidating media contact lists. I help out at the events at reception, things like that. 

PMF: What do you mean by a healthy lifestyle? And why do you think it is important to lead a healthy lifestyle? 

Cheryl: Honestly, I think a healthy lifestyle is about moderation, and having a work-life balance. It's about really being able to enjoy your life, or every day, to the fullest, without any health issues holding you back, or emotional problems. I think a large part of it is having a balance. It's not about following a strict diet or exercise regimen, it's about enjoying yourself and keeping a healthy mindset. Honestly, no matter how healthy you eat, or how often you exercise, if you're not healthy mentally, if you're not positive, if you don't have good relationships in your life, then you are not healthy. 

I do think there is a health crisis. From being in the United States for 3 weeks, it is obvious to me that the statistics are true - more than 60% of Americans are overweight, and the number is rising. In Asia, even though you don't see that many overweight people, I've been hearing in recent years about people getting sick, for example cancers in older and middle-aged people. It's really unfortunate to suffer from an illness if you could prevent it somehow, through sustainable lifestyle changes. It doesn't have to be that difficult. 

Cheryl meets a piglet at a biodynamic
farm in the Philippines!

PMF: What is the difference in trying to be "healthy" in China and in the US?

Cheryl: For me, I feel like in the States you have access to so many more health products, food companies that are very health-conscious. You have all these really healthy packaged products compared to China. A huge one is Wholefoods; you can find so many healthy alternatives to the standard American diet at Wholefoods. However, in China, if you go to a convenience store, your options are obviously limited. Pretty much all the packaged goods are super processed and have a ton of additives. So I would say it's less convenient to eat healthy in China. 

What I've learned, though, is that there is an increase in demand for healthier products in China, be it food or personal care, make-up, shampoo, that kind of stuff. So we should push for the demand for these products and the supply will grow. There are more restaurants nowadays in Shanghai with more of an environmental awareness and health awareness, like Kush, Origin, Anna Maya, and Melange Oasis. I strongly believe that you don't have to sacrifice taste for health. At times it may be more expensive but it's a worthy investment compared to medical bills and physical discomfort or illness. Plus great restaurants, Shanghai has all these organic farms popping up like BioFarm, Tony's Farm, and Just Organic. It's definitely not impossible to live a healthier life in Shanghai, as long as you look for it. 

PMF: What are some tips for people who want to live healthier in China?

Cheryl: Invest in a bike! Riding around on a bike in the city is really fun, and convenient too.

Try to make time for outdoor activities with friends and family, like going to the park even, going for a run. 

In terms of eating at restaurants, I think when it comes to Chinese restaurants, just order more vegetable dishes. If possible, ask them not to put MSG in your food.

If you are on a budget, buy the packaged raw foods like chestnuts at convenience stores and baked sweet potato yams and steamed corn sold on the street. But try to cook at home more often!

If possible, try to buy organic.

Take the stairs!

PMF: How can we spread awareness of healthy living?

Cheryl: Just to set an example is one thing. Chinese people are very set in their ways so I don't think it's a good idea to push, for example, a vegetarian lifestyle or anything like that. But just to set an example, and try to introduce people to different ways of eating and different foods. Like more fruits! Introduce your friends to events like the Eco Design Fair, which is a free event and quite eye-opening for someone who has no knowledge about healthier, greener living. There are other events coming up in May; there is going to be a Biofach Expo that will have a bunch of organic, healthier companies. 

PMF: For people learning Mandarin, an you teach us some useful Chinese phrases that can help us live a healthy life?

Cheryl:

可以麻烦不要放味精吗？

Kěyǐ máfan bùyào fàng wèijīng ma?

Can I trouble you not to add MSG?

我不吃味精。

Wǒ bù chī wèijīng.

I do not eat MSG.

这个用什么做的？

Zhège yòng shé me zuò de?

What is this made of?

这个里面有什么？

Zhège lǐmiàn yǒu shé me?

What is in this?

有机食品

Yǒujī shípǐn

Organic food product

天然

Tiānrán

Natural

少油，少盐

Shǎo yóu, shǎo yán

Less oil, less salt

Find out more about Cheryl's healthy adventures at her blog:

cherchanglin.tumblr.com

Shanghai by Bike - Part 2!

For Shanghai by bike part 2, PMF cycled East towards downtown Shanghai to Luwan District's Dong Tai Road Antique Market, and then back to the former French Concession to check out quiet lanes and colorful bike vendors. On this ride, we cycled through 3 of Shanghai's 16 districts. 

Although around 40% of the city's population is made up of migrant workers from other parts of China, Shanghai retains it's unique culture - foreigners may be frustrated when they arrive to the city and learn that locals communicate with each other in Shanghainese, a dialect that is very different to Mandarin! But for those people learning Mandarin, not to fret - most inhabitants (except perhaps the super old) still speak the national Chinese language. 

Shanghai is known for being the country's booming financial center, but it is easy to find the modest areas of the city that make it so special. 

A repairman who salvages vintage Chinese suitcases and sells them to antique vendors down the road.

Delicious snacks sold from the back of a bicycle!

A shop proprietor and his pet dog enjoy the sunshine.

A stall at Dong Tai Road Antique Market wall to wall with knick knacks. The antique market is an outdoor market selling Mao-era items and plenty of vintage leather goods.

From clocks to snacks to trash and furniture, in China, the types of things transportable by bike are practically endless.

Outdoor gyms are common in lane compounds around Shanghai, with people of all ages exercising! This woman does her daily exercise in the company of a friendly neighborhood cat.

A pet store by bike! This woman sells bunnies, hamsters, chicks, and turtles!

A man cycles through his lane with buildings wrapped in vines. As Shanghai's population grows increasingly rich, with high fashion designer stores constantly popping up around the city, more and more cars fill the streets. But much of the population sticks to cycling for transportation.

Beautiful flowers for sale - on the back of a bike! One bunch for 25 RMB (~4 USD).