Lulu’s Diary: The Quiet Storm
"Lulu's Diary" was a magazine column that ran from 2003-4. Lulu was one of Beijing's It Girls who commented on the movers and shakers in the city. Her identity will forever remain a mystery.
May 2003 - Panic has ruined the social calendar: The Stones wimped out of their Beijing show, a duo of German DJs canceled their gigs, a clutch of companies have canceled PR events where they are supposed to hand out free glasses of red wine and people are offering to sell me Louis Vuitton surgical masks.
Nonetheless, some things went on as planned. The YPHH Happy Hour at Sgt Peppers didn’t seem to be affected. Although recently corporatized to the acronym YPHH, that forgettable string of letters used to stand for “Young Professionals Happy Hour.” Judging from the photographs on the YPHH website, most of the people who go to these events are neither young nor very professional. I wish I had actually gone to the event, because then I could say something really bitchy, but I still want to know why anyone goes to these things.
Meanwhile, in a different part of town, Beixinqiao to be exact, Yifei Media opened the Vision Centre, basically the Beijing offices for Vision and Tatler magazines. Absolut Vodka sponsored the party, but I seemed to be the only consumer of their products. Everyone else just ogled the models who were strutting about holding copies of Vision magazine, and walked aimlessly around empty offices of the Vision Centre.
A slightly more vibrant visual hoo-ha went on at the 798 Factory where there was an open house for all the art galleries, design firms, artist studios and bars that have been multiplying like bunnies there in the last month. Photo and art exhibitions, performance art pieces and music distracted me somewhat from socializing, but I did note a conspicuous lack of frat boys. Instead, 798 was filled with gaggles of long-haired Chinese artists and their groupies, nudging elbows with diplomats, businessmen with an eye for art, slackers and young ladies in search of a good time. My main reason for going to art gallery openings is of course the wine, and the problem with 798 is you have to buy your own. But there are several places worth stopping by for a drink. I recommend Vibes and the NOW Design Club, which features regular screenings of documentaries and art-house movies.
That’s all for this month, sweetie pies.