"Covet" is a celebration of the mass accumulation of commodities. Basically, it's just seeing purchase-worthy stuff around Shanghai and sometimes purchasing it.

Item: Pictures that are like. So. Cute.

Store: Pika Pika (B1-13 in Raffles City)

Cost: 45rmb-80rmb

OMG, it's like soooo nice outside! The weather's is sooo *warm*, I can't even handle it! The long winter is like, totally finally behind us!

But even though I totally just LOVE the sun -- I'm *such* a summer person -- I'm totally NOT looking forward to trying to fit into my two-piece. ROFL! What-EV-er. ANY-ways...

If you're looking for a like a *really* fun way to spend the afternoon, get, like, your BF, your GF, your BFF, or even a ONS (yeah, rite!) down to Raffles City in People Square and totally check out Pika Pika!!!1!

And yeah. I'm done. Pika Pika, though. Good times.







Catering to all those who, like myself and Juli, the SmartShanghai graphic designer, seek to embrace their inner demented Asian teen, Pika Pika, is a photo studio in which you can get those wacky green-screen photos done. Here's how it works:

1) Go to shop B1-13 in Raffles City. It's one floor down from the entry level (coming in off Fuzhou Lu) in the back, around the corner from the Papa John's. It's basically a tiny, little shop with about ten crazy, flashing, booths, frilly nuttiness everywhere, and pink carnage all over the walls -- kind of like a physical representation of Princess Peach's brain.

2) Walk in. Try not to look like a paedophile. Fail. Try to ignore the 'what a paedophile' looks from staff and customers.

3) Go to the front desk. Different photo booths and picture packages costs less or more based on how intense the scenarios of the photos are. Cheaper booths are 45rmb, middle of the road technology is like 60rmb, and VIP Strawberry Shortcake Holocaust is 80rmb.

4) At this point there's going to be a communication breakdown with the store clerks. Pull the 'idiot white guy' -- dopey smile, flip two thumbs up, shrug endearingly, "ting boo dong, guy, ting boo dong!" -- and they should lead you to whichever booth you randomly pointed to and set you up and do everything for you.









5) You're in the booth. It's like a normal photo booth but way bigger to accommodate all the totally awesome vamping you're about to do. There's some clicking and whirling. Are you ready for your close up, Miss Hilton?

6) You're looking at yourself on a screen, which places your image within a set number of backgrounds, and you've got about 60 second to break out the Beach Honeys classics -- heart-shaped symbol, winking peace sign, the cat... all that happy shit.

7) You're done. The clerk comes back in and leads you around the side of the booth to a screen with a pen pointer thing.

8) Now you've got a few minutes to draw your stuff onto the pictures -- hearts, glasses, bow ties, stars, sparkles -- OMG this is the best part. Time to get *creative*!









Ta da. Done. Pops out of the machine and it's all yours! Totally! Fucking! Cute!

A stray observation: Raffles kind of smells like what I would imagine a middle aged flight attendant’s purse would smell like.

A potpourri of faded perfume, wadded up, lipstick-stained Kleenex, wet wipes, three dusty Tic Tacs, expired birth control pills, miniature SKY Vodka bottles (empty), balled up nylons, deep sadness, and divorce.

But that's neither here nor there.

Moshi mosh!

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