London now, Shanghai then, celebration

Weekly photo challenge: Purple

Colours are straightforward, except for those who cannot see them. Two of my friends are colour blind, and though they have each tried to explain how they see shadings, I cannot imagine what it is like to be without the glories and contrasts of colour. If there is a way to honour all those who are colourblind, who often stay quiet about their difference, who do not moan, just get on with living, maybe I will find a way to blog it soon. I have folders full of flowers, purple flowers, this post is a celebration of people and place.

Purple has always meant particular splendour and privilege – Porphyrogenitos, Greek for born to the purple – so I’ll start with this one, borrowed from the Guardian blog.

But I am not sure I want to celebrate too much when there is such austerity and hardship in many families. So I looked also at a personal family celebration from some years back. Chinese weddings can be quite low-key, but the photo celebrations which do not have to happen on the same day, or even in the same country, are spectacular. This wedding was in 2003.

And, staying with the chinese connection, I took this photo one evening last summer in Shanghai of the building where we were living. Shadows and light came out this way, I love it. [My Shanghai blogs are July – December 2011, try here.]

Pubei Lu from the corner with Guiping Lu