China (part four October 25)....makes smile

I spent the day exploring The Bund, the French Concession and People's Square. And shopping. And eating both food and my words. I observed a child of around 4 years of age openly peeing in a heavily toutisted spot with the apparent approval of several adults around her. There is a sign 20 feet away pointing to a public toilet. It makes those very clean standards of the Japanese look even better. My two small dogs will hold it until they get to an appropriate spot. I miss my dogs.....

In most areas of Shanghai, it is sleek, shiny and the sight of blonde headed people is common. I was told by a young European man today that there is an estimated one million westerners from the US, Canada and Europe living in Shanghai. A student from South Africa told me the sleek and shiny starts and ends in Shanghai as there was a new face applied to the city for the Shanghai Expo in recent years She assured me Xian and Beijing will be a different world. It has become clear that what has made Shanghai so much easier than Japan is the Japanese authenticity. You visit Japan on their terms.

At one point today, I spotted an alleyway where there seemed to be a lot of activity. There was a lot of fresh food being prepared. I am talking about meat. One man had chickens crowded in a cage while he was busily plucking feathers off a recently departed There was a steaming bowl of hot water in the vicinity. I so hope the man was kinder than I first suspected. I am not a vegetarian but I don't believe in unnecessary cruelty to living creatures and I'm not naive about the modern farming techniques in the US. Another vendor was selling live fish in small, shallow plastic tubs. There were a lot of vegetables I was not able to identify but then again, I haven't identified most vegetables I find in Ecuador yet either.

Have I mentioned traffic? In Shanghai, as in Japan, there is not a lot of regard for pedestrians. In fact, in Shanghai frequently motorbikes and scooters will run on the sidewalks to avoid traffic and will actually honk if you are blocking their way. May I go out on a limb and say I believe American drivers, with the exception of the DWI problem, are the best in the world? At the very least, the world I've seen. I believe if America had the mass transportation system ive witnessed in other countries, the DWI problem would lessen as well.

Have I mentioned smoking? I forgot about how unpleasant it was when someone gets on an elevator with a lit cigarette. No smile.

There is no coffee in the room. Conversation this morning when I called the desk:

Me: "What time does the coffee shop next door open this morning?"
Little voice: "Maybe at 8."
Me: "Is there another coffee shop open earlier?"
Little voice: "Maybe they are open at 9 or 10?"
Me: "No, is there one I can walk to now?"
Little voice: "Maybe at 8 o'clock,"

You were wrong Benjamin Franklin. Early to bed and early to rise is a curse.