Day 1 - Shanghai

After getting settled in, I went for a stroll around my friends' neighborhood. They live in an area known as the French Concession - an area (as the name suggests) once controlled by the French. The area is quite lively - filled with small, chic boutiques, restaurants and shops with the stores on the main street rivaling what you might expect to see on 5th Ave in NYC. This is a place that suggests, while we Americans are fantastic materialists, the Chinese can certainly give us a run for our money. Having said that, today's picture does not focus on a Gucci bag or a pair Jimmy Choo shoes but on food. Passing by, I couldn't resist snapping a shot of the hanging meat. I believe we have some chicken, several ducks and is that possibly some sort of hoof? The good news, unlike many places I've been, there is a window on the front of the shop so the meat is not hanging in the open air. Also, you'll notice the chef is wearing a mask. It is very common in Asia for people who are sick to wear face masks to limit the spread of germs. Not a bad idea!