When I arrived in Shanghai, my friend Kathryn was in Beijing running a 10K (which partially took place on the Great Wall. Cool!) so it was me, Bill and the boys the first day and a half.
In the afternoon, we went to the same park which had earlier been over run by the active elderly. This time we went to enjoy the kiddie carnival rides. While all the rides were sparkly clean, they also had and overly bright, overly cheerful look that bordered on creepy – like a clown with too much make-up (OK, is that even possible?). Regardless, Liam and Cian really seemed to be enjoying themselves.
I couldn't seem to get enough of this beautiful, bronzed, statuesque lady chatting away on her bronzed pay phone. I took at least a half dozen photos of her and this ended up my favorite. How ironic that in an ultra-modern city in which everyone is talking or texting away on their mobiles, they've put up a sculpture involving a pay phone.
You'll all be happy to know that there is a Starbucks a block from my friends' house. So, I was never denied my Starbucks fix while in Shanghai. After a coffee and a peanut butter scone (something I've not seen in the U.S.), I took a morning walk in the park which was a fascinating experience.
In Shanghai (as I've seen in other Chinese cities), parks in the morning are the domain of the active elderly. This morning, there were hundreds of older Chinese participating in a variety of group exercises. There was tai chi, aerobics, sword dancing (Yes, dancing with swords. Dull swords I hope.) and something involving little plastic hoops. Part of me wanted to resist snapping photos for fear of being intrusive (I imagined someone coming into my Saturday morning yoga class and taking pictures. Blah!) but I couldn't resist.
Signs of the 2010 World Expo are literally and figuratively everywhere in Shanghai. Here, outside one of the parks along the main shopping street, we have one of the literal versions. 
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!
After a 17-hour journey, I arrived in Shanghai. I met my friends' driver Mr. Wong (yes, they have a driver) outside Customs and we headed for town. About three-quarters of the way to the house, we passed the 2010 World Expo currently being held in Shanghai. I'll be the first to admit that this is a stinker of a photo - taken through the window of a moving vehicle, on a gloomy day and at a really bad angle - BUT a couple points of interest:
Mr. Wong, who rarely attempts English, made a point to slow down and point out the Expo to me. I later mentioned this to my friend Kathryn and see mentioned that he, like most Chinese, are very proud of the Expo - as they should be.
The Chinese have spent more on the Expo than the Beijing Olympics. It's a HUGE endeavor and yet has gotten very little press in the United States. Why do you suppose that is?
Later on in the week, we visited the Expo and it was truly spectacular. Welcome to China 2010!
