Shanghai Sonshine: City Life

Fun things & pictures about city life in Shanghai:

When I ask people how long it will take to get somewhere, they always answer “Well without traffic…” and I wonder, why do you say that? Unless I have asked you how long it will take at 3 in the morning…there is ALWAYS traffic.
One plus to 28 MM people is that the government employees MANY of these people to clean the streets, trim the trees, plant new flowers, mow the grass. There are typically city workers on every major corner in the ‘downtown’ area to direct pedestrians on when it is okay to cross…so much for those crosswalk signs, don’t really need them!
We have seen A LOT of things on a bike…cages of chickens, cardboard & Styrofoam packed so high & wide you wonder where it came from, wicker furniture, skinned pigs (like the whole thing, just minus the skin!). You know just your normal everyday stuff!
There is clearly nothing private about your laundry…because people hang it everywhere. On their porches, at the front door of the apartment, across the sidewalk – all of it, sheets, shirts, underwear you name it, it’s hanging there!
As a general rule, Chinese people don’t prefer to wait in lines – much too orderly. I’ve been told this is cultural from when there wasn’t enough food in the country and there were rations – if you didn’t push & shove to the front you might not get food. Understand the background, sometimes I’m just trying to get on the elevator though!