on the road again

an alleyway somewhere downtown

a whimsical restaurant where a couple of young patrons enjoy their lunch while perched on swings

a most interesting social function - evidently, on saturdays, thousands and thousands of middle-aged folks come together in a public park to matchmake - i.e. search for potential mates for their offspring

some sit in front of signs that describe their offspring or relative

on weekends, there are so many street vendors in the city, presumably from one of the outlying provinces

there is a very small restaurant in the french concession that has a line out the door at all times of the day and night

this colorful crab was one of the dishes in a seafood fest that i participated in

so it's been confirmed - this dish does contain caterpillars - and counter to what most people say - it tastes like caterpillar

view of a restaurant interior on the top floor of a department store

a young couple dreams about a life with a red car

workmen starting on building bamboo scaffolding

yes, what trip is complete without a picture of a hotel room - its the standard executive room

and old building near the bund

waitress pouring tea at a restaurant

you may have seen a similar picture before in this blog - view looking out on the tarmac at the united terminal at sfo

mildly interesting fair-usage rules on a plastic shield behind a taxi driver

more fair-usage rules

this was taken at breakfast in the hotel on the first day upon arrival - i must admit that i have not had a chance to use the book much yet - but i hope to......

seen in an alleyway in old town, a very rare sight for me - a man using a land-line phone on the street in asia

view of the bund from pudong at night

the view of pudong from the bund - this is more than a light haze - not sure what it's due to but i get a feeling that it is more than just humidity

for example, at high noon, one can stare directly into the sun without any ill effect - shown here , one example of said effect

dancers sharing a casual moment during a break in their ballet performance

the actual ballet was delightful - performed in a town square just off of the main shopping beaten path

men and women on mopeds - enough said

in between songs, an old time band - hired for the opening of a downtown store - takes five

view of the sfo international departure terminal - well i've always laughed at the suggestion that one arrives 3 hours early for international flights - but it turns out to be appropriate for days like today when the checkin lines and security lines are long and slow

the city is dark during the night - the first real view at day break shows a city that is undergoing another period of mega construction
at center is the JinMao Tower, and the world finance center building that is underconstruction beside it has already eclipsed its height record

/div>

some late pictures from the trip

most of my trips seem to end with a plane ride - a view of what must be a spectacular blood-red sunset over the western pacific ocean - peeking through the clouds


one of the more interesting meal choices seen on a flight - sambab - rice, meat, condiments wrapped in leaves


they use the exact same krispy kreme donut recipe here as anywhere else - always fresh and always good


a garish facade for a cafe in a fashionable district frequented by university students and young professionals


an animated crowd dancing along to the music at a pop/rock concert while braving the cold evening air of a late autumn


a street food stall vendor getting an early start in preparing for the dinner rush


it turns out everyone needs a break from work every once in a while - a few minutes reading the paper or just plain enjoying a nice afternoon in the enchanted city


remains of a meal at a traditional restaurant on the banks of a river - on the menu were marinated crab and broiled mackerel - or so it would seem


billowy entrance to a high-end chinese restaurant

poster art

seen about town - poster for a new film festival - i hope it becomes successful


poster for a movie currently playing in the theaters - i did not get a chance to see it - will wait until i can buy it as a vcd


this was taken around a populous shopping district near the western gate of seoul

far from home

in a park, with his carefully made display of affection, a school boy professes his love to a girl

florist working in the late hours in front of an art gallery as a family portrait looks on

free pop/rock concert with several name acts draws a large crowd of all ages down to a downtown square

after which fireworks conclude the event

took a drive in the countryside - it is nearly the end of autumn and piles of straw are sitting patiently on recently harvested rice fields

and far into the countryside, i came across this grave site with a headstone on the back of which all descendants names had been engraved - there were some names that looked familiar to me

some obligatory pictures - daytime view from the hotel room

and the same view at night

travelling

i'm travelling in a land of contrasts - a store front display exhudes a sense of serenity whereas

this storefront has a slightly more violent theme - a cooked pig's head beckons diners in search of tasty head dishes

street vendors selling all sorts of food is almost a way of life here - a tradition observed by busy commuting business folks and strolling couples on dates

a stream still runs through this city - although i am thinking that this may not be a natural occurrence

there are churches every few steps here - sometimes you might see five to six churches renting space in a single building, and sometimes you see a few that are larger than others - here a church sits on a massive campus with a congregation that stretches into the tens of thousands

a row of mostly spicy condiments is offered at a japanese sushi restaurant in the business district

traditional dresses posing on a rack hung up in front of a street-market storefront

it's eeriely quiet in the business center on a saturday morning - i'm all alone with my coffee, pastries and laptop - you can hear a business card drop

it feels like the lights have gotten brighter and warmer, the sounds have gotten louder, and the crowds have gotten crowdier in this trendy/hip part of town

stopped for some coffee at the hotel bar and a good looking jazz band started up its set