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

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