October 13 - Embracing The Masses

Andy had the day off and offered to take me to the local "farmer's market," held daily near his apartment. It was huge and I was the only westerner in the many streets/alleys/buildings where it is held.  It was interesting to be able to have leisurely discussions with Andy about the various foods and methods of preparation.  Of course there was plenty to shock the ordinary westerner -- pick out your live chicken, pigeon or dove and watch them kill, pluck and clean it for you:

and other edibles (frogs, turtles and eels):

as well as lots of vegetables, fish and eggs.

Rather than eat at any of the several vendor's in the market, Andy wanted me to try the dumplings at a nearby place that was known for it's excellent dumplings. So, we enjoyed a breakfast of these yummy dumplings (both in a dough wrap - served with vinegar - and in a soup/broth) while getting to watch them make them:

Following breakfast, we caught the subway to a rather touristy (think Chinese tourists) and expat area known as the "French Concession."  Lonely planet says it was "once home to the bulk of Shanghai's adventurers, revolutionaries, gangsters, prostitutes and writers..." whereas today it is " a trendy and happening enclave, excellent for random exploration..."  We explored it some, enjoyed some traditional coconut popsicle (that Andy remembered fondly from his childhood) and strolled the nearby Fuxing Park teaming with Sunday visitors -- including some singing Karaoke in one part of the park and a man practicing playing rock drums to music in another part (he wasn't "busking" - doing it for tips; he was just enjoying himself and the many people who had gathered around).

Andy returned to his apartment, needing to get laundry done and take care of other matters, but I continued the day's adventure.  Initially I was going to stay away from the Yu Gardens because Lonely Planets guidance that the crowds can be challenging -- and I figured it would be doubly difficult as today is Sunday. But on second thought, I recalculated that it would be most interesting to see the area at its most crowded.  So, with a connection on the subway, I walked into a mass of humanity like I hadn't seen since the last time I visited China.  The Gardens themselves weren't that crowded, but the shopping area around them was shoulder to shoulder including with groups of western tourists being led around by flag carriers just like we see in the USA.

 I got as much entertainment value out of seeing all the shapes, sizes and expressions of the westerners as I did the locals. The Gardens themselves were underwhelming but interesting -- very similar Portland's Lan Su Chinese Garden.

I navigated myself back to Andy's apartment intent on getting a famous Shanghai foot massage -- but after walking the streets near his place, I decided I needed to do some more homework on how to distinguish an actual massage business from a front for prostitution.  I didn't see any actual red or pink lights -- as I expected from prior reading/talking, but some of the places looked way too swank and the door keepers too eager in their stiletto heels.

Andy led me to a place near his apartment that he hadn't visited but which had the type of food he grew up on in northern China.  We both were amazed at the proportions and feasted on more deliciousness: