26 Nov. 2011: WEST SIDE STORY #1 of 3

It was our last full Saturday in China and a beautiful sunny warm day, so we made a point of going to the historic but crowded downtown west side. As in, west side of the epic Yangtze River, which flows through central China, Shanghai, and to the Pacific Ocean. There are still remnants of hutongs, the classic narrow alleyway-neighbourhoods that once defined Chinese life. But most cities are now overrun with huge tall structures.

People's Park is a small patch of green dating from the British days. Ponds, gardens, card games are the same in parks everywhere. What was surprising were hundreds of parents (or their professional agents) matchmaking for their sons or daughters! They spread out information sheets with age and credentials and other parents make the rounds, like looking for ripe tomatoes! No pictures are shown (truth in advertising?) and the potential brides and grooms are not there themselves. Desperation was in the air ---- they would even have taken me!

Further along an old guy had cornered some sidewalk to display his classic car and rickshaw (original owner?). Can anybody out there I.D. the ragtop? Then there's a massive pedestrian mall with crowds shopping or hopping onto the tour train.

Oh-oh. There were kids taking decorations off a public "Holiday" tree and smashing them with rocks. Guess who's getting nothing for Christmas??