Some clarity

I think I want to share these photos with you in order to give you a more balanced view of what we see, the contradictions, the beauty, the different worlds you are confronted by here, by simply turning around 180 degrees.

The first two photos are of scenes of the shops across the road from the park where we sit and drink beer, looking at passersby (as described in yesterday's post). This is literally 20 m away from where we sit. Quite a different view from the ones you saw yesterday, facing the park.

Then, about half a block away, we took this one of an old cobbler omie, fixing shoes for a living from his pavement factory.








From our open air bar, this street scene of someone doing something wrong, and being questioned by some police. Everytime that happens, a crowd immediately gathers, and questions the trapped criminal as vigorously as the police. Definitely a social sense of what is right, and of what is wrong. Good !!!!










Shops seem to come grouped by the products they sell. For example, you'd find 4 to 10 shops selling beads, then the next stretch of small shops would be selling kiddies toys, etc etc. Here are some photos of ones selling all kinds of fabrics. Thought you ladies would find this interesting.

Two photos taken outside a material shop, also selling fake fur (as you can see from the rolls and rolls of fur on display). The woman in the photo is the actual owner. Her shop is about 1.5m in width and about 6m long. From here she makes a roaring trade.













Then, literally standing on the same spot from where Mau took the one of the fur selling lady, he turned around 180 degrees and this is what was on view. A modern, wide lane leading towards the restored section of old Shanghai, drawing a mass of tourists. It passes under one of the Old Town's original Gates. A world of contradictions, indeed.