Hello from my Thursday evening run to Wagas! The coolest part – I am actually writing this AT WAGAS! So you are all really here with me.
Tonight as I set off on my run, I was thinking that there are a lot of “little things” that would seem shockingly different or unfamiliar to a foreigner coming to Shanghai. However, for me, I don’t even notice these little things any more. They have simply become part of my everyday life; they are my new norm.
I tried to put myself in the shoes of someone coming to Shanghai for the first time, and whenever I ran past something this evening that you don’t typically see in the States, I snapped a photo for you. I tried to capture all of the “little things” that truly capture everyday China life. The little things that, to foreigners might seem weird, but to me are normal.
Below are photos of things you cannot go 5 minutes without seeing. These photos certainly capture my every day experience for you all.
These little things include (but are not limited to):
-Various kinds of wagons and carts (sometimes empty, sometimes overflowing with fruit, nuts, mail, anything you can think of)
-Moped and electric scooters EVERYWHERE (as well as moped recharge stations on the side of the road)
-Bike traffic
-Policemen riding all kinds of nifty vehicles
-Random construction sites and men wearing plastic yellow caps
-High-rise construction cranes in the middle of nowhere
-Laundry hanging from anywhere that might be convenient (in this case, the side of the road)
-Dumpling and baozi (steamed bun) shacks
If I think of more “little things” I will keep you posted! Here is a start…