Typical China! - Snapshots

Some say that Shanghai isn´t really China. Let me tell you this: There isn´t a single day I walk out in front of our door  and don´t  get to see something "typical Chinese". Most of the time I don´t have my camera with me. But today I came across some snapshots and decided to share them with you because they summarize nicely what you run in to when you are living here:

Classic #1 : The Shanghai dog beeing taken for his "walk"

The Shanghainese are ahead of the rest of China and probably don´t need a one-child-only policy anymore. The young and trendy who earn enough money to enjoy nice lifestile have decided that a dog is much less pain and much more affordable alternative to a baby. They makes a nice accessoire, too!

The citizens here are so crazy about dogs (and I don´t mean that they end up on the menue ) that some months ago the City government released the "One -dog-per-household-only- policy" - no joking! With an estimated 500.000 dogs in town they probably thought enough is enough.

Living as a dog in Shanghai may not be a dream-incarnation, but still better than beeing born as a Chicken:

Classic #2: The Chicken Street Vendor

Here you see a  chicken vendor with his bike closing a deal with a woman who happend to pass by. That the poor buggers are alife and kept squeezed in a tiny cage is already not so nice.

But what adds a little spice to the scene is that the chopping board (with remaining chicken pieces stuck to it) is placed right next to them.

Attached to the bike is also a steaming drum. I´m not quite sure what that is for and we probably don´t want to know... 

 

Classic # 3 : The slit trousers

The reason I took this picture was originally because it was just a fun scene with baby wearing sun glases and it´s little yellow outfit. Only at second glance I noticed the babies bottom is actually sticking out of it´s pants.

This is something you get to see a lot in China. Not so much in Shanghai, but the further you go out of town or into the poorer regions it is the usual sight.You can buy slit trousers for the little ones that for when they need a waz, all you need to do is make them squat.

I can´t help it but thinking: How handy! Just think about it: Immediate reaction to the babies need possible wherever you go. No pulling down trousers, no need to change nappies (at least in summer) - and always a light breeze to cool the babies bottom :-).
(In winter they do wear nappies underneath).


Some of you might think now " They are crazy over there!!".. but think a minute:
Wasn´t it Paris Hilton who showed the world that the best way to present your new handbag is by sticking a dog in your latest handbag?
How long ago was it that our parents - and if not them our grandparents - bought their chickens life because a fridget wasn´t in the house?
And isn´t it one of the joys for kids to run round the garden in summer letting the sun shining on their exposed lower backs? ..

If we are honest - after all we are not soo different :-)