Chickens on a Scooter

Vegetarians and squeamish readers of this blog should once again avert their eyes.
Here in Asia we live by one motto: never buy a dead chicken. The result is that live chickens get moved around on the backs of trucks, trikes, scooters and bicycles. These guys are headed for the market beyond that bridge at the end of the road and that chicken on the top knows it. Hear him make a last request for a blindfold - or was that a Double Happiness cigarette?

Up In Smoke

Midnight at Chinese New Year on The Crash Test Dummy's street in Shanghai. It's actually a clear night - all that haze is the smoke of tens of thousands of fireworks drifting across the city. Incredibly Wingman actually slept through all this.

The New Year Build Up

Chinese New Year is just around the corner and the build up to the big bang on saturday night has begun as people just can't wait to make a noise.
The first set of firecrackers goes off unseen down a side alley but the second lot was right by our ear. That lady in the red coat wasn't too pleased, I can tell you.

There Goes the Neighbourhood

This large chinese character painted on a building near our house is a common sight in all Chinese cities but especially in the fast changing ones in the east of the country. It means "take apart" and roughly translates here as "due for demolition". There goes the neighbourhood - literally. The local fruit stall seems to be holding out for now. We'll see how long she lasts.

Sausages

Nobody misses a good drying day in Shanghai. In winter, clothes are dried, bedding is aired - and foodstuffs are cured. Spot the row of sausages drying above the washing. Harder to spot is the bundle of ducks hanging by the lamppost. Cycling around I also see fish, beef and pork swinging gently in the pollution.

It's All Gone "Mythbusters"

As the traffic here worsens, concerned parents find new ways to protect their kids on the backs of their bikes.
This man clearly gets Discovery Channel and has built a Mythbusters-style blast screen to protect other road users in case his child explodes.
Adam and Jamie would be proud.

Cute Kid

If you're going to go through a bus stop while riding on the wrong side of the road you might as well have a cute kid perched on the front.

On a Break

Sorry for the long break, The Crash Test Dummy was in Tibet. We took the train. Tibet is so ethereal that they don't ride their bikes, they sail them - according to this bike shop in Lhasa, at least.

Squeeze Me!

A blue Mazda jumps the lights. He gets caught mid-crossing and makes his second mistake - leaving a 4 foot gap between him and the bus in front. 22 bicycles and scooters (count 'em) squeeze through before he gets a chance to move again. The moral: never give a cyclist an even break.