BLUE DRAGON One of my happiest days in Shanghai was actually the saddest for many children. On this day, I passed through urban corridors, where the city sometimes becomes a village – a village full of recollections, memories, and rituals to improve people’s lives. [ + ]
BLUE DRAGON
One of my happiest days in Shanghai was actually the saddest for many children. On this day, I passed through urban corridors, where the city sometimes becomes a village – a village full of recollections, memories, and rituals to improve people’s lives.
In a country where farming is fast declining, many children in the city, on this day, had to sacrifice their appearance in some way – for example, by having their hair cut off – in order to ensure that a faraway region – where they have never been, that they don’t even know exists, but where their parents used to live happily – will receive abundant rain and be forever rid of insects. Houses are cleaned, popcorn is eaten, and women do not sew, so as to prevent any needles puncturing the eyes of the dragon, who raises his head on this day. Once the house has been cleaned from top to bottom, some people spread plant ashes throughout and around their home, so that the dragon will feel welcome, inciting him to provide plenty of rain for good harvests.
UMBRELLA I’m walking in the sunlight, most probably under the shade of the umbrella I’m carrying. I look up and down from the pedestrian bridges. [ + ]
UMBRELLA
I’m walking in the sunlight, most probably under the shade of the umbrella I’m carrying. I look up and down from the pedestrian bridges. I push my bike along, and linger a while on the bridge, breathing the air carried down from the top of the creek, or simply looking down, surrendering my attention to the red lights on one side and the white lights on the other. How many people are travelling in each direction? I feel secure above all of them, following my own rhythm.
[ - ]GUESS WHO IS RIDING THE BICYCLE Shanghai and China historically have an impressive record in terms of the number of citizens who ride bicycles. It is not by chance that the bestselling model of bicycle in the world is Chinese. [ + ]
GUESS WHO IS RIDING THE BICYCLE
Shanghai and China historically have an impressive record in terms of the number of citizens who ride bicycles. It is not by chance that the bestselling model of bicycle in the world is Chinese. Flying Pigeon one of the most popular vehicles sold anywhere.
The Chinese have always made great use of bicycles, and they are good at it. They use them as trucks, mobile shops (selling products ranging from gardening items to food), whole-family transport, and as a means of crossing the entire city on a daily basis.
In one particular lilong, I get to meet a man who used the pedal of his bike to set in motion a sharpener he had attached to the wheel in order to file and sharpen all kinds of kitchen utensils.
However, the Shanghainese are not in agreement on certain issues, such as:
– Using bicycle lights at night and/or cycle helmets.
– Riding straight, like a Western cyclist. It is hard to shake the feeling that riding in a straight line might actually be more dangerous than navigating the city streets in a more winding, haphazard way… perhaps there is a secret to this?
– Using hand signals to indicate you are about to turn. In this case, there is just one thing that matters: keeping your arms safe, and using your head, eyes and ears, as the rules of the road in this city are quite different…
And… doing any of the above will immediately mark you out as… a foreigner.