Zero Life

The anti-energy drink. ‘Zero Life will make your life more happy and active,’ it says. Really? PS, it’s alcoholic. What’s going on here? I’m confused.

Monkeys

News report at the Paul Frank exhibit…? Near Jing’an temple today.
Monkey see, monkey do and all that.

Shopping

Optional crotchless panties and a gun that shoots blanks har har. Thank you Nicole for the photos.

Dog Public Toilet?

Suggestion? Complaint? Celebration?

Lionel Richie

Sad I missed this guy last week in Shanghai!

I was, however, able to enjoy the awkward taxi cab video ads leading up to the concert. They were clearly scripted for non-native English speakers. It was like Lionel was explaining his concert tour to someone who just came out of a coma. ‘Come hear my music by me, Lionel Richie, at my concert. Where I will play music. At my concert.’

Shameless self plug You can also hear some music by me. On my YouTube YouTube channelchannel. Where I play music. On YouTube.

Maiden Voyage

Nautical theme wedding including a ‘boat’

AHOY! (I couldn’t help myself.)

PS Not only nautical, also set in Russia. Dolphin line up during the set up.

Evol Htiw Teem

That is just so sweet. Especially when spelled forwards.

Nice try, Chinese wedding planner. It is the thought that counts, after all.

Clown Call

It was an important call, Okaaay???

Clowns giving out balloon pets at our wedding gig in Suzhou today. The first time I tried to get a photo, they were both on their phone and immediately dropped them and started posing. Snore. But managed to get both on their phones eventually, if separately.

Trouble with the Feds

But before that – one of a zillion acrobatic junk collectors in Shanghai

At our surprise tree lunch place, the street cops have been giving the shop lady a hard time about the placement of tables and chairs on the sidewalk. It is a wide sidewalk with somewhat steady foot traffic, but never to the point of congestion. He made us move about 2 feet to the left. We felt pretty good that the shop lady gave him a bit of a fight about it – a display of loyalty to a handful of expats in the midst of a xenophobic culture. I managed to get this shot of them arguing.

Stuff Vegetable Man Says

My Chinese stinks. But I do enjoy the amusement of trying to communicate with my neighborhood vegetable man. As we all know, much is lost I translation, so I like to imagine what goes unspoken in our conversations of few words.

Scene: I buy carrots a lot.

Him: I see you are again purchasing a disproportionate amount of carrots. Tell me, is the carrot a staple of your traditional American cuisine?

Me: Not particularly. I enjoy juicing carrots. I add a bit of ginger, sometimes I toss in an apple or orange. I find fresh juice a delightful start to the day.

Him: Well said! Enjoy your carrot juice.

What actually goes down…

Me: Money?
Him: 3.50.
Me: Give you 3.50!
Him: You mmmm?? *making eating motion with hands*
Me: Juice.
Him: Juice. Ha. Ha. Juice.
Me: Bye bye!
Him: Bye bye!