Something new I have learned.

I used to be the worst person able to deal with change. It just was not my forte and I usually handled it quite badly. Just went to ground and sulked and then just plodded along until I could come to grips with it. And sometimes that took quite awhile. Now I find I am more of the well, whoever thought this would work out anyway crowd. It is what it is and it usually is quite below my expectations. And my expectations are quite low to start with.

We taxied to Marks&Spencer purveyor of all that is western this Sunday. Before popping in there we went to the Gap. All the new stuff displayed on the amazing story boards is not for sale. Because they don't have any, yet. It is new you see. And they don't have anything new but the pictures of the new stuff. Okay, got it.

The M&S experience was much better as I had not seen their stuff before so it was all new to me. I did however balk at the changing rooms. It was a Chinese free-for-all and I just said no. Will try the stuff on today and Big Daddy can return or throw away what I don't want to keep. I did get to see the Books By Pound seller and the phony CD seller and the Buy The Wallets laying on the ground seller. Could not take pictures as it was raining. All this on the famous Nanjing Lu, pearl of the Paris of the East.

We walked down to TaiKang Lu later in the day and more of the stores are shut down with new business setting up shop. Higher and higher prices and not a lot of  people buying. Went to our favorite restaurant, Casa 13, to find it is no longer Casa 13. Same name but new owners. Did not have a good dinner, the menu is very small, very expensive and not that tasty. Calamari was not crispy and the sauce not tasty, chopped salad was a throw away. Big Daddy had the duck risotto which he said was ok and I had the salmon, 5 out of 10 on a ratings scale. The original wait staff was there and told me only the third day with the menu and we were the first regulars. They did seem concerned we were not happy but in the traditional Chinese manner just could not make it right. "Do you want me to make another"? No, if the first one sucked why would I want a repeat? We were kind and generous, left a nice tip as always and gave the guy a business card, call us if it changes again. This is the fourth restaurant either out of business or no longer worthy of our business in less than a year. The stores seem to change weekly.

So now we have no place normal to eat without a taxi ride. That was the charm, walking to dinner and shopping. So China is upping the carbon footprint by putting locals out of business in the never ending search for higher returns. Gosh darn, who does that sound like? First the diesel generators because they shut the electrical grid down and now this.

Well, tomorrow back to Podunk on the train where you don't expect much except maybe some buffalo shit to rub on your head.

Okay, Punkin Head's favorite, Funnies of the Weekend: Taxi Drivers

First one was a lounge lizard. Black sharkskin suit, crisp as you can get in Shanghai white shirt, no cotton gloves and fancy ass hair. I really wondered if he was subbing for his cousin and the way to his job at the jazz bar.  Until he put the CD in to play, and hummed and smiled and looked into the rearview mirror.

Second guy is normal taking us back to the apartment. When we get to the place where you can see the Mickey D's I go into my Chinese Second Language spiel about how to turn and which way to go. He looks at me and says, you mean turn left.