When I wrote yesterday that the next post could be Sucky in Shanghai, I probably didn't take into account how long a post like that might become. Let's just say I could have another entire blog devoted entirely to that topic. So, I thought I would narrow it down for today.
Before I took Morgan to school today, I looked outside and saw a light fog. No, fog wouldn't be quite the right word - maybe "haze" would be more appropriate. I had fleeting thoughts of whether the conditions were ripe for fog because it really hasn't gotten cold here yet. (It has gotten chilly with temperatures ranging somewhere in the 50s lately.) By the time I got to the street with Morgan in the stroller, the truth had hit: fog really was inappropriate because fog indicates a natural element dependent upon weather conditions. What I saw was chemically related. It really only took one breath before I could smell the not-so-faint undertones of exhaust in the air. My second breath left me with a slightly tangy toxic aftertaste on the back of my tongue, a truly appetizing breakfast. It's not surprising, really. With approximately 20 million people in Shanghai, there are a lot of cars on the road here. Admittedly, most people do not own cars, like they do in the US or other developed cities/countries in the world. But, they are fast trying to catch up. Luckily, the government does limit how many people are allowed to own a license plate in the city at any given time. Plus, the exorbitant cost of such plate prohibits most people from attempting it. However, it does seem like there are literally a million cars on the roads in Shanghai. Is that figure accurate? Who knows. . . The answer would probably be easy to find if I read or spoke any Chinese. However, my few brief lessons in brushstrokes taken over two years ago has failed to help me decifer the elusive Chinese character. It still looks like scribble to me. I could ask my driver, Bobby, for the answer to my question but even with his fairly good English, I'm not sure he would understand my request or have the means to find the answer. But, since most of you living at home (except for my Shanghai friends) would have no concept of what Shanghai traffic looks like, you'll have to accept my best estimation.
As soon as I grew accustomed to the sweet scent of tailpipe, I passed a man on the street holding his hand up to his nose. This isn't exactly uncommon for westerners who are routinely surprised by the unpleasantness of city smells, but this guy was a local Chinese. Ok, was he really local? Who knows as he was rather well dressed - I didn't exactly flag him down for a chat. Maybe he was an ABC (American Born Chinese, for those of you not in the know) or of another Asian descent. I guess I just assumed so because I live in a local locale (how's that for some alliteration?) Regardless, he had alerted me that some unpleasant odor would soon be upon me. Sure enough, several steps later I was greeted by what I believed to be the scent of excrement - yes, poop. As a mom to a toddler, you'd think that I would be relatively immune to a wiff of the doody, but smelling your own child's stuff is rather different than some complete stranger. I hope you have noticed that I have assumed this previously mentioned streetside excrement was human. Could it be an animal? Most certainly. Could it be human? Just as likely. You see, the streets are littered, literally, with repulsive paraphernalia. Trash cans, although in existence, just aren't used that often. Litter, spittle, hawkers, urine, and yes, poop, are always on the sidewalk. I know many of you haven't seen it, but young kids here don't wear diapers - they have split pants. Yes, that's right - a split right in the pants where the privates are. I guess it speeds things up for parents. Instead of pulling down a kid's pants and taking them to a toilet, they just hold them in a squat position over the sidewalk. Older kids just squat down on their own. I kid you not. This is a picture of a little girl doing it in Tiananmen Square. Needless to say, you ALWAYS look down when you walk and take care to avoid any puddles, especially if it hasn't rained lately.
Bob and I have talked often about wanting to bottle the smells of Shanghai. Well, Bob talks about it in one of his "Hey, I've got a way to make money" kind of schemes. Really, though, unless it's a white elephant type gift, who would want to open a bottle of that? What would you name it - Super Pooper? Come on, humor me - tell me your best name. If you have the winningest entry, I'll even send you a free bottle.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
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