Some friends put on the Second Invitational “Find the Peeing Taxi Driver in Pajamas Hauling Styrofoam†Bicycle Scavenger Hunt today. The object of the hunt this year was to buy a team costume, go to an appointed bar to take photos and, of course, grab shots of daily Shanghai life in the process.
Our team of four consisted on Brenda’s good friend Mary, her husband John, his friend Cris, and me. Brenda did not go, as she was delivering kids to sleep-overs.
We started off in Pudong and immediately took the ferry cross river to Puxi to hit YuYuan – the pre-imminent narrow street, crowded, bustling shopping area to get our costumes. Right off the ferry, we spotted our first photo-op. The mobile bicycle bar-b-ques are definitely a Shanghai thing.
We made a quick stop at a couple of shops (negotiating for our life as well) to secure our costumes. We took the costume lead from those on the street, as we wanted to be as stealth as possible.
From the name of the game, you can see that there are many interesting daily sights in Shanghai. Styrofoam hauling is a cottage industry in Shanghai. Never does a day go by without seeing someone struggling to peddle an overloaded 3 wheel bicycle overloaded with something.
Shanghai is a flat city, so bicycles and scooters are everywhere and used for every purpose. Some people run their business off the back of a bike or a scooter. At the stoplight, I found a mobile carpet cleaning company!
With the China one child policy, a scooter is perfect family transportation. Dad driving, mom on the back and kid standing on the middle. Often you will see LPG bottles or 5 gallon water bottles tied to the back like saddle bags.
We had to have a few more stops to make and grab photos at the local bar street. Here on Tongren Lu, if you do not watch your wallet, you will be buying drinks for the entire bar! Tequila anyone?
We had to stop by the local watering hole, Malone’s. It was just before show time for the house band, Art 6. They are renowned in Shanghai as the best (Philippine) band and have been playing for years. So I had to take the opportunity to grab a few autographs.
We were not the only one out in our pajamas. On our way back to the to the starting point of the hunt, we were waiting for the ferry. There we found a compatriot Shanghainese in his PJs. He was more than happy to take a photo – we have really joined the brotherhood of Shanghai pajama people!
But of course we could not end without sharing a bit of Chinglish. At least you “particularty” know what they sell.
