Saturday morning one week ago the typhoon was gone and the weather was nice again. So I decided to take another tour through the city. First I headed to Xintiandi another district of the former French Concession. The Sinan mansions are some restored old but now luxurious houses, so nothing special. But the streets around with their maximum two storey buildings and trees at both sides of the streets have had some special Flair. In general I was a bit surprised about the attitude of the drivers in Shanghai, as compared to other cities or towns I’ve visited before, they mainly care about traffic lights and traffic rules. If you are visiting other places, you’ll discover that nobody, including pedestrian, care about the colour of traffic lights…yes they have also in China three colours red, yellow and green. But come on, I AM in a hurry, why should I take care of it. So everyone is just driving or walking, regardless of the colour of the traffic light. And then they are honking, no they are NOT wondering about it, when there is a jam on the junction. Yes, I got it, because THEY are in a hurry, but they DON’T get it, that there is a causal REASON for the traffic jam…you just drive when you want. So, just stop at the red light and the traffic would be more fluently, hence you don’t need to honk. Ah…this causal behaviour is too complex for you…OK, just drive and keep honking.
After the French Concession I went again to the Bund, but now approaching from the northern side. After crossing the Suzhou creek I strolled to the pedestrian side of the East Nanjing Road up to the People’s Garden. That seemed to me the main shopping area for all expensive stuff, but I’ve no idea, if it is worth to go there.
