Usually the first way people in older neighborhoods know their homes are going to be demolished is when the government puts up red banners. The banners often tell people to move quickly out of the neighborhood.

Summer is winding down which means that soon watermelons will be out of season. For now at least the streets are full of watermelons for sale, and the remains of watermelons already eaten.

Fire hydrants are among the most essential street furniture there is, but are often overlooked. Fire hydrants here have not been completely standardized, with some older ones hanging on.

Alongside many of the new highways being built in Shanghai are many small patches of grass. Often the government has put sculptures in the patches. They are quite random in their subjects, from abstract designs to a group of horses to guys playing basketball.

One of the more curious things you notice walking around Shanghai are the mops on the sidewalks, leaned up against trees, light poles and railings. Shopkeepers feel that having the mop inside the store is dirty, so they leave them outside. Many leave them out overnight figuring nobody would steal a dirty mop.

Shanghai is currently going through a gargantuan building boom. You can’t go more than a few blocks without coming across a skyscraper being built. Usually after the workers clear the site, they put up cement walls to keep people out. Often on top of the walls, they put up ads, either computer renderings of what they’re building or government propaganda.

Guys in China smoke, alot. Almost 60%(!) of Chinese men smoke. I always feel a bit awkward turning down free cigarettes from friends and random dudes, since it must look unmanly not to smoke. Recently the government has tried to limit the places where people can light up, including an ordinance passed last year banning it in elevators. However, it doesn’t seem to be enforced at all. So tonight I shot discarded cigarette packs, from the most common brands (双喜, Double Happiness) to the most expensive (中华, Chunghwa).

Even though cars pretty much now own the roads in Shanghai, there are still tons of bicyclists, enough that rush hour sometimes looks like a Critical Mass rally.