·             Old Yeller (or Old Yellow ha) is not just the name of a classic Disney film but my nickname for the scooter drivers (mostly older males because the world revolves around them) who treat traffic lights as mere suggestions to be ignored. They frequently ride the wrong way down the street lanes or sidewalks, whatever works best for them. A more positive experience in getting around has been the clean, efficient Metro complete with clean, automatic-flush squatty potties( bring your own paper products). There are countless security cameras and bag screening. They want you to feel safe and hope you don’t notice all the people who don’t queue to get screened. Those people must work for the government. We have seen the conspicuous consumption of the very modern glitzy malls, surprisingly with affordable food courts. The kids were impressed with the curved escalators at nearby Shanghai New World Daimaru and rode them up to the 7th floor. I could only manage 4 levels in the open atrium before acrophobia set in.
           At the other end of the spectrum our small hotel, Shanghai Fish Inn Bund, is nestled amongst a range of local stores and small restaurants.  We have  seen the local Science Museum with an impressive geodesic glass dome and also wandered through densely populated but quieter outlying suburbs. A friendly woman sold my new favorite safe asian street food-charcoal roasted sweet potato. The scooter drivers in outlying areas actually obey traffic rules.

A quiet suburb

Coriolis effect demo at Science Museum