Yesterday was a beautiful day in Shanghai. I had a lovely walk in the morning around the market outside my hostel. There were firecrackers everywhere strung into heart shapes. Someone was get married. The street was all ready for the bride and groom to return, lots of red paper everywhere, and two of the regular market stalls had a whole range of wedding related fireworks and signs available to buy. Usually both stalls sell socks and tights! I was impressed by the opportunism.
Further down the street I found several old men folding squares of silver paper into little origami boats and selling them. I had seen these before but only on TV when there's a funeral. I wondered if perhaps the traditions were linked - perhaps paper boats were for weddings too? No. These little paper boats are for funerals, and as I walked down the street I saw them lift the body into the back of an ambulance. Again, I was impressed that the old men had set up shop right there before the body had even been taken away.
I kind of expected to hear about a baby being born, I secretly long to be given an egg painted red (the traditional gift to friends and family from new parents when a bady arrives) and get my hopes up. Alas, no red eggs, no babies, just people going about their business with life going on around them.
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