Shangha Street
A typical side-street in Shanghai. Or, at least, it would be typical if it were more crowded, I think. Xanthi and I spent a bunch of time walking along the streets between the tourist destinations, and often took lunch at whatever small shop happened to be serving something that we wanted to try when we happened to be hungry. We got to see a more real China, walking around, and we served as walking tourist attractions ourselves. Once off the streets where foreigners were expected, we almost always had eyes on us. Often the stares would last long enough that my New England sensibilities made me wonder whether I'd spilled food on myself, or was perhaps unknowingly naked. Xanthi has a term for this, hui tou lu, or "head turning rate". Two westerners, a man with long hair and a light-haired woman, walking backstreets of Shanghai while a disease has all but shut down tourism, have a high hui tou lu.