The Afternoon Commute

The afternoon commute home follows the same path but I ride closer to Zhudi town's more intriguing options. (note: I live in Shanghai, in the Minhang district, in Zhudi town). Riding home I sometimes stop at the fashionable tailor. He and his wife sew, copy, take in, and produce just about any clothing you can imagine. Usually for a ridiculously low price like $2 to take in a pair of pants. Before going to the Hong Kong ultimate frisbee tournament this weekend I had a long sleeved men's large polo shirt that I needed fitted. I was in a pinch. I brought the shirt at 9am and had it finished by 4pm. Not bad. Oh, and I gave them a loaf of banana bread. The fashionable tailors: like banana bread, work fast, and must know someone who speaks English, because their sign is not only attractive but also grammatically correct- a rarity in China.
Next to the tailor is a furniture shop that appears to sell few items. Men congregate and challenge each other to mahjong and a card game that appears dangerously like "go fish". I am not sure about that, though. In front of the store is China's typical delivery vehicle- the three wheeler. This is the "poor man's bike". The large plants and trees in my apartment were delivered by a man riding this type of bike. These bikes are neither comfortable nor particularly efficient. I think many people in China live lives typified by this bike- far from modern, requiring much manual labor, and beaten by time and dirt.
Last but not least on the ride home is the Happen Bar. Location of our middle school TGIF parties. Run by an English speaking Chinese man named Calvin. Calvin also owns the DVD store on the ground level. I've stopped asking myself if this is supposed to be the "Happening Bar" or the "Place Where Things Happen Bar". It is the Happen Bar, but a misnomer, it is not. Faculty bands perform while locals and teachers play darts here. Cheap beer happens here. Thus, the Happen Bar.