Cab fares and weddings

It costs £30 to even look at a cab in London. In Shanghai most taxi fares come out to less than a tenth of that. The difference in the price might be down to a) the ubiquitousness of taxis in Shanghai and b) the 'fearless' , time maximizing, driving technique of the local cabbies. The age of the vehicles - and the fact they were fully depreciated long ago -  may also be a factor. We used cabs a lot so became experts on which drivers to avoid.

Our hotel is right on the Bund. It's comfortable and the staff are friendly . Some speak a few words of English, others (most) none at all. This is unusual. In most places around the world English, or some form of it, acts as a sort of lingua franca. Check in takes 35 minutes even though I'd done it on-line before boarding the flight from London. Procedures have to be followed and passports checked. I'd reckon 85% of the guests are local and 15% international. In Tokyo or Singapore or London it would be the other way round. For some reason our hotel ( perhaps because its near the consulate ) has no Russian guests. Everywhere else they are by far the predominant foreign grouping.

On a stroll out of our hotel we notice a large number of young couples having their wedding photos taken. They all seem to be dressed identically.

It is clearly a big day for them.

Dog owners are much in evidence at the local cafes. One fellow seems to recognize a fellow Scot.

Presumably dogs are taken for a long start of day walk then onto breakfast. Life for a urban hound in a city this big must be difficult.

On a street corner a group of ladies are practising what they must consider to be a 'Latin' sound. The effect can best be described as 'unusual' .

Yet more wedding couples seem oblivious to the heavy traffic. People waiting at a bus stop look on as if this is the most natural thing in the world. When a bus arrives the young couples stop being photographed and step onto the pavement. When a bus goes they move back.

When we return to the hotel the Groucho quartet are still there. They seem to have a producer . He seems quite pleased with their performance. We decide Chinese - Argentinian Chacarera must be a thing. 

A great cinematic moment and a  great cameo of American and English use of language :https://youtu.be/awsmXerhLqQ?t=107

We watch yesterdays speech to Congress by the King. It was quite political but his host doesn't seem to have been bothered by it. The gift of the bell at dinner was inspired :https://youtu.be/KaQdlOTU0ms?t=551

Things I didn't know. Mushroom capital of the world :https://pennsylvaniaindependent.com/politics/pennsylvania-is-home-to-the-worlds-mushroom-capital/