All the recent media attention on the Chongqing nail house reminded us of two similar Shanghai cases just around the corner. The first one promptly disappeared the next week but the half-a-house across the road remains intact with its tenants still running their sugar cane distribution business from the kitchen.
Both these houses used to be part of streets that were demolished to make way for the high-rise development behind.

Hello?…hello? yes…I’m on a bike…hello?…what?… Yes, I’ll be..hello?… home for dinner…Yes…hello?… noodles sounds goo… Oh bugger!

In another sign of the times we spotted this guy in a wicker hardhat and realised that we haven’t seen one in years. Back in the 90’s these were an everyday sight but in Shanghai at least they have been largely consigned to history.