DAY 9 [ Shanghai ] : Red Flags

Went over to a rooftop club in the heart of the Bund. Once it was headquarters for a foreign embassy, Now the ground floor is the Hugo Boss store. Although the view was amazing and the weather perfect, the clientelle was mostly international businessmen, travelers over 35 and local girls looking to score. The truely amazing thing about the patrons was whatever country that person was from it was the most cliché version possible. The Americans were SO American. The French were SO French. And last but not least, Deeter the German Architect who was SO VERY German, his blood only flowed in right angles.



A few years back, upon the flagpole of the embassys flew the Flag of the country that occupied it. Now when you look accross the Bund it's red flags with yellow stars. The flag of Communist China. OK, let me just get this straight... I'm in a club on top of a commercial store, drinking very expensive whiskey, listening to bad house music and above me flies the Red flag of Communism? Hmmm...



The funny reality about this part of China is that if you are below a certain strata, you are Communist and above is Capitalist and somehow both concepts can coexist together with no middle class. I sit in this million dollar condow watching non-unioned workers outside busting ass round the clock for 800 RMB per month. That comes out to around $100.