You know what Shanghai is? Shanghai is MOPS. Period. Screw economic prowess, massive deconstruction projects, shiny buildings and nouveau riche bazillionaires and their homicidal spawn and their ¥10,000 bottles of moutai in garish clubs. This city is all about the mop.
See?
Mop, drying duck, drying fish, huge pants drying on a laundry line, black car illegally parked: Shanghai in a nutshell
Antique store mop isn't actually antique
A nuclear family. The small one is probably a boy. If not, they'll soon be trying for one.
The bunny, official mascot for The Year thereof, in its cage outside a restaurant, accompanied by mop.
Emblematic of a city: mop and indoor/outdoor winter pyjamas
16 Responses
This, THIS is post-post-modern Shanghai. Especially the first with the duck and fish so casually hanging out. Squeegees in Israel, 2-ft-high straw besoms in Greece, and the majesty of the mop in China (or is it solely Shanghai?).
Hehe. I aim for the po-po-mo approach to urban analysis. The mop is mostly Shanghai- I’ve not seen it nearly so represented elsewhere. In Dalian, all I could see was cabbages. I should move there for the cabbage montage.
My favorite is the Mop Family. I can really see the family resemblance.
Sally recently posted..Stuff I Really Kind of Like About My Life in China: Being a Minor Celebrity
They do look alike, don’t they?
This is so true, you see mops everywhere and I had to use one ever week when it was my turn to clean the teachers office at school. Great photos by the way.
Thank you. I don’t think I’ve ever known a city so rife with mops as Shanghai. It’s a curious thing.
Ha, I found you! I was missing you over on LJ so I went to your profile and found the other blog and then this blog. Yay! I was a little worried about you. Anyway, cool pics!
Happy New Year!
Patricia (Tx_cronopio)
Oh, wow, it is so good to see you over here! I’m so glad you tracked me down! Happy new year to you too. Please come back again as this is where I am these days (also at http://www.wokwithmebaby.com).
Okay, I know this is about mops, but I can’t get past the PADDED WINTER JAMMIES! I WANT THEM.
That is all.
pam recently posted..Clean House, Time for Guests
Did you see them in use? Check out today’s photo post, with the padded pjs out in full glory! (https://www.ephemeraanddetritus.com/2011/12/31/nothing-to-say-here-the-solutions-edition-put-a-shirt-on-that-pig/)
I want them too.
I have no idea how I stumbled upon this page, but I am thankful that I did. Been in China a yr and a half and I somehow failed to notice the significance of mops. But now you mention it… wow. Mind=blown. I’m looking out at my balcony now and I have four mops there. Four! I’ve never even used them. They were here when I moved in. I have three in the house that I use. There are another two out in the hall… Why did I never realise how weird this was until now?
David S. Wills recently posted..Learning Chinese from Prostitutes
You realize now, of course, that they offer the elusive key to the riddle that is life! I just started a new Tumblr blog just for mops so feel free to submit any photos of them. Mops ARE Shanghai! http://awesomemopsofchina.tumblr.com/
Enjoy your 4 balcony mops and 3 indoor mops. I’m sure they think of you fondly.
I will try and get some photos of the local Hefei mops. I wonder if there’s a difference in culture or style…
David S. Wills recently posted..A Trip to the Country
I’m pretty sure I have a few Hefei mops in my computer somewhere- I go there every few months for work. One of the classrooms I test in looks out over a kind of decrepit shantytown type housing area full of mops. Even rooftop mops!
Love the mommy daddy and baby mop!!! Also I booted up my Google reader finally so got caught up on what you have been up to lately, scuba diving looked great and you never cease to amaze me with your many talents.
Alexandra van Vianen recently posted..Welcome to my House
Aw, thanks! I assume you are referring to my awesome mop-scouting talents, right? 😉