Shanghai Tourist Mission Article at Skatepark of Tampa

It's pretty rare to see someone with a helmet on a bike here. It's pretty common to see Crocs, though.

As I took a photo of this street sign, a local came up and stood at the same viewpoint I was at and was wondering what I found so interesting.

Rice break.

Donger here was one of our guides and translators that helped us not get into too much trouble for the weekend. Thanks for the service!

They have neon lights under the highways like a 90's rice rocket in the States. I remember goons would get cars with neon underneath and have stuff like "lowered have mercy" going across the top of the windshield.

We had to make a stop at the "world's largest skatepark," SMP. It's 60 units of their local currency to skate here. From what I've seen, an average meal is about 10 units. So, it's not so cheap to skate here, not that you would want to.

Some 40-year-old dude who hasn't skated in 10 years was definitely behind the construction of this place.

Looks like the kids love shredding this place.

We dropped Schaefer in there by parachute.

Puke.

There is so much perfect flatground all around this city, but somehow the actual skate park ended up with the worst ground ever. How does a communication breakdown this large involving this much funding happen? Amazing.

There were some big dreams here that didn't come true.

I found a quote from the people who built this park: "It sets a new standard in contemporary skate facility design and construction." We should send whoever said that right down this giant rail into that grate.

Paul Zitzer

Paul Zitzer - extreme core energy grassroots action sports frontside ollie.

Brian Schaefer

Brian Schaefer - extreme core energy grassroots action sports rock and roll.

This boy band is called The Full Pipes.

We are now in some crazy knockoff market. Those Vans are as fake as a set of Hollywood boobies.

This guy is making robots with wires and pliers.

Pause for a foot fetish with one of 80 million dudes selling these things.

The iGlaze has had such a successful run that they are now on version 4.

Be prepared for a hard sales pitch.

KFC is big here. The rice there is super good.

Serious sleep stance.

The broom reminds me of my childhood.

Paul Zitzer

I call this masterpiece of art in photography, "Buyer's Remorse."

DJ Wade

How ironic is it when you overpay for a Money Cat in Shanghai then discover you don't even have enough room to take it home. DJ Wade is ripping in China. Thank you for the entertainment.

Pause for a phone fetish with our guides, Donger and Ophelia. They want iPhones.

More childhood memories creeping in.

Everywhere you go, people are hauling things on bikes. I blew it and missed the photo on the largest man-powered haul I've ever seen.

The grapes here are double the size of anywhere you can find them in the States. Produce markets are everywhere as you'd expect.

Classic orientalism.

Babies on bikes like this are very common. What a difference from our society with the car seat laws.

When the babies get a little older, you can just put them at the wheel.

It smells like childhood memories right here. I lived in the cuts of the Philippines with pet chickens and well water from when I was about seven to 10.

Our other guide, Ophelia. I think she might have been a little overwhelmed with the responsibility of taking care of our crew and getting us places on time. Thanks putting up with us, Ophelia.

Whether in the run down neighborhoods or the upscale modern district, people were all super nice and down for photos and whatever minimal interaction we could have with the language barrier.