Monkey Business

Greetings ...

I write to you from Shanghai, with a rich trove already of stories, jokes, and travelogues.

I have been thinking as I have been here - how important it is to get the "flavor" of a place simply by walking around and-or taking public transportation. You can smell the street-food smoldering at midnight, you can see groups of Chinese nationals at all ages doing line-dancing in the public squares, or take karaoke lessons from a leader.

Or, you can happen upon a beggar who has this adorable accomplice. I will warn everyone that once you start photographing street monkeys, the monkey starts dancing, AND, other beggars with THEIR street monkeys also want a piece of the "American Pie."

Yes, friends. I'm up to "Monkey Business" in China.