The illustration and text are wholly unrelated: Full Metal Jacket, Shanghai

Sometimes big cities really do my head in. Istanbul used to make me want to jump on the hoods of cars and kick people out of frustation for the stupid traffic, pervy stalky men and frequent lack of spacial awareness.

It’s been a bit different in Shanghai. The traffic is actually better (though many here wouldn’t believe me) and men don’t give me a second glance, let alone stalk me or grab my ass on the street. This, oddly enough, may be part of my current problem. Not the lack of ass-grabbing, but rather, my unnerving invisibility as a 35 year old unspectacular foreign woman. People just keep hitting me.

When I was walking home Tuesday evening, I was nearly run over by two bikes on the sidewalk who simply hadn’t noticed that I was sharing the sidewalk with them. Then, a man having a exuberant conversation with his friend swung his arm out in gesture and punched me hard in the chest then looked slightly surprised when I fell back. On the metro this morning, while I was sitting in a uncrowded carriage,  a man walking past me belted me in the head with his very large, heavy bag. I’ve had elbows rammed into my temples, scooter wheels and taxis firmly nudging the backs of my legs. On the way home tonight, a woman ploughed straight into me at speed on a crowded sidewalk.

I’d post pictures, but really, who has time to haul the phone out when you’re getting whalloped? I’ve posted a photo of some styrofoam boxes full of live eels instead. My local green grocer has them on sale.