Saturday at Ikea

When I moved to Shanghai on an 18 month work assignment in early 2008, I rented a furnished apartment in the Xintiandi area.

I soon realized that I needed to get some additional stuff and decided that the big new Ikea near the Indoor Stadium would have what I required.

So I went there one Saturday to do some shopping.

I was very surprised to see that in China, well at least in Shanghai anyway, a visit to Ikea appears to be more of a social event and a day out, rather than a trip to the shops…

Relaxing with friends....

People seemed to be enamored with the “Ikea ambiance” and were settled in for the day – relaxing on the various lounge settings as if they were at home.

I tried my best to sneak some photos so that I would be able to illustrate this post, but it was not easy as they clearly did not like being disturbed.

I felt somewhat like a dinner party guest who had overstayed his welcome!

Then I thought that if this was what it was like in the lounge furniture & fittings area, what was happening round in the bedroom furniture section….

I'm worn out....

Sure enough, people were stretched out half asleep on the beds and several looked like they were having a nice nap, oblivious to the throngs of people passing by.

I did my best to sneak some shots of the sleepers, but my paparazzi skills are not what they should be and I failed miserably…

I promise to try harder next time!

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Feral Scooters – Indonesian Style

Feral scooterists

We heard the first one before we saw it! Sounded kind of somewhere in between a chain saw and a garden whipper-snipper and my first reaction was it was that either it was some kind of joke, or maybe an Indonesian version of the Mad Max movies was being shot nearby.

Vespa scooters are iconic in their own idiosyncratic way, and there are so many of them in Indonesia that look as natural there as they would on the streets of Rome.

But the feral version is not the type Audrey Hepburn would ride.

Ubud Scooter Rally

Indonesian creativity - Vespa style

Anybody who has spent any time in Indonesia will be well aware of the people’s ability to make the most of what they have. On my travels through the archipelago I have seen many examples of mechanical contraptions crafted from a variety of parts salvaged from the scrap yard, but the feral Vespa’s are in a class of their own.

The basic theme for the ferals seemed to be create the weirdest form of two & three (or more…) wheeled transport possible, load it with as many “scooterists” that can squeeze aboard and then ride it from as far away as possible to attend the rally in Ubud.

Scooterists

An Indonesian feral scooterist appears to be a cross between a hippie, a bikie and a rastafarian. Age does not seem to be a barrier as the oldest scooterist I spoke to was 71 year old Rusno who together his mate, 65 year old Kohir, Rusno had ridden their feral Vespas from Balikpapan in Kalimantan!

A distance as the crow flies of 800km, but involving some rough roads in Borneo & crossing the Java Sea by ferry – truly a journey not for the feint at heart….

Feral scooterists

Wandering round the football field and talking to the scooterists was an interesting experience, because despite the wild look of the ferals, they all responded to my request to take photographs politely & positively and seemed to relish the attention.

Check out the full Feral Scooter Image Gallery on this link