He stood there holding a small styrofoam board with a bored expression that was only rivaled by the young boy next to him selling ice-cream with his shirt rolled up to his chest.
Apparently, this man was in the business of buying back old mobile phones and transportation cards, amongst other things I’m sure, to recycle and make a bit of profit on the side.
“How come you are buying back old Expo tickets.” I asked, “You selling them online or try to get back into the Expo grounds?” I joked.
The man lazily looked me up and down, “What’s it to you?”
I shrugged. “I have a spare Expo ticket in my pocket to sell, maybe we can talk business. I’m just curious what you do with it, that’s all.”
He eyed my camera suspiciously. “This and that.”
I asked to take a quick snapshot, he pondered for a moment and acquiesced. As I framed my shot, he suddenly swung the sign board right into my lens.
He then proceeded to do a little dance, swimming the sign board all over the place just so it was impossible to photograph it.
“What you doing, man?” I asked in bewilderment. If you don’t want me to shoot, just say so, I huffed.
Ok, ok, he guffawed. As I tried one more time, he began his old antics again. This time, swinging the sign like a pendalum, cackling at his own wit.
Afterwhich, he pointed west and drawled, “There are a bunch more people like me buying back Expo tickets down the road, why don’t you photograph them?” With that, he continued cackling.
Exasperated, I spun on my foot and left. What a joker.
August 2010
Shanghai Street Stories 