Yesterday I discovered a balcony on the crazy massive produce market hidden on the 2nd floor of a building next to us. I had missed it for my first few months here because the entrance is an unmarked stairway that looks like it just goes into apartments. My wife discovered the sprawling, bustling, densely packed produce market, my favorite place to get fresh veggies and even meat. Yesterday, though, I finally discovered the balconies at the rear of the market that overlook a street just around the corner from us. As I stepped out and looked, I had a sense of despair as I saw a completely new and beautiful view of a complex, bustling, packed market on the street below, a huge market scene that I had missed before.

The afternoon sun was perfect, the colors bold, the people so beautiful and varied, and the fresh fish, noodles, bullfrogs, spinning pancake wheels, butchers, sugarcane hackers, and shouting produce vendors on the street created too much wonder for one lens, one mind, or even one lifetime to explore. How dazzling that street was, what a gem old Shanghai is, and how great it must be for God to see and comprehend it all. How glad I am that Somebody is doing that, for no mortal can fully taste all this splendor. And if it were being missed, that would be such a shame.

A few photos to follow when I catch my breath….