The next time I go to Shanghai train station, I'm taking a knife.

There's a sense of desperation that hangs over that place along with the smell of piss; people are shifty, eyes watch bags, hands grip wallets and life is cheap because a hard seat train from Gansu rolls in with more hungry farmers every hour.

The kids don't play soldiers, they practice taking hostages. It is hardcore.

On the upside, you can buy some cool phones. This one is styled after something last seen making a call from Live Aid and is the size and shape of two Hi-Chew packets stuck together.

Not a handy shape for your pocket, and it's more snaggle tooth than bluetooth but that's the price of standing out from the crowd. Plus that antenna could make a handy weapon if things get wild at the station after dark.