Went out to an interesting (and pretty tasty, but not spicy enough) communist themed Sichuan restaurant near Shanghai Stadium called 9车间 (“Workshop 9″). A big statue of Mao greets you at the entrance and the interior looks like a factory with tables set up all over the main factory floor and some cool private office type rooms you can reserve at the back.

There are several old communist era lathes and various other factory machines lining the exterior of the restaurant, and most walls are lined with party slogans or posters of farmers, scientists, factory workers and soldiers harmoniously looking towards the future together. The staff are dressed in communist worker clothes and even the cups and plates are styled of the era.

I’m not sure where the ‘minimum 400 RMB charge for table in private factory room’ falls into the workers paradise though…

[View with PicLens]

Continuing south, next up was the state of Kerala. I was very excited to visit Kerala, not only because it has the world’s first and only democratically elected communist government, but also for its apparent laid-back style and quieter beaches.

First stop was Ernakulam/Fort Cochin, where we spent a few days. There are already less touts and aggressive hawking here, and the people seem friendlier. It’s also interesting to see hammer and sickle flags and pictures of Marx, Stalin, and Che Guevera everywhere. That said, other than the more laid back attitude and symbols I don’t see much difference here, at least on the surface. To a few touts we asked, “Are you communist?” to which one replied, “No, no. My business is not communist, my business is tourist! Great sight-seeing, 50 rupees one hour. See all the special place. OK?“