Like sardines in a can, the bags, purses, books, nicknacks, and pillowcases line the walls on either side of a store. We entered on one side of the tunnel-like store. We walked. I walked side-ways; my hips were too big to fit otherwise. I hesitated before pulling out an electric blue satin wallet from the shelf for fear that all would come toppling down on me with the one. Out on to the other side of the tunnel, there were more stores of telephones, stationary, clocks, buttons, cloth, and jewelry.
In fact these places have every imaginable thing. Need a mango juice can telephone? Jesus stickers? Peacock lamps? High heels with roses on the toes? Fake microwave noodle keychains?
I wish all of you could go to the "whole-sale" market with me.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Befuddled
I have seen a woman flip through a wad of 100 yean bills without thinking twice and noticed the large eyes of one vendor as I pulled out just one to pay for my merchandise. I have strutted through emaculate white halls of ten-story malls and driven through sewage-filled streets. I have sat with successful Masters degree holders at dinner and watched a small woman at the cash register struggle over addition. I have shot up in a futuristic elevator to the tip-top of one of the world's tallest buildings and come down again to find the gruff migrant construction workers eating outside in the frigid rainy weather.
I do not see how dingy scrimping by and pure affluence can abide in such tight quarters. My sensitivity to this topic is so heightened after my other travels this year. Liberia is so obviously chaotic and disarrayed. The western world is orderly and cut to a clean line. China has a great heap of history, rules, population, and tradition to load a greatly improved and growing economy upon.
I do not see how dingy scrimping by and pure affluence can abide in such tight quarters. My sensitivity to this topic is so heightened after my other travels this year. Liberia is so obviously chaotic and disarrayed. The western world is orderly and cut to a clean line. China has a great heap of history, rules, population, and tradition to load a greatly improved and growing economy upon.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Dichotomy
As soon as I saw Gao's friendly smile behind a sign with my name on it, all settled down in my tumultuous mind. Now I sit here in Portia's home writing. It's hard to believe just two days ago my mom drove me through an icy dark morning to the airport in Cedar Rapids.
Portia lives in an upscale expat community right outside of Shanghai. Natlie, her daughter, greeted me and asked me how I already knew her name. Her mom talks easily and listens to my opinions, already.
This morning Portia took me to the supermarket. The place was packed. They had everything - washclothes, rugs, shoes, eggs, fish. At the checkout line the thin little cashier couldn't ring up the jumprope Portia was buying because it didn't have a barcode. Portia whispered to me, "Sometimes I wonder why some things don't work around here and then I remember I'm actually in China." There are little glitches like that everywhere. Dreyers ice cream instead of Breyers. Pirated movies everywhere - even in seemingly legitimate stores.The disorder is striking everywhere.
Yesterday in the car, billboards filled up the highway - advertisements for plush cars and glittering watches all around. And then also right off the highway old crumbling houses spot the suburbs. Most are tin-roofed. Garbage is piled up. Massive bundles of recyled goods sit waiting for collection some time.
I am just skimming the surface of this division in China though. I don't understand it well yet.
A few other thoughts: The sky is hazy grey here most of the time. Fruit is an excellent dessert. My body already feels somewhat cleansed from classic American oils and toxins. Chinese children are beautiful. Most Chinese women have gorgeous hands.
Portia lives in an upscale expat community right outside of Shanghai. Natlie, her daughter, greeted me and asked me how I already knew her name. Her mom talks easily and listens to my opinions, already.
This morning Portia took me to the supermarket. The place was packed. They had everything - washclothes, rugs, shoes, eggs, fish. At the checkout line the thin little cashier couldn't ring up the jumprope Portia was buying because it didn't have a barcode. Portia whispered to me, "Sometimes I wonder why some things don't work around here and then I remember I'm actually in China." There are little glitches like that everywhere. Dreyers ice cream instead of Breyers. Pirated movies everywhere - even in seemingly legitimate stores.The disorder is striking everywhere.
Yesterday in the car, billboards filled up the highway - advertisements for plush cars and glittering watches all around. And then also right off the highway old crumbling houses spot the suburbs. Most are tin-roofed. Garbage is piled up. Massive bundles of recyled goods sit waiting for collection some time.
I am just skimming the surface of this division in China though. I don't understand it well yet.
A few other thoughts: The sky is hazy grey here most of the time. Fruit is an excellent dessert. My body already feels somewhat cleansed from classic American oils and toxins. Chinese children are beautiful. Most Chinese women have gorgeous hands.
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