Sights From A Chinese Street

During the last couple of years I've worked in a few different countries- France, Finland, Czech and I am currently in China. Of the seven different jobs I've had, they have all been within walking distance from home, which includes the job I have now..

It only takes me 12 minutes to walk to work, but even in that short distance there are some interesting things to behold. During the last week, I've been taking some snaps on the way to work...

Are the days numbered for streets like this? (I hope so)

A lot of construction is going on in this area, as is probably in many parts of China. Its said to be an interesting time to be in China, 'because in a few years the country will have transformed'. Dirty side streets like this one will be replaced by more habitable accommodation, possibly.

At the moment though, particularly near where I live, there's a lot of filth. An abundance of littering and dumping of refuse hinders progress being made to improve the area's look.

Gardening by the dusty road

Following this theme, there is often rubbish dumped in the grassy areas at roadside. In this little patch, however, a man has spent time clearing the refuse and digging up the soil. I saw him planting when I first arrived.

A man admiring his roadside vegetables

A few months later and he has a budding vegetable patch. I don't know if it's his land or whether he's technically allowed to do this, but I respect the resourcefulness and dedication it's taken to make this garden.

Welding: Not carried out without a mask or sensible footwear,
because that would be dangerous

This guy is no stranger to hard work either. I used to be shocked by a sight like this, but the reality is that  a man welding in sandals and no face protection is not crazy in China.

"Get yer veg, dusty veg! Filthiest roadside veg in town!"

When I am walking back home from school I often see this man selling vegetables by the road. I always think what a hard life he must have doing this and have respect for him. He unloads it from his bike and has brought his own weighing scales for pricing up the goods. The produce does look very dirty from being laid on the floor by the road but that's nothing a wash and boil won't sort out.

I am a stuck record when I come to saying that China is really different. I think part of my confusion is borne from this: that there are many of the same rules as the UK, but they don't really get followed in the same way.

Today's example: pedestrian crossings. They exist just like in other countries, but in my experience they don't hold much merit if you encounter one in China.

Does this photo represent a one-off occurrence of crossings
being overrun by vehicles? Unfortunately not.

Cars, bikes and busses from both ends of the road continue driving over the pedestrian crossing. In the distance, a green man laments that nobody cares about him, and I stop to take pictures because someone nearly hit me as I tried to cross.

Man on bike says "I don't even know what's going on. And I'm Chinese"

On my walk to work its similar when I  need to traverse a crossroads by my school which has 12 lanes. There are traffic lights of course. You can see a little green light if you look closely (you can do it, I have faith in you). Despite this, cars are still trying to go every which way and the result is that everyone has a shit time and a lot of beeping occurs.

I've learnt that most of the time you just need to start crossing confidently or you'll be waiting all day.

Day's advice: if you're a labourer trying to pick up some work,
taking a nap on the floor might not exude a desirable work ethic...

Here we are by my school- you can see the yellow school bus in the background.  For reasons that I do not understand, here are many men that hang around outside it. My employer said that they are migrant workers who can be picked up daily to undertake labouring work. But he was quite vague about it and so that's all I've been able grasp.

They are often seen gambling, sitting on the floor with cards and ¥1 notes fanned out. I've been told that gambling is illegal in China but if people can get away with it in the streets then maybe it's a relaxed law?

Most of the time these guys are harmless but sometimes they peer through the school windows which does not sit well with me.

This arch is right next to my place of work, and I can just about see it from my balcony at home. It's close enough to nip home for lunch yet far enough away to be separate from home. I can only recall with dissatisfaction living and working in the same hotel for 4 months in the French Alps, and being harassed by colleagues whilst trying to have some time off.

This archway is exactly what I'd expect to see in China. I look at it and think: Oh yes, very Chinese.

On the whole though, I certainly come across more things which take me by surprise than encountering the mediocre or expected.


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