Real China

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AKA Still Here, Part 2

After kicking myself for not having had my camera last week, I set out today to capture the neighborhood I described in my last entry. I started in my neck of the woods, worked my way into the next, and then the next neighborhood. It's hard to believe that they border each other because they are like night and day. My students live in both neighborhoods. Many are in the fancier one shown first. But I'm discovering more and more live in the ones that are farther away, "real China" as I call it.

So here are the photos. They speak for themselves. Enjoy.

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Photos

My neighborhood
a bit fancier than "real China."

My neighborhood
I don't get the sculpture.

My neighborhood
standard intersection

My neighborhood
The middle window in the brown building is my room!

My neighborhood
There's a lack of formal parking.

My neighborhood
These are the two fattest dogs I've seen since leaving the US.

Ubiquitous Corner Stand
They sell magazines, newspapers, drinks, cell phone minutes, cigarettes, and a lot of other little things.

Leaving my neighborhood.
The old men are practicing calligraphy.

Leaving my neighborhood.
Note the cobbler.

"Real China"
Flower shop, milk tea shop, and salon

"Real China"
I have no idea what the gold thing is, but it reminded me of a stupa.

"Real China"
Open air liquor store next to an empty store.

"Real China"
Mmmm, meat

The sewing stand
I guess business is slow today because that's the daughter doing her homework.

Look closely
Notice all the outdoor kitchens

Roy's tea shop
I like the cigarette sign next to it. I wonder what makes the cigarettes so special. And where can I get un-special ones?

Outdoor vendors
fish, chickens, ducks... but they're out of bunnies.

Comments

[Dad]

REAL China
The real-real China isn't in the cities but in the countryside where some 60% of the people still live, pretty much unchanged from centuries ago. We saw many peasants on subsistence farms along the Yangtze River when we were there a year ago.

[sunketing]

yes and no
There are 2 real Chinas: the city and the country. This is the city version. I've already shown many photos of the country when I went to Yunnan and Sichuan last summer.

[staci]

This "Real China" has nothing on Bao'an! Come check out our village and your idea of real China in Shenzhen will be drastically changed. :)

[sunketing]

I believe it!
This is real China, Nanshan style :)