The Transport Business. Peddle
power still comprises a major portion of the hauling business here.
These bike carts are used to move almost
anything you can imagine, from produce to lumber (including full
sheets of sheetrock) to pool tables to
refrigerators. We see hundreds of these carts every day. (photo by Lyle)
Bike Repair. All the bikes in China results in plentiful, and portable, sidewalk repair shops. (photo by Aaron)
No Shortage of Help.
For most all of the projects around town, there are plenty of workers.
Much of the work, however, is done manually,
such as digging ditches and holes, landscaping and
breaking up concrete (with a hammer and
a chisel). (photo by Aaron)
School Cook.
There is food everywhere, and someone has to cook it. At the kindergarten
where we
taught English on a Saturday morning,
this man was one of the school's two cooks. He used this huge
wok to prepare a delicious meal with very
little notice. (photo by Aaron)
Pony Power. Sometimes in the morning
or late evening we hear the clip clop of ponies pulling
carts down the busy street by our apartment.
Pony-drawn carts are much more prevalent
on the outskirts of the city away from
the congested downtown traffic. (photo by Aaron)
Threadle Power.
When we needed bean bags sewn for the orphange fun fair, a short walk brought
us to this sidewalk seamstress who did
the work for two yuan, or about a quarter. (photo by Aaron)
That's Our Toilet.
And, obviously, it wasn't available for us to use. Plumbing is very interesting
here.
The university plumber has spent more
time in our house than anyone else except us.
Here he is mixing concrete on the landing
one level down. (photo by Aaron)