So living here in China, we have finally adjusted to the point where seeing grown men pee on the street does not phase me, traffic that is horrendous is just normal, and crazy sitings just bring a little interest to the drive around town, and I can nearly say that squat pots are managable (Although I must say I am looking forward to heading back to the US where you are guaranteed what Danny likes to term "normal" toilets--I try and correct by calling them western toilets just to be politically correct--yet when you see a squat pot, you might agree with Danny).
Here are just a few funny sites you will see on a normal day driving down the street here in Shanghai:
The Business Card Delivery System
This funny site can be seen on any large street--at least two lanes worth of traffic. The person has been hired to pass out business cards of some local business. The funny/crazy part is how they go about handing out these cards. They do not walk between the cars trying to see if you want to take one. No, they stand in the middle of speeding on coming traffic and reach out as you are whizzing by at 20 or more miles per hour and attempt to stick the card in your window (they are shooting for the trim that holds the window as you open and close it). It is amazing to watch this and I always wonder how many people lose an arm, etc. in attempting to get you most likely do not want or need. The last person that put one on our car we were going at least 15-20 miles per hour and he slammed the card down so hard on our window, I am sure he either broke his finger or sprained it terribly.
The Selling of Goods at Traffic Lights
I have seen this in other places, so the fact that they are selling here is not so funny as what they are selling. You can get everything from a seat cushion, a bouncy flower (sort of like those bobble head dolls) to a taser. Yes, a tazer. What a cop would carry for their protection. I am not sure how they are able to sell such an item, but it is interesting to say the least.
Trucks and the Loads that they Carry
China is notorious for their deadly traffic accidents. This we are finding is due to more than the fact that no one seems to understand the rules of the road, or follow and enforce them. The other main factor we are finding, is there seems to be no rules on what trucks are able to carry, and how they go about carry their load. First example: A huge front loader on a drop deck trailer (thankfully it was not a flat bed, or this front loader would have either been in the cab with the drivers or on top of the car behind it). They apparently do not require anyone to tie anything down here when delivering. So we were heading to the store, and we pull up next to a front loader on a trailer that had indented middle section where the front loader was resting. We were excited to see it as Danny loves anything to do with construction. What I was shocked by was that there was nothing holding this front loader down or in place on the truck, and this front loader was huge. We were in stop and go traffic, and every time the truck stopped, the front loader moved forward and then back. The only thing that kept it on was the indented middle section of the truck bed that it rested on. It was so crazy, even our driver made a concerted effort to get ahead of it in the traffic. Second example: One can load their truck with products as high as they can get it and still have the truck move down the road. It again is option to tie any of it down. I have seen dirt, rugs, rocks, boxes, you name we have seen it, piled so high it is a wonder the little truck can move down the road, and there are no covers on it, often no ties--or ties that do not look like they would hold anything. We are amazed by their amazement over accidents.
The Taxi Mopeds
In Shanghai there are normal taxis, and then there are guys just sitting on street corners on their mopeds. These we have come to find out are taxis as well. You can hire one of these men to take you wherever you would like to go. This is quite common among Chinese people--I have yet to see a foreigner traveling this way (maybe on their own moped to the Starbucks and back, but not on the main roads). The part that is always the funniest is that it is usually a group of people that take this mode of transportation. So, you can see as many as four people riding these mopeds--all smashed together--heading to their destination. This is quite a site, as if you have seen a moped (think bigger than dirt bike but smaller than your small motorcycle) and this is the seat that four people are sitting on.
The delivery Mopeds and Bikes
In Shanghai there are delievery trucks, and then there are people delivery items using their mopeds and bikes. It is not an unsual site to see a man or women (gender does not seem to matter even when the load is really large) biking carrying long pipes (and I mean long--at least an entire bike length in front and in back of them), or using a cart attachment with it piled excessively high with boxes, or empty plastic jugs. I am often wonder how they are able to move down the street, let alone all the way to their destination. Today we saw a man riding a moped with empty water jugs (think office water cooler size) all strapped to the back--at least 8. It is a craft just in how they get everything to balance and stay on.
The Waving Bus/Van/Car
The boys have come to expect this type of greeting on the highways, and I am sure will be shocked when people in the US do not behave this way, as they have become accustomed to it. We can be driving along, and as soon as the driver, or passengers see the children in our van, they begin waving and motioning and pulling their children up and to the window for a glimpse of Danny and Josh. What is often funny is that it is not just a little wave or recognition. No, the waving smiling and gesturing goes on down the road until we separate from the vehicle in some way. I often have seen drivers completely distracted and looking in the back seat at the boys rather than watching where they are driving.
So, I hope you are able to picture some of what we have witnessed here in our daily lives, and found some amusement in it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment