Shoes!
Shoes are on my mind a lot these days, probably because I am desperately trying to find a pair that I like, that actually FIT! Chinese shoes are generally available in sizes up to 245, or 38. Problem is – I am a 39, or 250 (so close, yet so damn far!).
But now I am starting to notice shoes, everywhere! For example, last week we were hit with heavy rains, the result being that many locals slipped ‘plastic grocery bags’ over their shoes before riding their bicycles home (that’s right, plastic bags). Reminds of those cold wet winters back home in Montreal when I was a kid – I remember Mom wrapping our feet in plastic bags before slipping them into ugly old brown winter boots lined with fake white fur, with a buckle on the side. Anyone else remember those boots? (fashion disaster for sure!).
And yesterday I walked by a shoe repair shop which displayed several pairs of running shoes outside to dry in the sunshine – but, they all had fresh ‘white paint’ on them! Apparently one does NOT let one’s running shoes get worn and dirty, despite being in the polluted environs of China. Where I come from, the first thing we do after buying a new pair of running shoes, is try to ‘trash’ them up a bit, so they don’t look so new – anyone with pearly white running shoes was usually labelled a ‘nerd’! But, here they bleach them or paint them, anything to keep them white!
Now, keeping work shoes looking spic ‘n span is quite easy too, because many people in Hangzhou have set up shop as ‘mobile shoe cleaners’! We have several who pop up in front of our block each morning, with 2 stools, and a work box, and set up shop on the sidewalk. They serve as many customers as they can, before the police show up, as they invariably do, each and every day. I even have my regular gal who cleans and polishes my shoes for just 3 kuai (that’s about 50 cents), and I won’t let myself be tempted to use any of the other blokes who litter the sidewalk.
The same goes for my ‘flower guy’. Every afternoon, many ‘bicycle vendors’ stop their bikes in front of our block and, again I always look for my favourite guy – I am slowly teaching him some English too! I still remember one evening seeing him out there at 9:00pm – I was shocked and told him to go home, but my friend explained that he didn’t want to go home until he could make some more money. I then tried to buy some flowers, but of course he wouldn’t let me; instead, he wanted to GIVE me some flowers! The Chinese people have a lot of pride you know, but we finally compromised, with me paying for one bouquet, and he throwing in a second one for free!
Life is pretty good these days – the weather has improved wonderfully; it is finally Spring. Now, we just have to prepare ourselves for the sweltering summer months ahead. But, for the next few weeks we can all head down to West Lake to enjoy the warm weather!
Tags: Travel
carolh452003
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