yup! the idea came up in my head only five minutes before I deactivated my facebook, I think I need such a facebook break for some times. Try to write more, so what have I done today? well, not much. I do really wanna say that I fail my possibility to be in shanghai. Of course I learn and know China now deeper, but what I've so far done dont fulfill my expectation, which means out from my comfort zone and go to the grassroots; learn the people, observe the behaviour, get in touch, do something different! If I could speak chinese even a bit! :(
The people are friendly, hard worker, honest (*well not all), shy, and unpretentious. I ask sometimes my self what is the life's purpose of those people? How can they keep working everyday without any break, even only for a day?. Here in Shanghai, you can find some middle aged women who are "hanging around" in some night clubs in Shanghai, crazy right? even more crazier if you know what they are doing there! they work there, yes! they walk around in the crowded with a broom and dustpan too sweep mostly the butts and ashes from cigarretes, or some stay at the toilet to clean the vomit from the drunk people. Sometimes they even fall asleep while working, understandable! because at that time they should be at home and sleep.
Well, Shanghai is not like Jakarta, where you can find some cardboard houses under the highway. Here even the beggars are quiet difficult to find, well they operate mostly at night. The government has strict regulation that has to be followed by the citizen. The street food (we like to call it dark food) sellers, for example, they have the time schedule when they are allowed to be on the street and when they have to stop. Near my dormitory, at the north gate of Fudan University start from 17.00 there will be some dark food stands that selling delicious but cheap food (around 75cent - 1€/portion); dumpling, soup, fried rice and noodle, chinese kebab, etc. I usually fetch my dinner from there. One day, I came quiet late, I think it was around 18.40 and they were in a rush, they had to move, they told me something but unfortunately I couldn't understand. I was quiet shocked to be at that situation. The next day, I tried to figure out by asking my chinese friends, the answer was simple "yeah, the government doesnt like them, because they make the street dirty" "hae???"so I was curious and asked if the government also provide the solution, they said "actually yes, the government offers them some works, but they dont want to take it because they wont earn money as much as they earn on the street." So the win-win solution is that the government still allow them to have their stands and sell food at the roadside but with the time schedule that is arranged by the government. Normally the police will do kinda patroling to make sure that the stands are closed and moved; 09.00, 14.00 (could be), and 19.00. So far I know they dont have either to pay any tax.
China is not that horrible like I thought before, this country is unique, so the people are. I still have 2,5 months to explore and learn something new here, so I hope I keep posting! ;D
gotta go now! champion league is waiting! 晚安!
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