Crispy Rice
By: Gustav Hoiland
Category: architecture
| Aperture: | f/7.1 |
|---|---|
| Focal Length: | 24mm |
| ISO: | 400 |
| Shutter: | 1/0 sec |
| Camera: | NIKON D80 |
Firstly, Crispy Rice is apparently the translation of the green sign. I know this because I just stumbled upon nciku.com, which can translate Chinese characters from crude drawings from your mouse. Very cool. Google says it’s “Snack Foods.”
Two things. First, whenever you’ve got a strip of retail there’s always comparison. Some people are hauling it in, others have not a soul at their counter. Granted it might just be break time and all these guys want snacky rice, but … well, who knows. It pains me to see a business (particularly an independent little operation) not getting customers. Just as trees fight for light, these little stalls are carved out to gobble up some Yuan from passersby in need.
Second, look at that recycling bike! I love it. Every recycling/garbage day here in my neighborhood there’s a half-dozen scrapper pick-up trucks prowling the streets, searching for anything metal on the curb. The price of scrap is high enough and gas is cheap enough that it works. Contrast that to Shanghai where tricyclists will take whatever cardboard or metal that you’ve got. Further, men will reclaim anything wooden or styrofoam (which being so lightweight leads to gigantic white masses teetering above little wheels). The American economy is too rich to make jobs out of recycling styrofoam. Shanghai wastes nothing.
And they love snacks apparently.
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