Street Vendors - Beijing

Even though the weather has gotten colder in Beijing, that doesn't stop street vendors from staying outside to sell their fruit, offer a rickshaw ride, or play music for money. Even the older guys who play chess are still out there in the mid-day sun. They play surrounded by advice giving spectators. It's amazing to me to see people working outside all day despite the cold. The rickshaw's guys have rig up plastic and cardboard covering around the rear seats to protect the customers from the winds. Some rickshaws are people powered, some of the more recent one's I have seen are motor powered. You can get a ride for about 3-5 yuan for the same distance it would take for you to walk about 5 minutes. I am a bit of a cheapskate though, I usually just walk and some myself the money.

I took some video of a guy who plays music for money on the street. It seems like he has a problem with his eyes, maybe he is partially blind. He is playing a one stringed instrument called a Erhu, pronounced like "are-who". This is the favorite musical instrument of street beggers. Sometimes they are pretty good, sometimes not. But the sound is very distinctive and traditional Chinese. Sometimes I will drop a few yuan into their cans because I like the sound. I feel like it's a better sound that than of the honking horns, car security beeps and general street traffic. The sound adds a warmth and easiness to the air, so I feel appreciative.

I suppose the smart thing to do for the people who have to be outside is to find a place that offers some solace from the harsh winds that can whip your face. Elderly people bundle up in thick jackets and hats that remind me of soviet-era influence. Young people also bundle up, but wear fashions with bright colors and I see a kind of punk-music influence in their hairstyles and clothes. My keys to getting though the cold are my super thermal underwear and FedEx jacket. I got that jacket when I worked for FedEx part-time back in college. It's thin, but insulated and really good at deflecting the winds. However, this year I simply feel like my body can stand the cold better. Last year was the first time in a long time that I endured a cold winter, so I think it took some getting used to. Now, my blood is a little thicker. At least mentally, I know what to expect.


Central television has been good to me lately. They keep showing Phoenix Suns games on the sports channel. It's funny how when people ask me where I am from and I say Phoenix, usually the only thing they know is the "Taiyang-dui" meaning the Suns team. They have no clue what part of the country Phoenix is in, let along the weather. But they do know the NBA franchise. Congratulations to the NBA for being for marketing their product so effectively.
November 29, 2006 12:54 AMWell, as busy as I was in September and October, proofreading work has slowed to a trickle. I think I may have lost a major customer a few weeks ago. They said that I made mistakes in my proofreading, but I get the feeling they simply found someone who will work for less. That hasn't bothered me at all, because over the past few weeks I wanted time to develop my website. I am so excited about owning my own website, Getpowers.com. In China though, many people forget the S in Powers and visit Getpower.com which happens to be some engine company or something. Whoever runs that site may be wondering why they are getting so many hits from China in the past few weeks. However, Powers is my name, and I will stick with it through thick and thin.

It's getting harder and harder to think about what to do for the website now. When I first started it felt like the sky was the limit. But as I start to build things up, I feel attached to what I have created or I forgot what exactly I was trying to do and it gets hard to make changes or add more. Also, I just feel lazy sometimes and I rather look at the hit counter than write up anything. I think for the future, the try to get back to the joy of building a website and allow my creativity to take over rather than put pressure on myself to build something. This makes me more open to change and willing to start from scratch when I need to.

Recently, I helped build a website for my Dad's Photography business, a kind of online portfolio. I also set up a Online Journal for my Mom so she can write about all the interesting changes she is undergoing in improving her health and life.