It happens to everyone, you leave the house in the morning
and the sun is shining, however by midday the skies have clouded over and a
downpour starts. Unprepared for such inclement weather you have little choice
but to carry on as you are and get drenched. This is a problem that is worse in
Wuhan than some other places, because when it rains here it rains. In the UK you might be able to
get away without an umbrella in a light drizzle however when the heavens truly
open you really don’t want to be outside. What you see in Wuhan a lot is random
vendors who will station themselves at crowded areas (Metro exits, bus stops
etc.) selling cheap umbrellas for people caught unprepared. While this can be
quite useful, it does raise the question – what do these people do when it
isn’t raining? Do they have jobs that they abandon in a breathless hurry every
time the sky clouds up to hit the streets with their wares? I like to think
they spend their time poring over meteorological maps and population densities
around the city plotting their next appearance in a far more sophisticated manner
than anyone could have imagined.
Motorbike Men
Taxis are a fairly cheap and quick way of getting around,
and there are huge numbers of them around the city. Having said that, depending
where you are in the city and the time, it can be next to impossible to get a
taxi. To fill this gap are random people in cars and on scooters who will offer
to drive you to your destination for an agreed-upon fee. For some of the people
in cars I assume that they are basically chancing it – perhaps they are on
their way somewhere and see an opportunity to make some easy money. This is not
the case with the scooter men though who are often found corralled in groups
like a really scruffy, lame version of a biker club. Getting a scooter ride to
your destination is invariably more expensive than a taxi, though depending on
traffic it can be quicker. Having said that you really are taking your life in
your hands, and on top of that I am not sure how legal it is…
Watch and Shoe men
In fairness this one is not confined to China, though
probably my favourite thing is how specific it is. If you go to a busy outside
shopping area (particularly Jianghan Lu) at some point you will probably be
approached by shady-looking men trying to sell you watches and shoes. ‘Nice
watch, nice shoes’ is pretty much the limit of their English, though just in
case you were unclear what they were selling they generally bring accompanying
pictures. As I said, my favourite thing is how specific it is – why shoes and
watches as opposed to say – shoes and other items of clothing? Presumably they
know the market better than me and when it comes to fake goods the true
connoisseur knows that the real deals are to be had in the shoe and watch sections.
Huanying Guanglin!
Go into most large restaurants and stores and you will be
met with a chorus of ‘Huanying Guanglin!’ (basically ‘Welcome’). Sometimes this
will just be from the people who work there and happen to be close to the
entrance, though lots of places will have people stationed at the entrance
whose job it is to loudly welcome everyone into the premises (they also say it
when you leave and welcome you to come next time). I can only assume that this
is a way of creating jobs because I can’t really see any other reason – are
there genuinely customers who feel treasured by being loudly shouted at every
time they go into a store?
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