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Around the world in 2000,
via Asia and Madagascar.
China (10 Shaping)
Bec2004-09-18 16:32:43
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Shaping
Shaping is a small village at the northern end of Erhai Lake were a big market is held on Monday. It was Monday so I went to see it.
These tractor-taxis handle the rural transport here as they do everywhere else in China.
Markets are great places to go people watching because everyone is so busy buying or selling that they generally don't notice that you are staring or taking their picture.
It was interesting to watch the people work and go about their business. Once in a while, a traditional costume would add color to the scene.
As far as I could tell from watching this butcher for a while, the Chinese don't care where the meat comes from on the animal but they apparently have a preference for the white fat that we try so hard to avoid eating in North America.
I also roamed about the village of Shaping. This was the entrance to one of the more well-to-do residences.
I looked into doorways whenever I could because there was nothing to see from the outside. This courtyard evidently belonged to a school and the kids did not mind at all being photographed.
When I looked into this doorway in a poorer part of the village, the people invited me to come into their courtyard. We could communicate only by smiles and gestures but they pulled up a chair and made tea for me.
Then, everyone went about their own business until I finished my tea and left with another round of smiles and friendly gestures. It was a very odd but lovely experience...
Yunnan
My Yunnan adventure was coming to an end and I headed back to Kunming by bus on this modern superhighway. It could have been anywhere in North America or Europe.
Copyright Bernard Cloutier
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See photographs from:
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