Ever since I began this blog, people have been asking me for photos to get a real sense of what life in Laiwu is like. More will come later (if I try to put too many photos in one blog post my computer console explodes), but I was at the marketplace this morning and I tried to uninvasively take a few photos. This was the result:
This first one is actually an alleyway off the main market drag. In this area they sell only fruits, veggies, beans, and starches (the bases for noodles, breaded foods, and wrapped delicacies like jiaozi and baozi). In other words, no meathooks or crispy dead fish. In the back on the left are two lettuce trucks making a delivery. Why that much lettuce is necessary in life, I couldn't tell you. Unless you're Tony Soprano - in which case it's all about the lettuce. Okay, bad joke. Sorry, about that. I'll try to restrain myself in the future.
This is the right side of the main drag. Further to the left, there's a second "lane" with more fruit stands, slabs of meat on hooks, etc. In some places, makeshift tables or trucks hold the items but, overall, most produce and even some fish are just laid out on crates, boxes, or blankets.
 Everyone seemed to enjoy the story about the very exuberant saleslady with the chicken in a bucket, so I thought I'd give you all a visual. This lady is not "overly exuberant," but I think you get the idea anyway. I was very impressed by this woman's supremely large bucket of chicken. Try to challenge that, KFC! |
