Laundry & Kitchen Duties

Despite the pollution issues, Jen, June and I ventured out on Monday after taking Will to school and dropping Taylor off at work.  The traffic was a bit heavy - it took 45 minutes to travel the one mile to Will's school.  Yikes.  Had we known the traffic conditions, Jen & Will could have ridden their bikes instead (which they often do to and from school - June rides on back of Jen's bike).

A glimpse of the massive bridge spanning the Huang Pu River

We traveled to the Puxi side of Shanghai where Jen showed me where they lived when first arriving in China five years ago.  I was fascinated to walk the same streets she used to explore while pushing baby Will in a stroller. We visited what I refer to as "the old neighborhoods" of Shanghai.  Slowly, they are disappearing as the government has been building huge high-rise apartment complexes on the outskirts of the city.  Upon completion, the government relocates entire "neighborhoods" for real estate purposes.  The land whereon these "old neighborhoods" reside are financial gold mines for the government.  And the local Chinese people seem to be satisfied with the arrangements because their housing situations are improving...

Apartment doors lined the narrow streets.

I'll mention that these "old neighborhoods" are not like the "slums" we think of in major U.S. cities.  Most of the people living in these situations are employed in some capacity and do not consider themselves "poor".  This is simply how and where they live.

An inside glimpse into a home - the sleeping quarters are above and this woman/daughter are in the "kitchen" of the home.  The kitchen table is up against the wall to be pulled out at mealtimes. Very small.  You can see the back wall - there were no other rooms.

Jen and I were curious enough to peek behind partially opened doors.  We found this staircase - a concrete slab angled upwards with stair rungs attached to form a stairwell leading to an upstairs apartment.

Inside another stairwell

Notice the hanging meat again?

A small produce stand at the end of this street or "alley".

 Beautification efforts were underway in one location - nothing like a fresh coat of paint!

 Their construction projects were intriguing to me - the materials and methods used...

 Bricks were stacked everywhere for one project or another.

 Regardless of how narrow the streets are, here is an example of how people just build into the street.  No doubt this is probably going to be a new kitchen or additional housing for family members.

 Wheelbarrows - used for all kinds of projects were a common sight.

This picture was taken in Fuxing Park

And so were bamboo ladders.

Not sure if this was a garbage truck of sorts or if people were moving?  

No idea how it navigated the narrow streets with random wires hanging above!

Scooters and bikes were parked near many doors.

Laundry facilities - some people had washing machines but everybody used poles for drying their clothes.  Not sure how effective it is in the winter/cold but that's how it's done.

The famous "split pants" hanging upside down .

 Years ago when Taylor first told me how the Chinese toilet train their children, I was amazed.  While in Beijing, I witnessed their methods in action.  One mom stopped in front of a garbage with her young child (15 months maybe?) and opened up "split pants" for the baby to do its thing.  The Chinese do not use diapers.  Taylor said it was nice she actually used a garbage can.  Many do not.  Old and young alike do not bother looking for public facilities. I will say the P's are very conscientious about changing from their outdoor shoes to their indoor shoes at home.  This practice is also required at Will's school. With marble floors at home, June made sure I always wore indoor shoes/slippers because their floors are freezing cold!

G-ma is holding the little girl's pink face mask so we can talk.

 The older Chinese people really encourage their children to practice English whenever possible.

The Chinese people dress in layers.  There is no indoor heating in the "old neighborhoods".  Whether inside or out, the children are bundled up.

With a family of eight, I do a LOT of laundry at my place.  And so naturally, I took notice of the various washing machines being utilized.

Most are situated out by the door/entrance.  This lady was soaking jeans in a bucket while waiting for a turn in the machine.

Another machine by front door.

I am so grateful for the laundry facilities I have at home - it's almost a joy to do laundry!

Outdoor kitchen for restaurant.

I spend a good portion of every day in the kitchen. 

And so, I also took notice of the various "kitchens" I saw.

This is a community kitchen set-up.  Jen and I made a "wrong turn" and found ourselves literally walking through the "kitchen" of several families - many foreign eyes were upon us.  Nobody said anything to us but we were off the beaten path for sure.  We secretly snapped a photo...

Some kitchen sinks are outside the front door with dinner waiting in the pot (fish).

One more China post to come...