You see, it's all about playing the game with these street vendors. This was the only 2nd night market I have been too, the other one in Hanzhou which wasn't really the food type of vendors. This place, currently pictured, is in Beijing, and was established over a decade ago. The vendors know some English, to tempt the tourists, as it is on a street downtown. One cutie told he would see me "tomorrow" and giving me bedroom eyes, after he was offering me all kinds of different foods. Jason continually gets asked if I am his wife, and I have caught on to the dialogue in Mandarin and now I can play along asking them if they see a ring. It's all about the jokes, and more jokes. For some reason, I can play the whole charade with the men, younger men, the women don't seem to be too fond of me. Except the one that witnessed my mustache down in the Bund. I take notice of the other laowei's and they aren't really getting in on the fun. I am all smiles, and laughs, and really up for trying pretty much anything. So, towards the end, we had decided we would get some of the fruit. Jason is finishing his beer, as you can purchase it and drink it on the street, and I am gazing at the fruit vendors. One is waving me over and the other 6-7 guys notice I am looking over in their direction. The next thing I know I have nearly 10 guys reaching for me, advertising and shaking these skewers of fruit. I am laughing hysterically, but you can't see from these pictures, there is one on the far left that is screaming, "I LOVE YOU" in English. After the 3rd time, he wins.
There was plenty of garbage diving there as well. I caught one man digging through the trash barrels for left overs, the others wait over your shoulder for the empty beer cans. The worst was the older man digging the skewers out, wiping his hand along them to "clean them" and then eating. Though these pictures show a lot of fun and laughs, China is not that hysterical of a place. There is a lot of sadness, a lot of poverty, and just a lot to make you stand back and think about your own life, meaning, and happiness.The other day, this little girl, with a smaller boy were playing in a busy intersection. They saw my big giant white face and come running over. They shake there cup at my window, jumping up and down laughing, and screaming "HELLO MONEY!!!" Yes, I am white, yes, I come from the land of the rich. But I do believe China has a misconception of America. Over and over again, I hear how everyone is rich in America and we all have cars. Everyone has to work, and there is rich and poor everywhere. But China, I don't know...every day is another awakening - to whatever I may see. I laugh, I humor myself, because that is your initial response...because if you took it all for what its worth, you would become depressed and realize your life is shit. I consider my life at home, in New York...how we all struggle to be something great. Ha, New York?! In the big world, in the entire world, it's really nothing. Honestly, really...nothing.
In the US, I can barely find photo work, here, I have been working non stop - and have been offered to freelance for a very big production company. Why? Because I am an outsider, a white foreigner. Wait, I can't give away all the goodness of this country, because you all would move here too - and the novelty of young american female would no longer hold as much value as it does now.
PS - The art scene here is budding - and opportunities everywhere. If you haven't heard already, the word on the streets is the artists are leaving NY. I know where I will be going.
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