Showing posts with label cars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cars. Show all posts

Sunday, 1 June 2008

A Funny Thing Happened



Yesterday there was a big meeting in the administration building next to the foreign teachers' apartments. As some of the last folk were leaving late in the afternoon, we heard a big bang, and most of us rushed to our balcony to see what had happened. We looked on with an element of amusement. The driver stood in wonderment at what he had done, and shortly afterwards negotiated his car through the damaged pots and plants. It appears that the driver ofthe small car in the car park, must have "thought" his car was in reverse, but instead, when his foot landed on the accelerator, it rushed forward into the garden, demolishing some of the wonderful plants and pots between the two buildings. Within an hour three garden workers arrived and removed all the damage. This morning when I looked out the window, the damaged plants had all been replaced and there was little evidence of the event late yesterday.

Tuesday, 4 March 2008

Busy City


The city of Shaoxing is a very busy city - with more than 4 million people. Downtown is always busy with cars, trucks, bicyles, scooters, tricycles and pedestrians all mixed in together.

I am sure there are road rules, but it is hard to tell if anyone knows them or takes them seriously. It is not uncommon to find a car driving on the wrong side of the road. (I must check and see if there is any licence requirements!)

When we cross a busy road we walk right out into the traffic and just hope everything goes around us. It is quite daunting!

In front of the shops and buildings are rows of bicycles and scooters, and some people take their scooters, bikes, right inside the office or shop!

At the college students go back and forth on bikes, or scooters - back and forth all the time.

I asked the students (and they are about 22 yrs old) if they drive a car. No, no. Only rich people have cars. Some of their parents do - but not young people here.