Saying My Goodbyes

 I've been making the rounds in the neighborhood saying goodbye.  This little family is probably my favorite because they wash and iron David's long sleeved white shirts every week!  How could I not love them?  We walk by their business every day and most days their little guy is out front with a friend or riding his bike waiting for David to say "Hello.  How are you?" He responds, "Fine, thank you."  His parents are learning English with him.

I'm not quite sure how all this happens but there a few places in the strip of businesses who make lunch and dinner and the whole strip eats as they have time.  The lady in the background works in the office for our apartment building...no English.  Bad news for me when I need a new key or have a question.  But she is always really nice and tries to figure out what I might be trying to say.

There is a business that delivers jugs of water.  I think there are three guys who are constantly on the go with E-bikes.  Sometimes they have 10 bottles of water on board.

 We live as minimalists when we are in China, but if we ever need anything I'm sure we could find it here. 

The rest of the store is in their van parked on the other side of the sidewalk.

This is part of the wait staff at the Tanigawa, a Japanese restaurant we frequent.  They are all so sweet, trying so hard with their English.  At most restaurants we are greeted with a "Good Morning."  no matter what time of the day it is.  At this restaurant I try to use as much simple English as possible because they like to practice. 

Every day, all day this woman sits there peeling bags of water chestnuts.  I don't think I have ever seen a water chestnut that didn't come from a can.   I stopped to buy some so I could get a photo of her weighing them out for me with that little pan and scale on the left.  She did it too fast.  I didn't have enough hands.  Plus, I don't think I paid her enough.  I need an assistant with me.  One that speaks Chinese.

This lady is there every day too, selling walnuts and dried fruit.   She was more than happy to let me take her photo.  I need to get these printed so I can give them out when I return in the fall.

 The plant guy was there too.  He bikes around every day all day selling plants.  David is one of his favorite customers.

I've been trying to get a photo of our sidewalk sweeper for years.  She doesn't want us to take one.  But this one was happy let me take her photo.

 There is a group of businesses at almost every alleyway.  I think, how many of these do we really need?  David says, "You have to remember we have about 20,000 people on our block."  "Oh."

There is always someone to fix shoes.  You sit on the little stool while he works on your shoe.  This guy is shy.

The guy on the right stopped while I was there to have something sewn up by the lady with the sewing machine.  How convenient is that?

Here is the shop for a husband and wife team who fix bikes.

The wife part of the team is hiding behind their baby.  Many times when we walk by we see her changing tires and fixing things on bikes. 

You see husband/wife teams in so many of these businesses and a grandpa or grandma standing by with the baby. They love those children.

 

This might give you a little bit of an idea of what our neighborhood is like.  I'm going to miss them.