What u get for a $1...

The cost of living is obviously less here in Ya'an. So to give u an idea, here are some things that I have found for a buck.

Foods:

A vendor near my place sells a type of bacon (as close as one can get to bacon) with egg in a bun, like a breakfast sandwich, with a great sauce, just terrific. 2 for $1.

These veggies...all for a buck.


a similar amount of fruit...(not all fruits though),
about 5 handfuls of garlic cloves,
2-16 oz. bottles of coke,
about 4-6 ice cream bars, (sean would love it)
a loaf of bread,
a bag of bread stuff at the bakery,
a big bag of green tea (ya'an is famous for its tea growing)
a five gallon jug of drinking water,
2-22oz beers,
and at the little restaurants, a big bowl of noodles, small amount of some kind of meat, 70 Cents.

Sometimes Western products or "unique" products are very expensive.
Chocolate as an example, for Dove or snicker candy bars, its like $2 ea. or a big bag of cereal/granola type, $10!

Some Services:

I got a haircut the other day, $1.
Full body massage for almost an hour, 3 bucks.
I havent gotten a foot massage yet, (they have those shops around town), but i bet its around a buck or two.
2 workouts at the gym, $1.
taxi ride in and around town, usually less than a buck.
fixing something on the bicycle...maybe a buck.
There is a "red light" district,or "massage parlors", maybe...I was gonna check that out for u guys!
I was also told there were a bunch of bars...but when I rode by them, they were just Hot Pots that served beer, i believe (a type of restaurant that serves Spicy food).


The haircut was interesting.
First, they washed my hair (never used ta get that done),
then cut, then wash again, then blow dry and styled.
no tip. they dont accept it. consider it part of the service.
excellent hair cut by the way.

The massage shops that I famously heard of, are filled with old blind men.
I thought, "how cool to go there"...
I pictured some old guy with a long gray beard and cane, wiping out the kung-fu massage.
I didnt find any blind men, but they did have eye issues.
Just was an interesting thought that the society seems to have positions of employment for those that couldn't do the work that maybe others could. There is a deaf couple that works on all the bikes near the school as well, (these instances just made me think of our social programs/work programs, or lack thereof, in the u.s.,for those that have certain disabilities, but still are included in society rather than just receiving a check, and of course can earn some money on their own without receiving financial benefits. It also has made me rethink the "wal-mart" issue...Big corps vs. small business).

Anyways, the guy worked my back so hard that its still sore...
I think he tried to tell me something was wrong with me, but i didn't know what the h*ll he was saying, as usual. And i suppose thats why he kept bustin on my lower back. I think I need a massage for my massage!

So, just a few prices around town.

Master su fu jim

My English Class...

This is how my classes usually go!

A trip to the market.

Basketball Big in China

My second day in Ya'an, I went to shoot around at mid-day. A bit hot.
One fella was playing. English speaker (to some degree), and we agreed to meet later to play, when it cooled down.

The pics below is what I came to.
This is the scene everyday, starting about 4pm to 7ish.
12 half-courts full, with 4 on 4 games going on, with people waiting to play.
They play up to 5 when a team is waiting, otherwise the game just goes on, with no score keeping. BTW, there are 2 other main courts like this, completely full.
Also, there is badminton and volleyball courts and soccer fields being played on as well. An active student body, no?

Where is the Moving Truck?

So...I have had to purchase many basic amenities for my living quarters.
And one thing that has been troubling me is the lack of "cushiony" chairs and couches.
Much furniture is either made of wood, or is just plain uncomfortable.
So after searching the countless stores I found a decent couch.
Things that I desire for my comforts, from what I am used to are sometimes hard to come by. For example, I could not find a pair of size 10 bball shoes in the whole city. This goes for clothes as well.
So the guy in the store picked up the couch and started to carry it downstairs. I assumed we were going to load it up on the truck for delivery (since i live a 1-2 km away, up a hill). I set off to purchase something and told him I would meet him at my place (sort of, since i cant communicate with anyone!).

This was his delivery truck...


He got angry when i hopped on the top of his cargo...


Sometimes, things are just done differently.
I kept seeing corn layed out all over town. "What are they doing"? I kept thinking.
Is it for the ducks...the gods, some other thing???

Meat Market (part 2)

A face only a mother could love...



Pig heads are very popular here! Baskets and bags of heads going out to vendors all throughout the neighborhood. Can't wait to eat me some pig eyes...





This is where I purchase my meat. There is often smaller cuts hanging on racks, and since I can't communicate very well, I simply make a "sawing" motion at where I want them to cut the piece off at. So far I have paid about $1 a pound...i think...

The Meat Market

The market has all your needs...
Chicken, duck, pig, fruits and veggies.
I go every couple of few days to get the best bird, like these cute chickens that are waiting to be sold as pets...





OR MAYBE NOT...

Gonna have me some fried chicken.

And some veggies to go with the main dish.