Parallel lives in Wudaokou

[ShawnLin]

I lived in Wudaokou for nearly 5 years, sometimes feel it is familiar and warm place, sometimes feel strange

Wudaokou is really a corlorful place, tracffic jam, railway, international people, bars, kinds of foods, packmen...the view I saw everyday, it is familiar to me.But the people I met everyday, we r totally strange to each other, like parallel lines in the small place

The railway is a special view in Wudaokou, sometimes I wait for the train passing in my way home, I found people around me conclude so many kinds: international people, chinese college students, high-salary IT officers and scrap-collectors dressed in rags. we r all go back home, we all live in the same small Wudaokou,but people are strange to each others like parallel lines without intersection.

Take myself as an example, I am Chinese, I studied and worked in Wudaokou from 2004, I sell scrap to scrap-collectors, I went to nearly every restaurants and bars nearby, I go for work and come back home in the same way. I get faimilar with some people's face, but I did not have a conversation with scrap-collectors, I have no international friends, but we did live in same small district.

Even so, I lived a happy life in Wudaokou, and saw smiles are on most people's face, we have our own friends, we have our own time table, we lived in our own happy lives, we are parallel in Wudaokou.

[jbradfor]

Wow, for being a Chinese scrap collector, your English is really excellent.... humm.....

[gato]

He sells scraps to scrap collectors....

[jbradfor]

Oh yeah, you're right, I wasn't paying close enough attention. My bad.

So is selling scrap to scrap collectors something that pretty much everyone does in China?

[gougou]

It's pretty common, many people collect plastic bottles or old newspaper to sell for a few kuai. I'm currently reading 高兴, by 贾平凹, which essentially is about just that.

[ShawnLin]

I am not a scrap collector, but I am really doing job related to scrap --recycling of hazadous waste, like used PC, fridge, TV set, and kinds of industrial residue

selling scrap to collector is common before, but not universal now, more and more people like to litter to dustbin. because the price of collecting scrap for selling is too cheap.

there r tons of scrap collected into Bajia near Wudaokou from every corner of beijing, and then delivered to other province for recycling or reuse.

Though the collectors are dressed in rags, what they are doing is really a big business, the big scrap collector are also millionaire, they just collect scarp from the poor collectors.

[imron]

Wow, for being a Chinese scrap collector, your English is really excellent..

One thing I would recommend though, ShawnLin, is to avoid using abbreviations like 'r' 'u' etc. I know you might see this sort of Internet slang used quite a lot, but (at least in my opinion) it tends to make writing look childish and uneducated. Other than that, keep up the good work, and welcome to the forums.

[ShawnLin]

ok8)

thank you, administrator, for your advice.

the forum is a good platform for language learning, both for international people to learn Chinese and Chinese people to practice english.

I would be glad to spread Chinese culture in the forum. PM me, if you have problem in learning Chinese.

if any friends lives near Wudaokou, you can also contact me, language exchange is also preferred.