Each city in China has some streets which are classified as „te se jie“ (special street) for whatever reason. Well Wudaoying Hutong where our Natooke bike shop is located on is now classified as a special street. That means the government will put money to develop the street for touristic resons. There are more shops and cafes and Western restaurants opening every week. But they still cannot make the sewer be used properly by the residential neighbors. They are currently dumping their water from cleaning dishes not just in the sewer, no all over the street. But because it is cold in Beijing we are getting a bigger and bigger frozen puddle. It is becoming an ice skating area. I should bring my ice skates soon.
It is really messy with all the garbage that now is frozen there too. That is the best way to attract rats. I mean I do not care as we only have a shop there and do not live in Wudaoying Hutong.
Last year I tried to make the Chinese understand that it is dangerous for the peopel walking to have such a huge ice area. But this year I find it amusing. Also it is actually good for the fengshui of our shop. You need a mountain in the north (and there is a pile of dirt at the trunk of the huge tree at the north side of our shop) and water in the south – and that is exactly where this sewer puddle is. We have our own lake for the dragon that protects us.