Today's Lunch.
I had my lunch in Union Square today. Great place for people watching. There are a lot of freaks walking around. Today's highlight was this huge muscle bound guy with long hair walking through Union Square with his shirt off and his body all greasy. Looked like he came off the set on Xena: Warrior Woman.
This is what the doctor sees when I've got bad tonsilitus.
In Hong Kong there are these old Chinese people, usually women, who walk around all day collecting cans. You see them everywhere. So I was surprised to also see them all over New York. It makes me a bit homesick, but what's with these people? Is this an international profession that only Chinese know how to do well? Or did Giuliani see them in HK and imported them to NY? For the women there seems to be a standard uniform with flower patterned Chinese button down shirts and black pants that are 3 inches too short. Most of them are seriously hunch backed. Is this because it's easier to pick up the cans? Did they genetically evolve this way? I see them carrying these huge bags and feel like helping, then I realize tin cans take up a lot of space but don't actually weigh that much. This guy was rocking it old school with the rice picker hat and the bamboo pole.
This is what the doctor sees when I've got bad tonsilitus.
In Hong Kong there are these old Chinese people, usually women, who walk around all day collecting cans. You see them everywhere. So I was surprised to also see them all over New York. It makes me a bit homesick, but what's with these people? Is this an international profession that only Chinese know how to do well? Or did Giuliani see them in HK and imported them to NY? For the women there seems to be a standard uniform with flower patterned Chinese button down shirts and black pants that are 3 inches too short. Most of them are seriously hunch backed. Is this because it's easier to pick up the cans? Did they genetically evolve this way? I see them carrying these huge bags and feel like helping, then I realize tin cans take up a lot of space but don't actually weigh that much. This guy was rocking it old school with the rice picker hat and the bamboo pole.
posted by Chiseen at
6:11 PM
8 Comments:
Haha. Bums/hobos collect cans here and sell them off to recycling to make money. I hear the bums go through the dumpsters all the time near where I live--my apartment isn't very soundproof so it sounds like something is crashing in my kitchen. I once saw on the news that a man spent most of his life collecting cans. He sold so many he made enough money to send his kid off to college. If he could make that much money, I should quit my part-time job and start going through some trash.
p.s. why didn't you try the flavored rice for lunch?
you know what man? they're probably the same ones from HK/China and they came here to collect cans because the exchange rate is better
If you ever get a chance and strolling through midtown after 7:30pm, check out the corner of 53rd Street and 6th Ave. especially on a warm day. (THey are there from 7:30pm until like 4am). There is this food stand cart (The Best Halal) - 5 guys working a cart selling gryos (chicken or lamb) and the line is LOOONG. Everytime I'm on that line everyone thinks there's a performance going on at the cart... just be careful of the hot sauce. Ask for it on the side. Here's a link from like 2005 awards
http://www.gothamist.com/2005/12/29/street_eats_the_1.php
yea, all these old ladies go thru picking up cans, makes me feel bad sometimes about how much they struggle to live in
America.
Dude....Is that Hummus and Falafel? My "eat only Chinese food" girlfriend, likes Falafel after I introduced it to her at a place on Valencia in the Mission SF.
I thought CA was the only place they recycle. Yes,...I've also seen the same type of folks picking up cans out here. Easy $--actually not that easy, turning garbage into cash. CA known for diversity, so there's a couple of other ethnicities working this "racket".
Did you know Las Vegas Nevada doesn't believe in recycling?....I "F*ckin" hate that town.
I come to respect you more and more each time I read your blog...You actually wanted to help them? Wow,...I never would have guessed. NO offense..But I am impressed.
i saw this one on the train the other day, a woman. she had a skirt on. her legs looked gangrenous and she had badly surgical taped her ankles. she was wearing oversize children's velcro roos. it reminded me of my first memory of abject poverty: kowloon harbor in hk, an old woman collecting cans from the murky and horrendous water by an open air market. there's something about chinatown in NY that seems so resolute, a transplanted part of china that was scooped up and planted in NY... Unlike say Ktown which feels like a playground.
It's really a standard uniform with those removable maroon, gartered sleeves...now i miss shanghai.
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