Round Two: Post-consumer solutions

Yesterday morning, while I was eating breakfast in the little courtyard of the hutong where my youth hostel was, I heard an eerie sound something like a bird-call but more human. Uuuuuuuuh, when the sound in a clear ringing tone. Uuuuuuuh. Or maybe there were words, but I didn't know what the words were. And then from a different direction: ooooooh.... oooooooh.

Later, while walking through the little maze of narrow alley-like streets, I saw one of these callers in person. It was a tiny, wizened old man on a tricycle trailer. A brief aside on these trike trailers: they are absolutely awesome. From the seat forward, the thing is a bicycle. But instead of a back wheel, it has a trailer box and two wheels. Very very cool. If it weren't so obviously the wave of the past (every single one I've seen has been ancient) I'd say it was the wave of the future. Sadly, the healthy importance of bicycles has diminished in this city and been replaced by a decidedly unhealthy car boom, with attendant problems. Well, sometimes you have to go back to go forward, and go forward to go back, if you see what I mean.

Anyway, I saw one of these ancient bike trailers peddled by an old man from whom these bird-call sounds were issuing. At this point I had a suspicion, which my newfound Chinese friend JZ verified: there are people who make their living going through these hutong neighborhoods collecting recyclables. Actually, there are people who try to do this in Eugene (OR) as well, so I felt nostalgic. But they usually do it by going through dumpsters, not calling out to residents in such an endearingly melodic way. JZ added that there was even one person she'd heard of who had become a millionaire through this line of work. "But in Chinese millions!" she added, seeing my surprise.

I suppose with the encroachment of high-rises upon these little neighborhoods, this type of recycling business will wither. But overall the city seems to be pretty recycle conscious, offering double trashcans in many places. I have yet to figure out exactly what is considered recylable, but then I haven't been throwing much away!

I'm really sorry I didn't get a picture of the old guy. If at some future point I manage it, I will post one here.