And no, I’m not talking about George Clinton.
It’s getting hotter and hotter in Linyi, and that can only mean one two things: the return of the ankle hose and the funk.
Ankle Hose
Ankle hose as worn in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square
Ankle hose are a mystery to me, an aspect of Chinese fashion I just don’t get. Any explanations? In my opinion they are ghastly and extremely uncomfortable. Oh, yeah, I tried them out:
It didn’t last long.
Everyone wears these things, young and old, with sandals and heels. They are just not to my personal taste. They remind me of this woman:
Some random woman on our boat trip in Guangxi Province
The Funk
The funk is the great downfall of Linyi’s springs and summers. The funk emanates from garbage cans, low lying areas where water has collected and most any gutter drain. It gets carried in the air over great distances to strike your senses when they least expect it. The funk is just that – funky. Gag-inducing funk. Chunky, pukey funk. Sufficiently grossed out? hahaha me, too.
Trash cans looking pretty clean at the moment
To be fair, we encountered the funk all the time in Costa Rica, too. It’s just part of life in a hot, humid country that doesn’t quite know what to do with their refuse. It is exacerbated in Linyi because garbage is picked through thoroughly for recyclables, something that I admire, but the contents of trash bags are left to rot and fester in the garbage cans or on the ground beside them.
Someone is always going through the trash
Perhaps this is all the more noticeable because we are coming out of a cold winter where the garbage smells are not as obvious. I’m thinking a face mask is not such a bad idea after all.
Just so you know, it’s not all bad. 
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Ah, the funk! How that brings back memories of my three years in Changsha back in the 80s. And rats as big as cats!
Which province are you living in?
Lady Fi’s last blog post..Mystery object
LOL rats! Thank god I’ve only seen one and it was small. But I realized where there is one… ick!
I live in Shandong Province in a city called Linyi. Thanks for stopping by!
Wow. The picture of that woman. Looks like you could tell a whole story about her.
blues’s last blog post..Balloon watching
Yea, we did. She was a German spinster with a penchant for velvet and hairless cats.
Have you ever been to Naples, Italy? Never in my travels around the globe have I seen mountains of festering garbage like I’ve seen there and in other places south of Naples …. And Italy belongs to the EU.
Miss Footloose’s last blog post..THE JOYS OF EXPAT HOUSING
Ugh! I’ve heard about the trash in Naples but didn’t want to believe it. Gross! What a shame for an EU country!
I’ve been tempted to buy the ones that have the tatoo-like designs on them, but, alas, they do not come in size 42!
I haven’t seen those! Must be too modern for Linyi. Will keep an eye out for those!
Living in China certainly helps boost your self-esteem concerning your shoe size.
Clark’s last blog post..Blogspot Blocked in China, 2009 Edition