Street Life

The story of my Monday afternoon stroll down Yinghuayuan and Hepingli did in fact have a happy ending...!!!

I ultimately was able to locate the sought-after Lightning to USB charging cable that was the original impetus for my journey. After an initial visit to one of the many telecom resellers who jostle what seems every fourth retail space -- pushing mobile phone equipment and competing carriers like so many dumpling shops -- everything becoming commoditized; I scored what I believed would prove the best possible deal...

With prices ranging as high as189‎ Yuan for the exact connections required, ultimately my second of many shop stops was my purchase decision; and at 20 Yuan, which, with the current U.S. Dollar to Chinese Yuan conversion going at a ratio of 1 U.S. to 6.2 China, well you do the math...

But in the end, just before I turned off the bustling boule‎vard of my afternoon to evening odyssey, I came upon a street vendor, one of many I would encounter that day, hawking his own array of after-market tech wares; and much to my amusement, he was actually able to offer the same knock-off unlicensed hardware for 5 YUAN less than my own purchase; but probably a wiser choice was made in the end, as the store I got my goods from had an address -- I knew where they lived -- and this guy was on some kind of 3-wheeled motorized Radio Shack; the better to never be seen of again, should *his* goods fail to perform.

Just one of ‎the many unique and diverse array of proprietors encountered that day -- from Moslem food sellers selling Hallal organ meats (he wouldn't let me snap them); to mobile pet shops; and even outdoor kitchens; ideal for morning *and* evening pedestrian commuters -- all participating in an economy that is as wide open and sprawling as the spectrum of ethnicities and traditions which make up this nation.