I went for my usual walk to the massage therapist yesterday.  It wasn’t long before I met a little pup walking with his owners.  He was too busy dancing around to sit properly for his portrait and he wasn’t keen to meet a stranger.  However, he was pretty cute with clean fluffy hair, white teeth, happy expression and homemade collar and leash.  I’d seen them on a previous occasion but I stopped and asked for a photo yesterday and all but the pup were happy to comply.

There are a number of tiny shops near the massage therapists.  The middle aged shopkeepers and I always exchange greetings and often I’m asked to sit down for a chat.  We have few words in common, but they are friendly and kind so I stop and chat sometimes.  Two of them and some friends were playing mahjong on the footpath.  It is one of their summer pastimes.   The photo also shows a rack containing several of the cover-ups I photographed in the market on Sunday.   

I have no idea how any of them apart from the sewing woman make any money as customers are few and far between at the times I’m there.   It is their kind of shops which are being demolished all over the city.  They seem to front apartment and other buildings.  The demolition gives a few extra feet of footpath. 

One of their shops sold other means of covering up so I photographed them too.   The long gloves were a bit of a revelation and they are quite common on women riding bikes.  The other is simply a long sleeve equivalent. 

 

After my massage some of the mahjong players had changed.  It had escalated into a spectator event. 

Most/all things in China seem to be  spectator sport so I’m gradually becoming used to stopping and looking rather than feeling that I should scurry off and not be seen to be interested.

I met the chihuahua, who was walking  beside the canal with two female companions.  He wasn’t on a lead and ran ahead of them, but stopped very still when I approached.  I took that as a cue to produce my camera.  I rarely get a still dog so I took my opportunity.    The camera made next to no noise but it was enough for him to tell me in no uncertain voice who was boss.   His companions ran to see what was happening.  Fortunately, once he’d said his piece he had no need to taste Aussie flesh.

The block near the college which used to have numerous stalls on it has had barriers erected  recent times.  A few weeks ago mature trees and shrubs appeared on the street side of the barrier.  Yesterday a large truck filled with turf appeared.  The turfing was about half done when I walked past.  Things are progressing.   The area which has the barriers erected is not large.  It is beside a largish residential area.  On the other side of it is an absolutely ginormous  block where nearly all buildings have  been demolished.  The photo shows that scene from one of my classrooms and was taken about a month ago.  My guess is that the residential area in the middle will disappear too.