China is different. I'm not the same either, but China's different. And not from when I left in December, at least not as far as I can tell, but I finally deduce a difference. The loudspeakers men are gone.
When I first came to China there was a humorous (if unnerving) phenomenon where men would ride bicycles in slow motion through residential areas and around housing complexes with loudspeakers blaring a man's voice shouting in Chinese. For a long time I had no idea why this was or what it was for. I suspected it was communist propaganda being spilled constantly onto the minds of the unsuspecting citizens. The information saturation was complete and total, and even more invasive than I could have imagined. Fortunately, this wasn't the case. The truth is the men are advertising their interest in purchasing old refrigerators, air conditioners, appliances, etc. Not nearly as exciting or juicy as propaganda, but much more sensible.
But now these men are gone. Was a law passed banning this activity? Is the economy hurting that bad? Did they buy each and every old appliance in the city already? I don't know and probably never will. All I know is the men with the loudspeakers (the men who let me imagination run wild), are gone.
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