egy kicsit azsia, or adventures between post-industrial east and west
Last night I took tram 24 from Blaha Lujza to the Torekves Muvelodesi Kozpont for ballroom dancing. On the way, the street was lined with warehouses with big signs in Chinese and Vietnamese. The tram filled with asian people. I figured Diane would be pleased.
So today after an expedition to the Vista Cafe and Restaurant for breakfast (rather disappointing), around Vorosmarty ter, and then to the Mammut mall, we hopped on the 24 tram on a whim and set off to explore this mini China-town.
To situate yourself, you are on Kobanyai heading East, towards Konyves Kalman. On the right are rows and rows of warehouses with signs in Chinese, and openings between the warehouses labeled with enticing signs such as "Euro Square". On the left is a long solid metal fence with a few openings that people are coming and going through.
We hopped off the tram and headed through an opening in the fence. A big sign at the entrance had an X through a dog, a gun, a video camera, and a camera. There was a big guard man in black. Inside the fence was a vast land of dilapidated metal shacks stacked with piles of junk for sale, clearly straight out of the cargo crate. We saw more underwear than I've ever seen in my life. Stacks of bright orange dolphin thongs. Socks. Fake Puma shoes. Belts. Tools. Plastic-wrapped shirts with Engrish on them. The ground was covered in plastic wrap, crushed boxes, old plastic soup bowls. We crossed the streets and toured through the warehouses. Everywhere the scene was the same. The stores/metal cargo tins were closing up for the night. People gathered around boxes and tables to play some card game that involved violently throwing down your cards. I bought a pair of stripey toe socks.
People didn't speak English, but they did speak Hungarian, Mandarin, and Vietnamese.
Down an alley/street between warehouses a man had a truck piled with crates of chickens and pigeons, and we watched the negotiation between the man and a couple who felt and then bought two chickens, holding them by their wings as they squawked in protest and then were shoved in a cardboard box.
A woman sold bags of fried tofu, noodles, ginger, and root vegetables on the sidewalk in front of a mostly closed warehouse.
We walked through more official-looking stores selling piles and piles of this junk, toys with Engrish names ("Interesting wind surf!"), low quality knives, everything individually wrapped in plastic.
At the far end of the open cargo crate area appeared to be stands selling food. It must have been authentic, because the sanitation was certainly questionable: piles of chicken parts left to rot and so on.
We have to come back when it's open for real.
The whole experience left me with quite a few questions, though. Why is this here? Who buys all this junk? Where does it all come from? Is it going somewhere? Why... Hungary?
Comments
These days lots of Chinese are seeking business oppertunities overseas. They are everywhere. Places I wouldn't imagine them to be, like, South America, South Africa. Last night a friend of mine from China telling me that he's going to west Africa to start a business for his telecommunications company. High-tech is rare so far, but massive cheap goods are often seen. People in Eastern Europe or South America may not be able to afford fancy products from North America or Western Europe, that opens door for cheap Chinese (and Asian, for that matter) product to pour in, because labour there is cheap. The consequence is, more affordable product, while local people are losing jobs. Last year there was a riot in Spain where Spanish shoe workers burnt a dozen Chinese shoe shops, because local products can't compete with imported shoes from China in terms of price and quality. Frustration turned into Anger. C'est comme ca.
Posted by: Zhongning | March 15, 2005 07:01 PM