Theres is a market right outside the guoyuan apartment ... i haven't had a chance to take a close look but will do in the next couple of days. That red roof there is the end of one hell of a long shed! it's probably abut 300 metres or so ... those guys outside are just the overflow stalls. And surprise surprise they're selling fruit ... maybe this is how fruit park got it's name!

ok heres something you might recognise ... laopo and i were having a little celebration so i invited her to pizza hut which she quite enjoy's but in china it seen as an expensive place to eat. The differences between the operations in china and australia are quite interesting and show how vastly the different the catering markets are. Pizza hut just can't compete for the budget orientated end of the dining market which is really where they are focused in australia ... cheap pizza. In beijing the majority of diners go there for a special occasion ... the menu even features escargot! (snails!) ... so their aiming for the higher end of the dining market! The chinese also expect to pay a little more for the experince of dining at a 'western' restaurant ... i'm sure they'd die if they found out how much we pay for a couple of takeout dishes from a 'chinese' takeaway!

The decor of their restaurants are very fancy and on most nights of the week you will infact have to queue for up to 30 minutes or book ahead! This 'gourmet' pizza has oyster sausages wrapped into the crust! You can shop around the local area while your waiting ... they'll call your mobile when you table is 5 minutes away!

These are the fapiao's (invoices) .... Tottaly we spent 160 rmb ... about 30aud or so between the 2 of us... which is considered a very expensive meal! The invoices are the preprinted type which kind of look like monopoly money! The other thing i have noticed recently that compared to dining back out at west-side 6Mile bridge the average restaurant at fruit park is even cheaper! Last night we ate out at a local fandian (restaurant) ...and spent 35rmb for the 2 of us!

OK another story here .... da bo (to go!) ... a very common practice is to take home your left overs ... it's so common in fact this little box has been designed specifically for that purpose. It has the reheating instructions printed on the side ... it's a very small box that will only hold about 2 or 3 pieces! but hey .. this western food is so damn pricey we gonna be eating it all! But every restaurant has little take away boxes ... were done ... time to 'da bo'!

Unlike some other fast food restaurants pizza hut or even pizza restaurants in general haven't made their way into the smaller city's as yet. Back in laopo's hometown ..lianyunggang.. there isn't any ... didi (younger brother) has never eaten a slice of pizza in his entire life ... he is 22 now!

OK i've been hunting a specimen of these for a while ''' it's the 3 wheeled truck! You don't see them that often in the city but they seem to come in from the country side sporting a load of veggies or something similar! This one stalled it in front of me in the middle of an intersection so i just had enough time to rip out the camera and get a shot before it made a getaway!

Thats a s@#$ load of lettuces strapped down there! i'm not sure if it is purely economics driving the missing wheel at the front or its more advantageous for driving through the growing fields? who knows!. They sound like a diesel powered motor ... they make a awesome clappity clap as they drive by! Follow that one for a few free lettuce's, they have to lose a couple ;)

and it's another double shenme dongxi! This one caught my eye with the obvious home made add-on! Welded metal frame work ... recycled wood cart ... and the 'built in' gloves make this one sweet little ride! Great to get those groceries home and keep the hands warm! no more woorying about lost gloves and cold hands!