You ain't yet seen crowded.

I'll be trying over the next while to put some random unused photos to good use. We really need to go out and do some real travelling again, because I'm not sure how much entertainment I can milk out of some of these (there are reasons I haven't posted them before). This particular batch is from my cell phone, which is my camera of last resort, as the quality is low.

Contrary to its reputation, not everywhere in China is crowded, and even crowded places are not so all the time. However, if a tide of humanity is ever going to sweep over and drown you, it will be it may well be in the aisles of the Auchan grocery store. It is actually a French chain that got in early when Chinese consumers started to have a little money. Although the more traditional market streets are still thriving, Auchan attracts huge crowds. They don't always appear to actually be shopping. Last year (before we were here) during the big freak snowstorm that virtually paralyzed all of China, the poor crowded in and milled about all day for shelter from the cold.

The store was already huge, but in December, an entire interior wall was opened up for a major expansion. It is now, hands down, the biggest store I have ever been in, and that includes American mega-stores like Bass Pro Shops. Amazingly, it can still be completely packed. When it is, it feels like an entire shopping mall of shoulder to shoulder humanity.

By contrast, there is another French chain here, Metro, that is more of a warehouse store, which caters to restaurants and businesses. It requires a membership, but most of the expats have one through their employers. It is, unsurprisingly, much less crowded, although not useful for regular grocery shopping. We don't go that often, as it is on the wrong side of town for us. However, it is one of the few places in town that I will buy meat. I have made it a point to observe how they are handling and storing the meat in most of the shops around here. Suffice it to say, I haven't liked what I've seen.

Back to the crowd topic. Here is a comparison of Auchan on the left, Metro on the right.

Notice how the people just sort of blend into each other in the distance. Now imagine that you can see the same thing 360 degrees around you. Remember that a typical camera can't capture distance and depth very well. You get the picture.

This China project is good for a few years, but I intend to save enough money that, when it is over, I can go live in a nice, quiet rural area.