10th Fabruary, 2001
Market Stalls At Tong Mu: Grand Stand View From Wooden Balcony: Wen Wen Dinky Present Not Made In China; Visit Parents
October, 1995
 Market stalls at the the sides of the road, had been set up by farmers and house holders. We passed the market stalls to first visit Wen Wen and his parents, who were not expecting us, but the Chinese hospitality immediately took over, and tea, sweets, fruit and small cakes were brought to a table for us. Wen Wen had just returned from school, having grown a lot since I first saw him two years ago, so I was at last able to give him the present of a pack of ten dinky vehicles, which I had brought half way across the world for him, having searched our local shops for hours for a gift which did not bear the label, "Made In China" ! Later, I went onto the first floor wooden balcony from where I had a grand stand view of the street below, and the busy square a few Metres away.
There were some splendid examples of coolie hats being worn by women below,
 perhaps advertising their own products, as hat making is an extra source of income for many families. As I was watching the activities on the street I became aware of the sound of somebody singing, and shortly after, the responsible two men came into view, both sightless and joined together by a short length of cord. The first man had both his hands amputated and the second man was playing a home made fiddle. One end of a red cloth was tied to the waist of the leading man, and the other end was held by a young boy, perhaps 6 or 7 years old, who was guiding the couple through the crowds and at the same time holding a small bowl into which the onlookers were putting money. What I particularly noticed was that people would purposely cross the street to add their contribution, which might only have been a few cents, but in no way did they ignore the courageous pair.
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