SHREDS & Leftovers (english)

Mr. Wu is laughing - Chapter 5

Not only the "Cheng Du Grand" has an unfortunate preference for wall-to-wall carpeting, incidentally. Since there seems to be a dearth of vacuum-cleaners, the carpets are scrubbed every day using vast amounts of dirty water. 

Actually the service areas still undisclosed to me in China's hotels and public buildings seem to feature a built-in supply of soiled water; obviously, a superbly functioning system. Because, despite an exhaustive nationwide research, I have not yet been able to discover a single scrub bucket containing clean water. 

Initially I thought that this system could work so flawlessly only in Peking with its role model function as capital city of a gigantic empire. As one of the few state-owned distribution systems, it appears to be in exemplary repair and is obviously overhauled constantly by highly qualified employees. That is how the supply-and-demand of dirty water can obviously be on such an excellent level nationwide, thereby guaranteeing cleaning crews across the land virtually easy access to the basic necessity of their jobs. I think this is something for which the Chinese can be justifiably proud. Unfortunately, the foreign as well as the Chinese media report far too infrequently on this excellent example of successful socialistic planned economy.

The tub in our bathroom looked like it had seen far better days, and belied its new state as confirmed by the still-attached stickers. All my attempts to find out how Chinese cleaning crews are able to make brand-new bathtubs look like they have not been cleaned for years equally came to naught. Perhaps through some specialized training? Perhaps in one of the soiled-water factories? Could it be here where they teach the art of dunking the dirty cleaning rag in the next-best restaurant toilet in order to then immediately scrub the floor of the same establishment? I would dearly love to take a look at the teaching manuals and classrooms of such temples of learning. 

When it is possible to teach and learn so successfully and obviously so enthusiastically as in the Chinese soiled-water colleges, one should give citizens of other nations the opportunity to participate in this unique educational idea.