Urumqi – Talas

The ledger

I counted the books for the six years. In total I went 31 times, about 700 kilos each trip with the lorry, 4 lorry drivers, 22 bus companies (I changed when they got rude), 3 robberies attempted, 1 successful. I paid the border: 11,000 dollars. I paid the family: more. My feet: priceless, but they asked.

I will not write a conclusion yet.

8 March

My stall on International Women's Day is full of men who have forgotten what to buy. A scarf, 15 som, they say "it is for my wife", and the wife is standing behind them. I give them a card and a bear for free. It is the same bear as the keyring.

If you are a man reading this: buy the scarf before the 7th.

The scarf table at the stall, 7 March, 8 a.m. By noon it was empty.

Winter, but with lights

Winter again. The light was bad in December but not like last year. I had a stock of torches (60 this time) and sold 9. This is the life of a trader: you prepare for the war and the war is canceled, then you eat your torches.

No light, good torch

Since December the city has the light two hours and then nothing. My stall had the best week of the year. Not the hats. The torches.

I had 24 hand torches and 400 AA batteries, bought for nothing in October "in case". By Friday I had zero. People stand in front of my stall like in Soviet time at the bread. I wanted to say sorry to the Chinese factory for what I thought about them.

Candles too, but candles come from Mairam. She has a box of 200 under the sacks of rice. She sold them for 2 som each. A thief. A friend.

What is in the bag

People think a trader comes back with one big bag. Here is a normal return, October 2008:

• Phone covers, 300 pieces (3 yuan each there; 9 or 10 som here, the one with a horse 12)


• Chargers for Nokia and Samsung, 60 pieces (12 yuan; 25 som)


• Battery packs, 40 (good ones, I test each one with my tongue, it is a joke, I use the phone)


• Socks, 12 dozen; belts, 50; hats, 30 (winter is coming)


• Keyrings with a bear. Do not ask. They sell.