Shave ice at the junction..

Junction

Bus drops me off at the junction. Agreement was for me to wait here. 

Previous time which was my first time, I had to rush to get a car to move in  different direction. Kind of like life sometimes at cross roads when you just have to move.

This time though, I can wait. There is no space really to wait. Heat and dust. Gas station. Minibus. Food place. Chinese stores.. the huge Chinese store with the smaller Chinese shops.

Man sitting near a deep blue cart, coloured cloth covering some things. I think it must be food. 

Move closer to him as there is nowhere else to go. 

See the man hand moving steadily . Shaving ice. 

I think to hell with sugar warnings and ask him for a small one. He points to the two customers waiting, one of them speaking in Spanish to the other. Both descended from Indian immigrants like me. 

Hand moving quickly, smooth strokes over the block of ice nestled in a plastic bag. 

Watch him open the shaver, put the trapezoid shape into a plastic cup, pack it down, then shave another and pack that down. Shaver looks a bit shaky, like if the top would come off.

Pour the dark red and orange syrups, and the off-white condensed milk over it all. 

Hands it to the customer. I don't have to wait long. I take a straw to poke it around and start to get the coarse ice. plastic, plastic. A bin nearby, kind of full.

Shave ice 

Last time I had shave ice, I was a child, Bee Hive. Used to hear a whistle, open push cart - wood kind of brown, gold, yellow, no paint. 

Big block of ice covered in wet sacking - dark brown. I remember shaver was bigger but then I was smaller so who knows..

Wet Sack like a blanket, move off, shave, move back on.  

I remember carrying cup and mug from the house to the man. Quick shaving, dipping into the red syrup and leaving in the shape in the cup and mug. I used to hold the whole block, suck off syrup from a corner using hand and maybe spoon to crush up and get the rest. No straw.

 bell

Work brings me back to the junction to wait.  A bit early and don't see the cart.

Think I hear a bell

 

 

 Man comes with the cart and parks. Another man is selling plantain chips. Taxi drivers.  There is  litter on the ground. Man seems me looking and says that somebody was to come and clean. 

I am first customer. I  take pictures this time. I like the bell, hold it. Ring it. 

Another man says 'aye , dis going on tik tok?'.   I stand up , finish, hear the chit chat. Want to mind the man business.. where is the shaver from?  How long he had it? But I kind of freeze up and just chew the syrup milk ice

 

Listen to the random talk. Buy plantain chips for after. Other buses come , stop. Other customers.  Finish the ice, no reason to really hang round. I want another one but shugah things. Put my cup carefully on the other cups and bottles and so littering around. 

Move to another spot, wait , meet the man I was waiting on. 

See the drivers and so cleaning up the litter.  

Come home to learn that the junction will become a roundabout . 

Not sure if you can wait at a roundabout the same way as at a junction. Or stand up and eat/chew/suck a shave ice.

Check google image search about the shaver.. German origins, early 1900s.. ! Antique things..