Purse on a Pole

OK, ladies, who among us, at one time or another, hasn't wished for that slightly roomier purse? Just a little more square footage for the extra lipstick, Kleenex packet, or collapsible table-top make-up mirror?

For myself, I was devastated when the Hobo bag went out of style and equally elated when designers brought back the notion that women should not leave the house without a small suitcase strapped to their shoulder. At one point it got so bad that Delta asked me to check my handbag, because my overnight carry-on was more likely to fit under the seat in front of me.

Now, everybody knows throughout fashion history the cleverest designs have always sprung from utilitarian origins. Thus, the Purse on a Pole.

For years throughout China we've seen workers carrying back-breaking loads of supplies and materials across hazardous construction sites, through crowded metropolitan centers, even down busy highways in just this way - two equally balanced loads hung on the ends of a horizontal pole slung across the upper back and shoulders. We've even seen workers hitching a ride to work on the back of a motorcycle with just such an apparatus. Clearly, the Chinese have this mastered.

But when this lady breezed by me on the sidewalk in Zhongshan this morning, wearing her sharp red P-coat, stylish black leather boots, and snazzy modern haircut, clearly prepared for the weather with her fold-up pink umbrella, it made me consider either (a) Chinese workers have greatly improved their wardrobe choices, or (b) the fashion world has latched onto something new that's actually been around for ages.

In truth, she was probably a hybrid of both. A working girl, perhaps even now a small-business owner, delivering the shiny new buckets to her work place, where it's likely upgrades and renovations are underway, carried out by one of her relatives at greatly reduced cost.

In one small snapshot, this lady embodies so much of what we see people striving for here in modern China: Keep evolving forward, always remain true to your roots, and try to look good in the process!

I plan on heading out right after lunch to find my own Purse on a Pole - no doubt it will invigorate (or infuriate) the fashionistas in Hong Kong next week!