What adds up to a takeaway?

I've been intrigued for a long time by the distinctive design aesthetic that Chinese takeaways in Britain exhibit. There's always something very particular about the spartan, minimalist reserve they display.

This shot was taken somewhat surreptitiously late in the evening - I didn't actually look through the viewfinder, to avoid getting into an awkward explanation of why I was interested in their interior - and it's grainy because I had to set the ISO much higher than I would ever usually do. Part of me doesn't mind because it sort of goes with the subject.

Why are they so 'Communist' in their sparse furniture, muted colours and harsh lighting? Is there some feng shui principle at work, or just measured inscrutability?

The only time I've ever had the chance to get to know any Chinese people a bit better was years ago, when I worked with three, picking grapes on a farm in Victoria, Australia. I remember one of them was a pingpong champion, and they had each adopted curious English names (applying a principle not unlike like Ford Prefect). They appeared to survive on a diet consisting almost entirely of boiled cabbage and rice, sending money back to their families, but were always hugely warm and friendly.

One evening, at the end of the harvest, we all gathered in the farmer's house to celebrate and one of them sang to us in Chinese, to the tune of "Red River Valley". He sang beautifully and with such feeling that he's still who I think of when I hear it all these years later. At the time even the tough Aussie farmer was wiping tears from his eyes.

I think I feel an occasional series coming on.