Outskirts of The Territory

Sheng Shui is the last stop before the border. It’s a small
Town in its own right, with its own collection of high rise
Blocks surrounding a small square. The square’s circular,
Containing a dozen snub-nosed palms and eight pavilions.
Most of the high-rises are utilitarian, but
There are two new ones, shinier, blue-green glassed. At street
Level there’s a warren of shops selling everything from
The latest Nokias to live crabs. The impulse to purchase,
So endemic, is nurtured as keenly here as in the
City. Old men loll about under the pavilions, bare-
Chested, indifferent to the ever-changing world. A nearby
Sign reads: LUNG FU SITTING OUT AREA. Alongside the standard
Notices, one depicts a loaded trolley reading: NO PARAPHENALIA.