Despite the consecutive rain these days, Nanjing’s third car boot sale raised its curtain as scheduled at Suning Sofitel Hotel on the afternoon of Oct. 22. Car boot sale is a very British tradition whereby people come together to sell items using the boot of their car as a shop. A foreign community clubhouse was last year the first to bring this popular and highly social activity to Nanjing. Inherited the same spirit and yet different from the last two, the third car boot sale has some special features of its own.
RECYCLING AND CHARTIY
Charity has been the core purpose for Nanjing car boot sale since the very moment when the idea was conceived. As usual, each seller donated some money they made at the sale to charity organizations. Francesca, a young girl who has been in Nanjing for nearly a year and a half, has never come to any activity like this. Her hand-made card and cookies might be the bestseller at the sale. “It’s my hobby to make cards and bake cakes. It’s good to do something I like and also charitable.” smiled Francesca. As an environment protectionist, she is very concerned about the wasteful attitude of most Chinese people. “Lots of stuff here are in perfect good condition, and can be used again. I just have this moral feeling that people can’t just buy buy buy and waste waste waste.” she added. As an old saying goes, one’s garbage is another’s treasure. Car boot sale is a perfect way to recycle and protect the environment.
INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL EXCHANGE
With the fast economic and social development, and the successful holding of 2014 Youth Olympic Games, Nanjing seems to become a better choice for foreigners to study, work and live. Nanjing is marching to an international metropolis. That’s even more obvious at the third car boot sale. Buying and selling things with Chinese characteristics or exotic flavors is surely a good way of cultural exchange. However, Frank Hossack, the initiator of the car boot sale, introduced another advantage, that is, an international hotel who has thousands of workers and customers in close connection with the international world. Not to mention the mini English Corner, at which dozens of kids from China, Korea, and India played games with a British teacher. Talking about the future expectations, Frank said, “we’d like to see other things going on like sports, games, music, etc.”
Car boot sale echoes with Nanjing’s concept of building a human and green city. Yan Jianjian, Secretary of Nanjing Public Diplomacy Association, said, “we are planning to get more people involved in this activity, both foreigners and local people, to make it a famous brand for Nanjing.”
