In China many basic tools and especially machinery have been held off from markets. This is a large improvement from previous years when I saw people picking grass by hand (They may have been just weeding it but it didn't seem like it) but it still takes a small fleet of weed wackers to do the job of one or two industrial sized lawn mowers. Farmers especially have been kept away from technological advances in order to keep people employed. Huge numbers of people are swarming cities to find jobs...any job.
Most of my students are studying to get off the farm, literally. When I have a student in class who is from the city, it is usually quite obvious. Better education, better fashion (perhaps wearing make-up), better knowledge of the outside world. The differences can be striking, especially in freshmen.
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