Stick Out Your Can, Here Comes the Charcoal Man.

Almost no one here has a kitchen as we know them. One reason is that almost no one has air conditioning, so cooking inside is not possible for most of the year. Too bloody hot. So everyone cooks on the street or in the alley in front of their house. We have a newfangled propane stove in our kitchen, but most people cook outside on a rudimentary charcoal stove (another reason why the air is so bad here).

Here's the basic set-up.
(1) Can for charcoal canisters. (2) Said charcoal canisters.
Just that simple.

All the restaurants use them to boil water or simmer the broth for pho.

Shopkeepers usually have one out front for tea.

This is the outdoor kitchen for a house three doors
down from us. The woman cooks for her whole family
on this. She's usually cooking all day long.

And naturally, the residue gets tossed wherever.

Of course, someone has to supply the charcoal,
so the charcoal men push their heavily-laden bikes
up and down the alleys all day long,
singing their enticing charcoal songs.

P.