Kochi, a cosmopolitan port city of 600,000 whose name means “sea gate,” (and which is also known by its colonial name, Cochin) prospered from the 1400s as a spice trading center.

And then there’s the real work.

Filling some of the city’s ubiquitous potholes.

Delivering wood for the construction of a new house.

Multitasking during a too-short break.

Selling every kind of oil.

A banana salesman rests in the shade.

Working together is sometimes the only way to get the job done.

Asking a co-worker to bring water.

Traveling.

After school fun.

Allison Heiliczer is a Hong Kong-based photographer.