Living abroad has its pros and cons, just like anything else. I've only been living here in China for about two months, and I've been able to see some major problems, in my opinion, with the way things work, but I've also been very attune to all of the good things here. It's so nice to be able to write this afternoon and tell some of those positive things, to describe some of the things that make me smile, and proud to say I live here.
I woke up very early this morning, as I normally do, despite trying to sleep in. I decided at 6 am that I might as well go ahead and get up. I started a load of laundry and then texted my mom to see if she was available for a FaceTime chat. She was, so we talked for a good little while, catching up on all of the things from home and afar that we needed to share. When we ended our discussion, I checked my email to see if my former principal, the most wonderful employer for whom one could ever work, had responded to my latest email. He and I had been emailing a good bit, but I hadn't had a chance to actually speak to him. I had given him an option for a time to talk on Sunday of this weekend, but in my email this morning I said I was awake early if he wanted to try and reach me before he went to sleep. Remember, I'm twelve hours ahead of my hometown, so it's really easy to chat early morning or late evening for me. I have a wonderful phone through ACN which allows me to pay roughly $30 USD a month and I can call almost anywhere in the world. The best part of that is that my number is local to my home town, Charleston, so people can call me easily as if I were right next door.
Mr. Burger, my former boss, called me just as I was finishing my first load of laundry. I was able to chat with him a few minutes and talk about both of our new schools; he's retired now but taking classes for his own personal interest and growth, and of course I'm in the new school teaching. We talked also about those we miss at Stiles Point, where we worked in Charleston, and other things. It was really great to speak to him.
After I got off the phone, I readied myself for a doctor's appointment at Global Doctors. I needed to go back today for more physiotherapy and acupuncture, which I am not sure is helping that much, but I'll continue going and hopefully see more results. I also had to go because I needed to get my Typhoid vaccine. I had my flu shot earlier this week, but I'm trying to get all of my needed vaccines for traveling in Asia. Thailand is just over a week away!
Before going to the 10:15 doctor's appointment, I hopped on my electric bike, with which I'm quite frustrated honestly because it' so SLOW, and away I pedaled along with the power, heading to SPAR. SPAR is a supermarket type of place to which I grew accustomed while living in Ireland, but in Ireland, it was a small 7 Eleven type of establishment. Here, it's much bigger, like WalMart.
My first thought, when I got outside to ride, was "wow, it's so nice out." The sky was blue (we don't often see clear skies) and the temperature was pretty "cool." Later, I checked the weather and it said the high for today was 89 F. Amazing.
I was so content riding my bike the short distance to SPAR. The roads were fairly quiet. The temperature was nice, and I just felt good about things. I wasn't even sure if SPAR was open, but I went anyway. Luckily for me, it was, even though the mall in which it is housed was not yet open.
I went in quickly and headed to get my items: a bucket for the ayi, a light bulb and flashlight (after the typhoon scare this week I thought I better prepare a little better), some cling wrap and a laundry bag for my delicates. I got all of my items in less than ten minutes which gave me ten minutes to get to Global Doctors.
I went back out of the shopping plaza with the same, "I'm happy," feeling, just smiling and taking in my surroundings. There were a good number of people at the Starbucks on the corner; there was a display being set up outside for Pantene. A science exhibition was taking place inside and there were two gorgeous models walking from McDonalds (in the parking lot) into the mall. They were wearing long white traditional Chinese dresses. I would have followed them back inside if I had more time.
I quickly went around the corner of the mall to the bike parking lot. I've got to get a picture of this for you. It is the funniest little thing. There's a security guard who sits at a booth and you ride your bike up and then park it, and lock it, in the bike rack. This morning just seemed different to me, like it's part of my normal routine now. When I need to get something, I ride my bike up, just like I would drive my car, to the parking lot, unload, and head on about my business. It's my new normal.
I got my bike unlocked an maneuvered out of the narrow walkway with my Tesco, man I miss Tesco, bag full of items. I hung the bag on the left handle of the bike and cranked her up so off I could go. I rode towards Global Doctors, in the road going against traffic. I love that. I love that there is no rhyme or reason to some things. I hate it sometimes, but today, I loved it.
I parked at Global Doctors and headed up for my appointment, right on time. My physio went well and then I had my vaccine. Dr. Hugo asked to see me about my blood work from Tuesday...he seems to think I should have some more vaccines, so I'm going to call my doctor in Charleston and make sure I haven't already had them before I pay again. Insurance is pretty good here, but I've already met the amount they'll pay for when it comes to vaccines, so I don't need to do it unless I'm sure I've not already had.
After the appointment, I went back to the bike, but I decided because it was so nice out, I might like to grab lunch someplace. It's funny, because I pulled my phone out to message a friend, and she had just messaged me with the same question. She said she'd be at least twenty minutes, so I decided to ride around the area where Global Doctors is located. There are a few other businesses there, a couple of restaurants, a gym, and a German Bakery. I had heard about the bakery, Martins, but I'd not been there. I am so pleased I found it. It is such a great venue. The interior is quite modern, with exposed cement floors and big, metal light fixtures. The tables are wooden, however, and there is a chalkboard menu above the registers and cases of delicacies. Oh my goodness, there was bread, bread and more bread, pastries, puddings, cakes and then, my favorite, meats and cheeses. I got a loaf of bread and some mortadella along with several slices of gruyere cheese. The manager, I'm assuming, or perhaps owner, but not Martin, came out and chatted with me a for a while. He showed me their daily menu and their specials. They open at 6:30 am and close at 9 pm. He talked to me about importing items from Germany and let me know that they had built a beer hut outside for the upcoming Oktoberfest. He was really excited about the German band that was coming to play. He was so nice, and now that I think of it, I'm really disappointed I didn't get his name! It's okay, as I'm sure I'll be back. I was even thinking I'd like to go in the afternoon for a crisp glass of wine from the Cotes de Rhone. Oh my, my.
I headed to lunch at Tropical Grill, a short two minute bike ride away. Many people order take-out from the restaurant, but I hadn't eaten there at all until today. I arrived first and I went inside to use the restroom and wash my hands. I ran into some contacts from the school in Nansha where I did my first week's training, but then I went back out to the patio. They had 4 to 6 tables outside and no one was sitting there, but I couldn't resist the beautiful sun. I sat for probably 10 minutes before my friend showed up. I think she would have preferred to sit inside, but she was very kind and appeased me. We enjoyed our lunch on the patio. I had a chicken gyro with a great tzatziki sauce and some fries. Another friend and her son came, and they joined us, although her son preferred to sit in the air conditioning. I couldn't help it though; I just wanted to soak up as much Vitamin D as I could. I'm so unbelievably pale here, and I am telling you, the sun (and a tan) lifts your spirits. It's hot here, too hot, most of the time, and you usually can't see the clear sky through the fog and pollution, but today, I couldn't get enough. I even walked to the convenience store two doors down and got a Heineken for after my meal. I really wanted a beer for some reason, and you can buy them easily and much more inexpensively at the small shops than ordering them at the restaurant, and the restaurants don't really say a thing!
I left lunch before the rest of the gang because I needed to come home to meet my ayi. I had an appointment scheduled for one o'clock to meet her for the first time. If I haven't mentioned it before, an ayi is a person who cleans, among other things. From what I understand, "ayi" means something like "aunt." Many people have ayis and thought I was silly for not already hiring one. I just figured I keep a really clean house and there wasn't a point, but when Katy, my dear friend from the states, said she was coming for a month, I thought I'd splurge. The time alone it takes for laundry is time we could be spending exploring Asia. So, I gave in.
I have to tell you, she was an hour late today and I don't have her name or number, that's right, so I had no way to contact her. I messaged the guy who arranged her, but he didn't respond. When she finally got here, I heard her outside trying to ring my bell, which doesn't work. I let her in and knew she didn't speak any English, so I showed her around the apartment and pointed to things like the mop, the vacuum, the cleaning supplies for the bathroom, and the stack of clothes I wanted ironed. That's the worst part, and she is welcome to come do those ANY time! I'm paying her for two Saturday's a month. She'll get 200 RMB, which comes to about $33 USD for the month. She's hard at work in the guest room ironing, and me, I'm sitting on the sofa blogging and having my second cup of tea.
It's been a simple Saturday so far, but it's been so very nice. I have a party tonight in the neighboring town, Guangzhou, and I'm going with my two married men friends (they're not married to one another mind you). My French and Italian gents and I are having the driver take us to the Internations 7th birthday party tonight. Should be a great way to meet some more expats in China.
I'm so blessed, and I'm thankful on a daily basis that I realize it. I may complain a lot, I may not approve of all things China, but it's all an experience, and I'm trying to appreciate every moment. Fewer complaints to come, and more thanks to be given.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Saturday, September 13, 2014
China Will Do
I have thought about writing several times this week, but for one reason or another, I haven't had a chance to sit down and put "pen to paper," or in this case, fingers to keys. It's been busy, but it's been good.
Last Monday, I celebrated my thirty-second birthday. I had been sick all weekend, badly so, but Monday I felt "ok," and so I ended up having people over that evening. A few of my girlfriends from work came over and one baked a cake for me. I had some wine and veggies out with the ranch dip I had brought from home (the packets with which you mix sour cream). That was a big hit. I later found out you can get those packets here, so I'm feeling even better about locating items of "necessity."
One of my newest guy friends, someone I "met" on Facebook while still living in the states, also came over. I enjoy hanging out with Enrico because he's Italian, but also because he's hilarious. As a matter of fact, he just texted me and asked if I had plans for the next 32 hours, who says that? FYI, Enrico is married and our friendship it totally platonic. He just cracks me up. My other funny friend, Antoine, was at home in France, so he didn't get to make the party, but luckily for Enrico, a colleague and friend of mine, Cecil, later joined us. Cecil got double brownie points that night because, a) he brought me wine from Puglia, and b) he helped me figure out how to use the surround sound speakers in my flat. I love when boys are around to fix things!
Tuesday through Friday went quickly and very well. We hadn't had school on Monday because of the mid Autumn Festival, so the short school week flew. My kids took their MAPS test this week, wow, and we had lots of other things going on. I did my fun Oreo lesson for moon phases to relate to our weather kit and the Moon Festival. The children really enjoyed that.
I had an appointment for physiotherapy on Thursday and randomly, several other friends from work also had doctors appointments that day so we all went together. I had my first acupuncture, only on my lower back though. I asked if I could find an ice pack anywhere in China and my therapist said, "maybe in Hong Kong." Wow, I have to go to HK to get an ice pack for my back? I just told Mom not to worry about sending one because I was sure I could find here. I suppose I'll be making my own out of ziplock bags for a while.
When my gal pals and I finished at Global Doctors, we all headed to One for the Road, an English pub I hadn't yet visited. Carlsberg were buy one get one free for happy hour! I actually had a really tasty barbecue chicken sandwich and chips, which was enough for two meals, so I took the "dao bao" for lunch the next day.
After school on Friday, I was exhausted, so although the gang was heading to Murray's (recently renovated and painted a strange pistachio green rather than the dark green of Ireland's pubs) I opted to go home. I had been to Murray's on Tuesday for the soft reopening. The manager there, Matt, allowed Cecil and me to make a new playlist for the bar, so we worked a while on getting all the Dave Matthews, Allman Brothers, and other good Southern music we could together on a flash drive, but wouldn't you know we couldn't get our Macs to convert correctly for the bar's Windows computer. We'll have to sort that out later. It wasn't a total bust; we had all the Tiger beer we could drink for free (I had three) and dinner. I finally got the fish and chips and they were quite good, despite the rumors I'd heard.
At home last night, I ordered pizza from my fav delivery spot, Pizzeria Calzone. I had a nice 12 inch pizza with tomato sauce and mozzarella, covered also in onions and proscuitto. Yum. I drank a couple of beers and saved half my pizza for lunch today (I had also had a Tuscan salad for dinner, so I didn't need all that much food).
This morning I woke up rather early, 6 am, but not so uncommon here for me. I called Mom and chatted for a while, then T'Lene (my sister). I texted with Edgar (my brother) and then got to work cleaning my apartment. I haven't hired an ayi yet, but I think I may try to get one to come every other week and help with ironing, etc. I think especially now that my friend, Katy, is coming for a month, it'll be nice to have an extra set of hands for the laundry if nothing else. It takes over an hour to wash. If I'm drying the load, it takes over three hours. Hanging things to dry is great, but then they're really stiff, so everything has to be ironed. It's life, and I'm used to it from Ireland and Italy, but still, if I can afford to have someone iron for me, I will. I will have her mop too, because the short little mop I use every weekend is killing my back.
After all the cleaning was done this morning (clothes still hanging to dry as I write), I went out on the bike to check out a place called the "Factory Outlet." I'm not sure if that's the real name or what the expats call it. It's behind All Good, the super market where I spent over $150 on groceries last weekend and had them deliver to me. Yeah, I don't think I mentioned the fun from that afternoon. In the pouring down rain, I road my bike home and had the groceries brought to me later. When I pulled up to the door to get off my bike, I stepped off to one side but forgot to turn the bike off first, then I slipped in the water and my hand hit the "gas," so forward we went, bike and I. I landed knees first, then chest, and slid into the entryway like I was sliding into home base. I looked up, humiliated, and saw that my security guard was luckily NOT there. I laughed out loud, got up and took the bike inside, pride and knees bruised, but not too badly. I just giggled honestly; what else could I do?
So the "Factory Outlet," as I was saying, is behind All Good. I went in today and was so pleased to have discovered this place. It's three big "stores" in a pretty abandoned "mall." I bought about $40 USD worth of items including a cookie sheet, some kitchen utensils, stickers, Halloween, Easter and St. Patrick's Day decorations, and a lamp with a paisley shade...very me, very T'Lene. I was also very happy to see other items there, like a tailgate chair. This place is by no means nice, as a matter of fact it's not air conditioned and it has things lying all over the place, covered in dust, but there are some great "TJ Maxx" type finds. I'll be back for sure. I was surprised, too, that the lady spoke English.
After shopping, I came home and dropped my off goods, then went back out on foot to check out the gym next door. Yesterday, on my own, I had gone by the management office at the apartment building and asked for a new door swipe card for when Katy comes. The guy spoke very little English, but between the two of us and our hand gestures, I was able to ask for what I needed, pay, and understand that the next day I could pick up my card from the security guy. I love my doormen...they are so cute. Today, I went down after dropping off purchases, and said “Ni you meiyou?" I wish I could add the correct accents so you'd know how to say that, but it's essentially "Ni yo mayyo?" It means, "Do you have?" Then I added "zheige," pronounced "jigga" for "this," and pointed to my card. He said something in Chinese that I took to be "what apartment number," so I wrote it down and voila, I had my extra card! I walked away with the biggest smile on my face..."xiexie" I said, and went on my way.
The gym near my apartment is called Tiger, and is a great big place with all the equipment one could need and several rooms for hot yoga, pole dancing, ahem, hip hop dancing, spinning and other classes. There's also a juice bar and a wine bar inside Tiger; yes, a wine bar.
The two young guys who helped me were very kind, although neither spoke much English. They seemed quite taken with me though, and were so polite they even walked me out of the gym. I'll be back, although it costs 2,980 RMB (that's $496 USD) and has to be paid up front for the two year membership.
I had planned on going with a few friends to Corner's Deli at One Mall this afternoon, so I left the gym and came home to shower. We all headed out around 3:00. I'm the only ISD employee in my building (one of four towers), but there are other expats here. I took the elevator down with my next door neighbor, Danny from Hungary. He and I have only met one other time, and I feel I should reach out more. He is sick now, but I've noticed in general, he has take out A LOT. Maybe I should make the poor guy a home cooked meal. I certainly can do and love to.
Two of my colleagues and I went by taxi to Corner's, which until today, I hadn't visited. I was in Heaven. I'm sorry, but I like food, I love to cook, and I really enjoy entertaining. As a matter of fact, I'm having a group of ladies over on Monday night and I'm making homemade guacamole and creamy chicken enchiladas for us. I went a little crazy purchasing things, much like last weekend at All Good, but my pantry is nice and stocked now. I bought De Cecco gnocchi, two things of Swanson's chicken broth, frozen chicken breasts, spray for rinsing fruit and veggies, tortilla chips, organic broccoli, avocados and bell peppers, raisons, oatmeal cookie mix, a baking dish, two things of cream cheese, a bit of parmesan, some Colby Jack, heavy cream, packs of taco, onion, and ranch mix, then some wheat and spinach soft tortillas. Oh, I got some "American style" sandwich ham too. I spent something like 800 RMB and got a VIP card, so I can go back on Wednesday's and get discounts, and I'm hoping have other perks too.
I'm back home now listening to Spotify, thank goodness for internet radio, and writing this blog. I made myself some noodles earlier with soy sauce, red chili pepper, garlic, and ginger powder. So yummy and so easy. I threw two pork buns (they also have spinach inside) in the oven and had those when I wasn't quite full. I don't have chopsticks at my house yet, and I honestly felt funny eating tonight's dinner with my fork.
I am heading out for game night at a friend's house shortly. It's so nice actually, because another person said earlier today that she was really glad I was here (with another one of the newbies). I responded like my Aunt Sandra would, sarcastically, but I am totally thrilled that I have found great friends here and I'm grateful for all the experiences I've had in the short two months I've been in China. I thought about this earlier this week, and I know I'm still really new here, but I think I'll miss Dongguan when I move. I don't want to be here forever, and two years might be just about as long as I can take it, but I honestly love my job, my home, and my group of friends here. I miss Charleston, Dublin, and Milan, but for now, China will do.
Last Monday, I celebrated my thirty-second birthday. I had been sick all weekend, badly so, but Monday I felt "ok," and so I ended up having people over that evening. A few of my girlfriends from work came over and one baked a cake for me. I had some wine and veggies out with the ranch dip I had brought from home (the packets with which you mix sour cream). That was a big hit. I later found out you can get those packets here, so I'm feeling even better about locating items of "necessity."
One of my newest guy friends, someone I "met" on Facebook while still living in the states, also came over. I enjoy hanging out with Enrico because he's Italian, but also because he's hilarious. As a matter of fact, he just texted me and asked if I had plans for the next 32 hours, who says that? FYI, Enrico is married and our friendship it totally platonic. He just cracks me up. My other funny friend, Antoine, was at home in France, so he didn't get to make the party, but luckily for Enrico, a colleague and friend of mine, Cecil, later joined us. Cecil got double brownie points that night because, a) he brought me wine from Puglia, and b) he helped me figure out how to use the surround sound speakers in my flat. I love when boys are around to fix things!
Tuesday through Friday went quickly and very well. We hadn't had school on Monday because of the mid Autumn Festival, so the short school week flew. My kids took their MAPS test this week, wow, and we had lots of other things going on. I did my fun Oreo lesson for moon phases to relate to our weather kit and the Moon Festival. The children really enjoyed that.
I had an appointment for physiotherapy on Thursday and randomly, several other friends from work also had doctors appointments that day so we all went together. I had my first acupuncture, only on my lower back though. I asked if I could find an ice pack anywhere in China and my therapist said, "maybe in Hong Kong." Wow, I have to go to HK to get an ice pack for my back? I just told Mom not to worry about sending one because I was sure I could find here. I suppose I'll be making my own out of ziplock bags for a while.
When my gal pals and I finished at Global Doctors, we all headed to One for the Road, an English pub I hadn't yet visited. Carlsberg were buy one get one free for happy hour! I actually had a really tasty barbecue chicken sandwich and chips, which was enough for two meals, so I took the "dao bao" for lunch the next day.
After school on Friday, I was exhausted, so although the gang was heading to Murray's (recently renovated and painted a strange pistachio green rather than the dark green of Ireland's pubs) I opted to go home. I had been to Murray's on Tuesday for the soft reopening. The manager there, Matt, allowed Cecil and me to make a new playlist for the bar, so we worked a while on getting all the Dave Matthews, Allman Brothers, and other good Southern music we could together on a flash drive, but wouldn't you know we couldn't get our Macs to convert correctly for the bar's Windows computer. We'll have to sort that out later. It wasn't a total bust; we had all the Tiger beer we could drink for free (I had three) and dinner. I finally got the fish and chips and they were quite good, despite the rumors I'd heard.
At home last night, I ordered pizza from my fav delivery spot, Pizzeria Calzone. I had a nice 12 inch pizza with tomato sauce and mozzarella, covered also in onions and proscuitto. Yum. I drank a couple of beers and saved half my pizza for lunch today (I had also had a Tuscan salad for dinner, so I didn't need all that much food).
This morning I woke up rather early, 6 am, but not so uncommon here for me. I called Mom and chatted for a while, then T'Lene (my sister). I texted with Edgar (my brother) and then got to work cleaning my apartment. I haven't hired an ayi yet, but I think I may try to get one to come every other week and help with ironing, etc. I think especially now that my friend, Katy, is coming for a month, it'll be nice to have an extra set of hands for the laundry if nothing else. It takes over an hour to wash. If I'm drying the load, it takes over three hours. Hanging things to dry is great, but then they're really stiff, so everything has to be ironed. It's life, and I'm used to it from Ireland and Italy, but still, if I can afford to have someone iron for me, I will. I will have her mop too, because the short little mop I use every weekend is killing my back.
After all the cleaning was done this morning (clothes still hanging to dry as I write), I went out on the bike to check out a place called the "Factory Outlet." I'm not sure if that's the real name or what the expats call it. It's behind All Good, the super market where I spent over $150 on groceries last weekend and had them deliver to me. Yeah, I don't think I mentioned the fun from that afternoon. In the pouring down rain, I road my bike home and had the groceries brought to me later. When I pulled up to the door to get off my bike, I stepped off to one side but forgot to turn the bike off first, then I slipped in the water and my hand hit the "gas," so forward we went, bike and I. I landed knees first, then chest, and slid into the entryway like I was sliding into home base. I looked up, humiliated, and saw that my security guard was luckily NOT there. I laughed out loud, got up and took the bike inside, pride and knees bruised, but not too badly. I just giggled honestly; what else could I do?
So the "Factory Outlet," as I was saying, is behind All Good. I went in today and was so pleased to have discovered this place. It's three big "stores" in a pretty abandoned "mall." I bought about $40 USD worth of items including a cookie sheet, some kitchen utensils, stickers, Halloween, Easter and St. Patrick's Day decorations, and a lamp with a paisley shade...very me, very T'Lene. I was also very happy to see other items there, like a tailgate chair. This place is by no means nice, as a matter of fact it's not air conditioned and it has things lying all over the place, covered in dust, but there are some great "TJ Maxx" type finds. I'll be back for sure. I was surprised, too, that the lady spoke English.
After shopping, I came home and dropped my off goods, then went back out on foot to check out the gym next door. Yesterday, on my own, I had gone by the management office at the apartment building and asked for a new door swipe card for when Katy comes. The guy spoke very little English, but between the two of us and our hand gestures, I was able to ask for what I needed, pay, and understand that the next day I could pick up my card from the security guy. I love my doormen...they are so cute. Today, I went down after dropping off purchases, and said “Ni you meiyou?" I wish I could add the correct accents so you'd know how to say that, but it's essentially "Ni yo mayyo?" It means, "Do you have?" Then I added "zheige," pronounced "jigga" for "this," and pointed to my card. He said something in Chinese that I took to be "what apartment number," so I wrote it down and voila, I had my extra card! I walked away with the biggest smile on my face..."xiexie" I said, and went on my way.
The gym near my apartment is called Tiger, and is a great big place with all the equipment one could need and several rooms for hot yoga, pole dancing, ahem, hip hop dancing, spinning and other classes. There's also a juice bar and a wine bar inside Tiger; yes, a wine bar.
The two young guys who helped me were very kind, although neither spoke much English. They seemed quite taken with me though, and were so polite they even walked me out of the gym. I'll be back, although it costs 2,980 RMB (that's $496 USD) and has to be paid up front for the two year membership.
I had planned on going with a few friends to Corner's Deli at One Mall this afternoon, so I left the gym and came home to shower. We all headed out around 3:00. I'm the only ISD employee in my building (one of four towers), but there are other expats here. I took the elevator down with my next door neighbor, Danny from Hungary. He and I have only met one other time, and I feel I should reach out more. He is sick now, but I've noticed in general, he has take out A LOT. Maybe I should make the poor guy a home cooked meal. I certainly can do and love to.
Two of my colleagues and I went by taxi to Corner's, which until today, I hadn't visited. I was in Heaven. I'm sorry, but I like food, I love to cook, and I really enjoy entertaining. As a matter of fact, I'm having a group of ladies over on Monday night and I'm making homemade guacamole and creamy chicken enchiladas for us. I went a little crazy purchasing things, much like last weekend at All Good, but my pantry is nice and stocked now. I bought De Cecco gnocchi, two things of Swanson's chicken broth, frozen chicken breasts, spray for rinsing fruit and veggies, tortilla chips, organic broccoli, avocados and bell peppers, raisons, oatmeal cookie mix, a baking dish, two things of cream cheese, a bit of parmesan, some Colby Jack, heavy cream, packs of taco, onion, and ranch mix, then some wheat and spinach soft tortillas. Oh, I got some "American style" sandwich ham too. I spent something like 800 RMB and got a VIP card, so I can go back on Wednesday's and get discounts, and I'm hoping have other perks too.
I'm back home now listening to Spotify, thank goodness for internet radio, and writing this blog. I made myself some noodles earlier with soy sauce, red chili pepper, garlic, and ginger powder. So yummy and so easy. I threw two pork buns (they also have spinach inside) in the oven and had those when I wasn't quite full. I don't have chopsticks at my house yet, and I honestly felt funny eating tonight's dinner with my fork.
I am heading out for game night at a friend's house shortly. It's so nice actually, because another person said earlier today that she was really glad I was here (with another one of the newbies). I responded like my Aunt Sandra would, sarcastically, but I am totally thrilled that I have found great friends here and I'm grateful for all the experiences I've had in the short two months I've been in China. I thought about this earlier this week, and I know I'm still really new here, but I think I'll miss Dongguan when I move. I don't want to be here forever, and two years might be just about as long as I can take it, but I honestly love my job, my home, and my group of friends here. I miss Charleston, Dublin, and Milan, but for now, China will do.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Heaven, I'm in Heaven
Sitting here, after a long day of shopping, I'm listening to Fred Astaire's "Dancing Cheek to Cheek." I felt it appropriate, not because I've been dancing or plan to, but because today, I was in Heaven, and I feel as though now I could dance across the floor.
I was told, before coming to China, that there existed such a place where you could take any item of clothing you had, or any photograph of something you wanted, and seamstresses would make it for you. Several weeks ago, after talking with friends, I heard of this magical place called Louhu. I had heard that this was the place to go for having clothing made, and I had also heard rumors that at this "mall," one could buy many knock off items...genuine fakes as I like to call them. Today, on the verge of my thirty-second birthday, I got to experience the magic.
Three of my friends and I left Dongguan this morning at 10 am and our driver took us the hour or so to Shenzhen, a neighboring city. With me, I had packed a Kate Spade dress, a JCrew top, and an Escapada skirt, along with a bra and a pillow case (random). My friends each had their items of clothing for copying and so we rode on, them sleeping, me taking in the scenery. It's not much for the eyes, but I almost feel bad sleeping in a car in a foreign country...I think I have Carol Poole to thank for that.
We arrived at LuoHu and headed into the madness. For a shopper, it is Heaven, but it is quite chaotic. Like in Turkey, as soon as the Westerners make an appearance, the locals come barreling towards you prompting you to buy their items, "Watch, watch," "Sunglasses, you like sunglasses," and so on. We went up to the sixth floor via escalator and through a corridor of many stalls selling bags, clothing, watches, etc. We made our way to the water closet for a quick bathroom break and my friend, Raedel, pulled out her roll of toilet tissue to share with us. In many places in China, the toilet is a hole in the ground and there is no tissue. I'm glad she was with us today and I'm glad my stomach decided to cooperate during this shopping trip.
We went on towards the seamstress that several of my colleagues had used before. We each pulled out our clothes and were then escorted with "personal shoppers" to the fabric stalls. Each of us chose what fabrics we wanted for our pieces, and of course you know I found the Lily Pulitzer section. I was done rather quickly and taken back to the seamstress's shop to get measurements for another Kate Spade dress I don't have but have worn (thanks Sarah) and to pay. As I sat there, an altercation took place between a man from another stall and a woman and her small son. It was heated, he pushed her several times and pushed the little boy. I got very nervous and clenched my fists tightly not to let anyone else's emotions get the better of me, but I got quite scared to be honest, and when I saw the man hit the child on the bum, I got very teary eyed. After 5-10 minutes of fighting, the argument died down and the woman and child left. Then my friends joined me and all seemed well again. It definitely shook me up though.
I was really excited to get two tops made from my JCrew example, two Kate Spade dresses, one skirt in Lily Pulitzer fabric, and two pillowcases all for the low, low price of 1000 RMB (that's about $167 USD). They said they're not so good at bras, so I thought I'd just get more when I go home in February. I've got plenty to hold me over until then. Five items of clothing and two pillowcases at roughly $23 a piece...not a bad deal.
Raedel had some tops made, Teryn got something like 11 pairs of shorts and pants made and Lisa had TWENTY items of clothing created. Amazing really. When the clothing is all sewn, they'll deliver it to us at school for just 20 RMB a piece.
When we finished at the seamstress's, we went to get lunch. We ate in a nice restaurant on the third floor of Luohu. It was full of Asians, but also many Westerners too. I swear I heard an Irish couple speaking.
We sat a lunch, freezing, and when the waiter saw how cold we were, and another friend complained, he brought us each pashminas to wear. I'm not sure why the restaurant keeps pashminas, and I was pretty weirded out by wearing it, but I was quite cold and the pashmina was quite warm.
We divided into groups of two for our last bit of shopping after lunch, and I'm lucky I had Lisa, the negotiator, with me. I really wanted a bag for my birthday and had my mind set on a Berkin or something similar. I am a school teacher and I can't afford the real deal people, but I like nice things. We went into a few stalls and saw that the quality of bags wasn't all that great. Then we found a shop where Amy, the shopgirl, was so sweet and the quality of items was so good. They had Tory Burch, Gucci, Michael Kors, Mulberry, Chloe, and more, but I had my eyes glued to the Hermes bag. She offered her first price...1800 RMB. Lisa said a flat out "No." Amy tried to get us to buy more items while we waited on the Hermes bag to be brought from the warehouse. Before it arrived, Lisa said, "Act cool. If you want it, tap the glass." HA! We were speaking in code. We looked over the bag and the girl said, "What's your final price?" Lisa put 800 RMB on the calculator, the way we all communicate cost here. The girl laughed and said, "No, final, final." Lisa and Amy went back and forth forever. Lisa started to walk out the door and my heart began to sink because I truly thought we were leaving without my Hermes. Amy grabbed my arm and begged, "Final Final?" We ended up settling on 850 RMB, about $140 USD, a steal. We walked out of the store and high fived, then I bought Lisa and myself celebratory walking beers. What a moment. I'm not a haggler by any means; I would have caved long before Lisa brought the price down. I'm ecstatic, to say the least. Happy Birthday to me!!
Lisa and I met with the other girls and showed off our purchases, then we met Luis, our driver, and headed on home. As soon as I got back to the apartment I did a little photo shoot with my new baby. Heaven, I'm in Heaven, and I can't wait to go back to LuoHu for more!
I was told, before coming to China, that there existed such a place where you could take any item of clothing you had, or any photograph of something you wanted, and seamstresses would make it for you. Several weeks ago, after talking with friends, I heard of this magical place called Louhu. I had heard that this was the place to go for having clothing made, and I had also heard rumors that at this "mall," one could buy many knock off items...genuine fakes as I like to call them. Today, on the verge of my thirty-second birthday, I got to experience the magic.
Three of my friends and I left Dongguan this morning at 10 am and our driver took us the hour or so to Shenzhen, a neighboring city. With me, I had packed a Kate Spade dress, a JCrew top, and an Escapada skirt, along with a bra and a pillow case (random). My friends each had their items of clothing for copying and so we rode on, them sleeping, me taking in the scenery. It's not much for the eyes, but I almost feel bad sleeping in a car in a foreign country...I think I have Carol Poole to thank for that.
We arrived at LuoHu and headed into the madness. For a shopper, it is Heaven, but it is quite chaotic. Like in Turkey, as soon as the Westerners make an appearance, the locals come barreling towards you prompting you to buy their items, "Watch, watch," "Sunglasses, you like sunglasses," and so on. We went up to the sixth floor via escalator and through a corridor of many stalls selling bags, clothing, watches, etc. We made our way to the water closet for a quick bathroom break and my friend, Raedel, pulled out her roll of toilet tissue to share with us. In many places in China, the toilet is a hole in the ground and there is no tissue. I'm glad she was with us today and I'm glad my stomach decided to cooperate during this shopping trip.
We went on towards the seamstress that several of my colleagues had used before. We each pulled out our clothes and were then escorted with "personal shoppers" to the fabric stalls. Each of us chose what fabrics we wanted for our pieces, and of course you know I found the Lily Pulitzer section. I was done rather quickly and taken back to the seamstress's shop to get measurements for another Kate Spade dress I don't have but have worn (thanks Sarah) and to pay. As I sat there, an altercation took place between a man from another stall and a woman and her small son. It was heated, he pushed her several times and pushed the little boy. I got very nervous and clenched my fists tightly not to let anyone else's emotions get the better of me, but I got quite scared to be honest, and when I saw the man hit the child on the bum, I got very teary eyed. After 5-10 minutes of fighting, the argument died down and the woman and child left. Then my friends joined me and all seemed well again. It definitely shook me up though.
I was really excited to get two tops made from my JCrew example, two Kate Spade dresses, one skirt in Lily Pulitzer fabric, and two pillowcases all for the low, low price of 1000 RMB (that's about $167 USD). They said they're not so good at bras, so I thought I'd just get more when I go home in February. I've got plenty to hold me over until then. Five items of clothing and two pillowcases at roughly $23 a piece...not a bad deal.
Raedel had some tops made, Teryn got something like 11 pairs of shorts and pants made and Lisa had TWENTY items of clothing created. Amazing really. When the clothing is all sewn, they'll deliver it to us at school for just 20 RMB a piece.
When we finished at the seamstress's, we went to get lunch. We ate in a nice restaurant on the third floor of Luohu. It was full of Asians, but also many Westerners too. I swear I heard an Irish couple speaking.
We sat a lunch, freezing, and when the waiter saw how cold we were, and another friend complained, he brought us each pashminas to wear. I'm not sure why the restaurant keeps pashminas, and I was pretty weirded out by wearing it, but I was quite cold and the pashmina was quite warm.
We divided into groups of two for our last bit of shopping after lunch, and I'm lucky I had Lisa, the negotiator, with me. I really wanted a bag for my birthday and had my mind set on a Berkin or something similar. I am a school teacher and I can't afford the real deal people, but I like nice things. We went into a few stalls and saw that the quality of bags wasn't all that great. Then we found a shop where Amy, the shopgirl, was so sweet and the quality of items was so good. They had Tory Burch, Gucci, Michael Kors, Mulberry, Chloe, and more, but I had my eyes glued to the Hermes bag. She offered her first price...1800 RMB. Lisa said a flat out "No." Amy tried to get us to buy more items while we waited on the Hermes bag to be brought from the warehouse. Before it arrived, Lisa said, "Act cool. If you want it, tap the glass." HA! We were speaking in code. We looked over the bag and the girl said, "What's your final price?" Lisa put 800 RMB on the calculator, the way we all communicate cost here. The girl laughed and said, "No, final, final." Lisa and Amy went back and forth forever. Lisa started to walk out the door and my heart began to sink because I truly thought we were leaving without my Hermes. Amy grabbed my arm and begged, "Final Final?" We ended up settling on 850 RMB, about $140 USD, a steal. We walked out of the store and high fived, then I bought Lisa and myself celebratory walking beers. What a moment. I'm not a haggler by any means; I would have caved long before Lisa brought the price down. I'm ecstatic, to say the least. Happy Birthday to me!!
Lisa and I met with the other girls and showed off our purchases, then we met Luis, our driver, and headed on home. As soon as I got back to the apartment I did a little photo shoot with my new baby. Heaven, I'm in Heaven, and I can't wait to go back to LuoHu for more!
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