Chinese Pets

I made a trip to a pet market recently. I was actually surprised how well kept the animals were. The dog cages were small but very clean and all of them were groomed to within an inch of their life, picked, painted and pruned. There were also cats, birds, mice, pigs, bunnies, spiders, weird squirrels and baby parrots, and they weren't being sold for food, really! I didn't see any Italian greyhounds or I might have come home with one. Interestingly, there are many little restaurants on the second floor of the market with skewered meat. MMMMM! Or is it Hmmmmmm? Here are a few pics, you decide. We have another visa run coming up, wanna come with? Follow us as we visit new places and meet new faces.

Funny Story

Ok, this is not my tale but I have permission to share:

A couple moved into town recently, found an apartment, cleaned it and headed to the antique furniture market with another couple. They bought enough to load a bike guy to the sky and told him where to deliver it. There was no room for them to ride with him and he did not want to follow them on their bikes so the guys went with him anyway and the girls headed for the apartment together. When the girls arrived at their building, the street had just been laid with fresh black asphalt. "We need to cross" they told someone. "Oh, no that is quite impossible".
"No, you don't understand, we have a truck coming with furniture right now, we have to cross!" The building manager came out, and again they argued, she saying they could come back on the 23, (this happened last week) and they demanding to cross now. "We already paid the rent and have been cleaning in the apartment all week!" This was a shock to the building manager who had already asserted that no one lived in the building. "Wo de dongxi lai xianzai!!!" That is broken Chinese for "Our stuff is coming right NOW!!!" Finally, one of the girls said, "You know, in America, we could cross on the same day it's poured" hoping that the respect for western everything would help them out. "Well, that's America, this is CHINA!" the building manager retorted. She looked at the street worker, hoping to impress him, "Zai Meiguo, women keyi tso lu"(In America, we could walk on it) "Keyi", he said. "Nimen keyi(you can)" At last! Permission granted! They called up the husband and asked what was taking so long with the furniture and where were they. "We're in the apartment, where are you?" "What! How did you get in, they're paving the street all around the building! We have been arguing with them for 30min just to get across!", she almost screeched. "No they're not.........where ARE you? The girls looked at each other and one said to the other, "Ok, don't say a word, get on your bike and ride away quietly." The street workers and manager are still waiting for a bike full of dongxi that will never come.

Second Time Around

I finally broke down and bought another bike. The market that is now torn down was still selling them so I went with a few friends to find a ride. After being reminded how big I am by every single person trying to sell me a bike, I was frustrated and angry enough to get in a guy's face and tell him how rude that is. I was immediately sorry but he didn't seem to care either way. They really need to find a different sales pitch. I settled on another hunk 'o' junk for 110K. I got them to throw in a lock and a bell for my pain and suffering. The real test was taking it to the same western restaurant where my other bike was stolen. I didn't buy a fancy extra wide seat and it had a low tire, so my bike was right where I left it when we came out. Oh well, guess I really have to ride it this time. I did find that all the walking I've been doing made it a lot easier to adjust to riding the bike again. No sore muscles, or other parts. It has definitely saved money. The first week alone I saved almost thirty kuai. When 100K ($13) is the same as $100 to you, then 30K is a chunk of change. So, the bike has already paid itself off. I still don't venture too far from familiar territory without taking the bus though. I'm just not comfortable with all the traffic, so its safer for me not to try it. I wonder if bike riding is becoming more popular in America with the economic crisis. Don't knock it, it saves money, improves health and gives you time to ponder things. Thanks again to everyone who reads our blogs, we really appreciate hearing your comments.
“When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking.”
Arthur Conan Doyle, Sr.

Class Time Fun

Welcome to class everyone! Let's see how much you remember, "sit on the chair, go under the desk, open the door". Great! "What do the wheels on the bus do?, Right, go round and round!"
My kids are making progress and I am very proud of them. They love the basketball game where, if they respond correctly, they get a chance to throw a paper ball at me trying to get it in the basket that I hold at odd angles and heights and sometimes rotate. We play with flashcards and drawings, sing and dance and even watch the Wiggles! This day we did colors and they had to find things in the room or on their clothing as fast as possible, saying the color as they pointed. It can get pretty noisy even with only four of them now, (sadly, Sandra and Steven moved away). It is a high energy class and keeps me hopping. I always plan more than enough exercises just in case they catch on quickly and lose interest. I am learning a lot from them and hopefully they are getting something out of it too.
mandy

超市 Chao1shi4 (Super Market)

Take a trip with me to the local foreign grocery store. It is basically a Super Wal-mart with a different name, Carrefour (out of France). We do have Wal-marts here as well. In order to enter, you must first go to the top floor even though the grocery section is on the bottom floor. They will not let you enter. You have to walk through the entire top floor, to remind you of the other things you need to buy, then take the escalator down to the grocery section. This is maddening and keeps me shopping at the local outdoor markets. Anyway, there are many fresh items to choose from, pork with tail, fresh fish heads, any number of organs, some recognizable, some not. The slabs of meat hang from racks for you to pick from. Whole gutted chickens lay on ice staring at you. You can pick your fish from the tank and have it prepared while you wait. Meanwhile, people and megaphones scream the weekly deals at you from all directions. In the produce section, you may have people at each fruit display yelling the price as they stand under a huge sign with the price posted on it. I think maybe they like the noise. All produce must be weighed and priced, so get ready to stand in a long line. And be prepared for people to cut in front of you at any time. When you get the counter, put your purchases on the scale as quickly as possible before someone else does and then squeeze your way back out of the line to head for the register to do it all again. I much prefer going to the Chinese grocery stores. They are usually not so crowded and the produce is much fresher. My favorite is an outdoor market near our home where I can wander around freely and find all sorts of fruits and vegetables. There is no yelling. They are even nice enough to tell you how to cook vegetables that you have never seen before. The produce picture was this week's purchases. We paid about 63Kuai total, about $9.20 This will keep the four us fed for most of the week. (We still have guests). Well, thanks for going with me to the store, it was much less maddening with all of you along. Where would you like to go next?

mandy
“We conducted a survey of 1,146 consumers last September where we asked them if they would pay more for groceries in a pleasant shopping environment and 45 percent said they would. That's surprising, because we do live in a Wal-Mart world where consumers are exceptionally price savvy.”
Candace Corlett

Spring Forward

Spring has arrived in all its glory and splendor! Even the garbage bins are in bloom! China's famous cherry blossoms line the streets and fill the parks. With the arrival of March, the weather has cooled off and the wind has increased but that has not discouraged the flowers and trees from showing off. People have flocked to the parks and find time whenever they can for singing and dancing. These pictures were taken on Wednesday afternoon. Who wants to work when there is music in the air? For those of you still struggling through winter, here are some warm pictures to post up and keep your mood light until your own Spring Forward!
mandy
"Because I took a moment to speak and you took a second to smile, a tiny part of me will leave with you"-Notebook Quotes

Five Kuai

Tonight we visited one of our favorite restaurants for dinner. We have been coming to this place from the second week we got here. Tonight, however, we were very disappointed in the service and the food. It took forever to get our food and one of our group never got hers. We have a discount card and the bartender, who was evidently in charge tonight, did not give the proper discount and fought giving a free meal to the couple who never got their food. He even ignored Frank when he tried to get our 5K change back. The amount was not a big deal, the fact that he ignored us, refused to give us our ticket to look at, even saying he didn't have it was very rude. He even refused to give us his real name, afraid he would get in trouble. Too late for that because the owner is a foreigner and knows some of us already. It is a shame too, because we really like the place. Our waitress who was really at fault, never came back to our table and the other waiter, a villager who spoke a little English, tried his best to help and practice his English at the same time. That was funny. Our friend was trying to explain that the meal had never arrived and the waiter was looking at the menu. Suddenly he asked, "Are you American?" What? What does that have to do with our food? Then another waiter came over and told us something about the food ordered that didn't make sense, and there was a pause. With perfect comic timing, our villager said, "Good evening everyone!" as if he had just seen us for the first time. It was hilarious. He is worth coming back for. This was my first really negative experience with the Chinese fear of "losing face". The bartender would have lost face if he gave us our money even though it was the waitress' fault. This made him angry and instead of yelling at us, which they wouldn't do, he screamed and pounded the bar at our villager. We really felt sorry for him. We finished up this mess of dinner at McDonald's. Our friend got to eat and Frank soothed his frustrations with a strawberry sundae. It is amazing how icecream can change your mood. All things are bright and beautiful once again. Thanks Ronald!

mandy

Winds Of Change

The market I blogged about will close this week. We have visited a few more times but it is little more than a garbage heap with a few people selling the remnants of their wares from a blanket on the ground. Some of the buildings have been torn down and all are desolate and empty. Where have all those families gone? Some have relocated in other parts of the city and set up shop again. One sweet old lady who sold fabric is only moving around the corner. She invited us to come see her. I will take her up on that. Others have returned to their villages homeless and jobless. The financial crisis seems to be everywhere. It is better to focus on the positive aspects, a trait I may never get right, wait that's not very positive. See? Anyway, I have included some pics of happier things too. Can you see the sign in the bedroom? It says Elder's Room. Interesting. Our friends apartment is coming along. The owners agreed to put in a floor, kitchen and doors. How gracious of them. The cool thing is they get to pick out the colors and style. That doesn't happen often. The owner's tried very hard to convince our friends that hazard yellow was the best color for kitchen cabinets and refused to go with an off-white or anything nuetral for that matter. They compromised on a soft green. That's better than cooking in a radioactive room. They are happy with it and anxious to move in. A few more weeks maybe less. We have been promised bath time, they have a TUB!!! I would pay a fee to use it. Hello to all of our friends. I miss hearing from many of you and seeing the comments.
mandy

“Don't you realize that the sea is the home of water? All water is off on a journey unless it's in the sea, and it's homesick, and bound to make its way home someday”
Zora Neale Hurston

Starting Over

This weekend we helped friends to start over in their new city. It reminds me how complicated starting over can be. It seems like so long ago that we sold everything and came here beginning again from nothing. I also see how much progress we have made in our language skills. We both served as translators, Yeah! US! It was strange to have the agents turn to me to explain something or ask a question. I kept thinking, what are they looking at? Oh right, I understood what they said, wait, I UNDERSTOOD WHAT THEY SAID!
The weather has changed drastically here. February evidently is the start of spring here. Some days were even summer-like. It has cooled off just a bit and the wind has arrived. Strong enough to blow you off balance. It hasn't rained in over a month so with the wind comes duststorms that fill our lungs and nostrils with all the good stuff that has dried on the ground. Yum! Our guard had his hat fly off the other day in front of a car. Thankfully, the front tire missed the hat but the wind made sure the back tire didn't. It was a uniform hat like a police cap but now it's more like a beret, flat and floppy with a tread mark. Poor guy. Our mold problem has dried up and blown away in these arid conditions. It is amazing how quickly the climate changed, almost overnight! My friends at home are expecting 2-4 inches of snow and I walk around in shorts and a light wind breaker. Sorry guys! The flower peddlars have arrived in full force with the arrival of spring. Carts and buckets and baskets full of flowers, trees, shrubs and potted plants. They are pulled by horse, bike or carried yoke style on their shoulders. I will try to get a picture of this for you. Yesterday a smiling lady brought her yoke of roses to the restaurant we were eating at and kept trying to get my attention. "Want flowers? Very beautiful". They were, and even though I had nowhere to put them, as I was headed to work, I bought some. 5 Kuai or about .73cents bought 10 red roses. I just had to buy them. Wouldn't you? I also have a peace lily again. I had them at home but it blooms much better here. Mine never had more than one bloom and this one has at least six right now.

Today our friends will negotiate with a landlord on the apartment they liked. We arranged for someone with real chinese skills to serve as translator for that. They are going to need it, as they have to get them to put down a floor, install door frames and doors and put in a kitchen. Somehow, the owners felt the apartment was ready to rent. Only if you want no privacy, prefer concrete grey and never eat! The view sells the place but still, you can't live off the view. Hopefully it will all work out to their liking and starting over will be a breeze.
mandy
"Let's catch the period of flower blooming and spread out our fragrance"
-Notebook Quotes