Success

Just when I was almost resigned to wearing the ugly wine and chutney coat, success smiled on me.

We traipsed down to Mr. Bigger and Bigger and tried on his biggest coats. They were too small. But with a judicious eye and thorough critique I discovered it is my shoulders that are too big. Yes the bosom is big for China standards but the width of the shoulders is the problem. And Big Daddy pointed out that a lot of the Chinese women are wearing clothes too small and do not button up their coats. He is right. The Chinese are getting larger, and not taller, and I think it is KFC. And Coke. McDonald's. Pizza.

So after that less than a cheery experience we went for a respite at Fossette. It is right next to the Butchery. It is a wine bar with a limited food menu. We had Caprese salad and Shanghai pork. The pork came with a potato salad. We split it and it was just right. I had a great glass of Malbec. They have wine specials on Sunday after 2PM, phone is 86-136 3635 7011. Oh and the dude in charge was French and he could not get a taxi last night either.

So we wandered back down Xinle Road toward Shaanxi and found a great shop. They had the most beautiful red cape in the window. They also had one in black. I started talking to the friend of the owner, a nice guy who spoke English. He studied in the US, first in Ann Arbor and then Parson's in New York. We had a great conversation and the cape fit. No shoulder problems, no snug problems. And it reaches my knees. I went with the black as I pictured myself in the red looking like a huge tomato walking down the street. Not a good picture. And I got 1000 quai off the list price. Black is good, won't show the dirt and it is a good Italian wool so it should wear well.

Big Daddy is returning the other coat to Marks&Spencer in the morning and stocking up with our credit. Whoa, potted meat.  

Next shopping quest is for Chinese New Year, you are supposed to wear red underwear.

As promised, the pictures

This is the clay pig.

This is the clay dragon

This is what happens when you drink alcoholic beverages

Big Daddy does not ask for much. He is really low maintenance so when he asks for something I take it seriously. Once, years ago, he told me he needed 2 pair of socks. This struck me as odd so I did some follow up; what kind of socks? Regular was the reply.

During one of our forays into the rabbit warren BD espies this store with clocks. He is enchanted but they are just opening and still unpacking so I pull him away and off we go.  A few weeks ago we found ourselves wandering by this store again and BD looked wistfully inside so here we go. I checked it out and asked BD which clock he liked. He showed me one that was okay so I told him deal on this animal thing and the clock and see what happens. Now the rule is if you want a deal you start with the item you don't care about and then add in or transfer to the item you really want. I had to leave as I am notorious, if I want it I will pay any price. Cannot take me to an antiques store or estate sale.

So I am sitting down the street ordering drinks and looking over the menu at the outdoor cafe when here comes BD with both items. Oh shit. He did get a great price on both of them but WTF am I supposed to do with the cat type thing.  As always when we buy something new we must redo the entire decorating scheme and this place does not really have a scheme, it is a furnished apartment. So now I have an undersized cat thing of some sort on an unattractive and large coffee table. This was my solution, cheap purple glass and some flowers to fill in the space.  We have no idea if we will ever get paid to get anything shipped home so we are careful not to spend much money on what may become throw away items.

This however is a keeper because it makes Big Daddy happy.

Finally a Great Day

Just lost everything I wrote and I cannot recapture the excellent writing I put down on this illustrious blog. Oh well, gotta start over and deal with it. Not gonna let it steal my joy. But I do have to figure out how to fix this damn computer and the blog itself so these things do not keep happening. That will be next.

First is the description of my great day. Good weather and good reading. Decent travels about the little part of town I know. And some fun.

Had to slog down to the Consulate to get my new passport. I really thought this was going to be a drudge trip to hell. Got a decent taxi, he went right where I wanted to go, their were no huddled masses at the window and whoa, we were in. I did have to take off my shoes and walk over carpeting I am sure infected my feet with some unknown diseases but that will be a later post. When I have huge nasty---never mind, later. Anyway got a ticket at the counter that was about 400 off and watched the sad waiting people and wham, I was next. Whole episode did not take 15 minutes.

Got a taxi back to the rabbit warren with no problems and we went to have a drink with Amay. She volunteered to go with us to the wet market to buy tea as Big Daddy and I cannot make heads or tails of the tea choices. We now have cred with the tea guy. Bought some great black tea and he gave us a gift of some more expensive tea to try. And Amay explained that the snakes in the plastic bowls are not snakes. They are fish, from the river. They look like fucking snakes. They are spicy when cooked. So Big Daddy is really up for cooking the fucking non-snake things for our dinner. At a later date.

BD-initials to be used from here on out for Big Daddy-made a great dinner, mixed salad, honey glazed chicken breasts (we stole the recipe from Blackened Out) and green beans. Then we had to go for walk as we are fat. Well, walking over to the other side of the complex BD decides we need go look at the ovens at the place he bought my hair appliance. My curling iron died about 2 weeks ago and with the shit haircut I got from the HAIRDRESSER WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED-as it is the only hairdresser in town-I was in distress. So bald BD goes to this store and pantomines curling his hair. I guess this was somewhat entertaining as BD says all the staff was there staring at a man trying to show how curl hair on his old bald head. YES, I know I am loved. He got the appliance. Another story. Anyway, this is now his favorite electronics store. So off we go.

We purchased a convection oven and a blender/processer type thing for around 180 US dollars. Quite a good price I think. They made a deal on the oven, nothing on the blender contraption. But they did seem really concerned we bought the better products-the products they were happier to sell. And I do mean products they seemed to like better, not just to make money on. The prices were the same between some things. I seem to think if you are a repeat customer and do speak a little Chinese (very little in our case) they really do give a damn if you are happy.

So I got to pet a really nice dog at the store, BD got his cooking shit, we got great tea, and there are not snakes at the wet market. What more could you want?

More tomorrow on Anthony Bourdain, really bad hair, and why do I have zits at my age?

I now have the cleanest dirty apartment in Shanghai

When the ayi's come we have to clean after they leave. Do not need to go into the particulars here, maybe we are clean freaks or maybe they just don't get the concept. We clean the kitchen and sink and then the ayi cleans the kitchen and there is all kinds of unknown bits and pieces that were not there before. And stuff on the tile walls that is a different color than any products we use. So we just don't clean before the ayi's and it works out just fine. The ayi's come Mon, Wed, and Fri. I usually do a good clean after they leave on Wednesday and then just need a redo on Friday.

Well, here I sit on a Thursday morning watching DWTS and the doorbell rings. There is my ayi smiling at me. Since we don't speak the same language there was the usual jabba jabba jabba and then she went down the hall. Then they had the Chinese meeting and then she came back. With a piece of paper. They changed my Friday cleaning to today, so now I have to reclean the shit I cleaned yesterday after they left. And these people claim they have a plan.

Passport is in, I wonder if I can pick it up tomorrow or have to wait until Monday. Physical is the 14th that should be a treat.

Just talked to my Punkin Head and that makes me happy. If I get to go shopping over the holiday he wants me to look for golden cats with waving hands? Okey Dokey.

Ok, It is getting better, or why we need to keep a stiff upper lip

This has been an informative weekend. We should start with Sunday and work back.

Just got home from Taikang Lu and what a hoot. Had a drink at Amay's and gave her some books we had read and some moon cakes. She has a lendiing/buying library in the rabbit warren and supports the Red Cross here. The Red Cross here is state run. She is trying hard to learn English-she is fluent by Chinese standards-and different philosophy. She would not take our money for the coffee beans we bought or the drinks. We still left a tip, yes some of us westerners insist on tipping for great service.

Then we stopped at the wet market and I remembered it all. I have avoided going there recently for the heat and the craziness, but I went back. Yes, the snakes do escape from the plastic bins. The ladies grab them and put them back. I do not want further information on this issue. We got some great herbs and vegetables and some Martha Stewart eggs. They are blue and green, very light colors. Come on, you gotta buy these once. Could not buy the little eggs, I think they are quail. Then some guy came chasing me down waving a bag of what looked like chunks of red type meat. I almost bought a live chicken or goose just to see Big Daddy's face when I walked up to him.

Then we sauntered down Raijin Lu and I swear I bought roasted chesnuts. Where in the world can you buy roasted chestnuts in September. If that is indeed what they are. They do not taste bad. Then when Big Daddy left me alone for a moment in front of the cookie store and I was looking at this big thing that reminded of a farm implement for something very strange. I never lived on a farm so I cannot describe it other than to say it is strange. I had seen it before and I was flummoxed as to the use of this article. People started buying things from it and everyone seemed quite excited. The sign said 2.50 so I ponied up in the line and gave over 10 RMB, the owner person said 4 and I said OK. They were hot and greasy, the longer we walked toward home the greasier the bag got. They were like a fried bisquit stuffed with a meat type substance. Not good, but for China they at least had some flavor. We took the rest down to the security guards and you would have thought we gave them manna from heaven.

Saturday we went to the Portman Center to get my passport photos taken. It does not matter where in the world you get these photos taken you will always look like shit. Then we decided to find the embassy so it would not be a trial for us on Monday. We learned that Chinese people will speak to you in Chinese for a long time even though they know you do not speak or understand Chinese and they do not speak your language either. Then we decided to walk to our favorite restaurant on Maoming Lu, big mistake. From Nanjing Lu to some place I cannot spell, but about 10 blocks away, you cannot get a taxi on Maoming Lu and if you did you would kill yourself because the cars never move anyway.

Weather is better, hair sucks since the bad haircut, leasing people came today to review Big Daddy's complaints of the wall paper and such for the new lease. I laughed my ass off as I know these people think this shit is all great. When Big Daddy showed them the scars on the floor Shemp stomped on it 3 times, as if to show it is solid. They so not understand what is pretty and desirable and what is OK- this will last for a week or so. God, I read that and thought I am speaking Chinglish.

Mission Impossible

For some reason Big Daddy is now on a mission to fulfill two important requests I have repeatedly made. For weeks and weeks I have pointed out that I am too short to reach the dishes and the microwave. And he leaves me alone sometimes. I can only eat food not requiring a plate or heat, unless I want to eat out of the pan. But as there are no small pans for reheating I always burn the food anyway on the gas burner. Reminder, I do not cook so have little luck with performing this task. Sometimes I really miss Farm's Market.

As you may recall during the Internet problems the IT Shemps had to go get someone elses chair to stand on when the were working on the box. I would not let them stand on "my" chairs. Well right after that the search for the stepstool began. Stepstools are very hard to find in China. As everyone here is fairly short it is amazing that borrowing chairs is the only recourse when they can't reach something. I am taller than most of them myself.

Carrefours seems to have stepstools. But you cannot order them. You have to go to the store. But they don't tell you which one actually will have the stepstool. GRRR. I am also trying to decide if it is worth it to try and taxi to Oumond Lu to check out the convection ovens. That is a trip to hell and back when it is hot and raining. Which the weather is predicted to be for the next 10 days. Or we can just settle for one from Best Buy.

After my last hissy fit of having no decent cutlery Big Daddy went to the Portman Center for food, a haircut, and steak knives. No barbershop, and the knives were hidden away due to the Expo "law" about the selling of knives. He had to be inspected first and then they sent someone to the warehouse for the knives. They are better than nothing. They cut the pork chops which were great. Pork Chops inspired by Blackened Out recipe with sides of squash salad and French lentils. Good dinner. However, now I need utensil rests for beside the plates as the shape of the knives causes them to fall into the plate and get sauce all over the handles. And napkins are another expensive quest.

I should get off of here as Big Daddy wants to plan our next Walking To Hong Kong experience. If we get the oven we can't afford to spend the night Kowloon for our anniversary. Maybe dinner at the Shangri La, hmm, have to see. Still have to plan either going home in October or December depending on the passport/visa issues.

The good, the bad, the really ugly

Went out for dinner Thursday and had a fabulous dinner at Casa 13 in TiaKang Lu. That place has never served me bad meal no matter what the name.

Good: roast chicken with lemon caper sauce.
Bad: got myself locked into the new restroom.
Ugly: first time ever I went to the "ladies" without my purse so I could not call Big Daddy to come get me out. After repeated attempts to unlock the door I started pounding with my fist. That hurts. I cannot imagine the adrenelin that it must take to pound on something for rescue for hours or days. I wasn't real upset as I was sure eventually someone would come. I was in there quite a while tho. There is a tiny trick button on the metal bar that you have to push. Hmmm. Could have used my glasses, which were in my purse.

On the way home we stopped at the furniture store. There was a load at the curb, so they were getting new stuff. Just standing around and they got to me with the "Lookie Lookie". There was table that I had spied back when I got the deal on Big Daddy's hat rack. At that time whatever the price was, it was in thousands starting with a 10. I saw the table and randomonly asked for the price. Shit it was low 2000's. Offered and dickered and looked really sad and I got it for 1550. Around 230 US or so. And yes once again they hand carried and walked with us back to the apartment. This time it took 2 guys tho. Beautiful marble top and small shelf on the bottom. The trick is to always ask for something you want but cannot buy, go to a second item and then go in for the kill. Then check back later for the original. It will usually come down in price quite alot over time. Or the store will go out of business for no sales. And you gotta smile and then look really sad.

After careful shopping evaluation some of the stuff we bought at Lowu Market was a bust. The iPhone does not work. The Sony Vaio thumb drives are sketchy and one is a bust. 1 of the 3 pairs of sunglasses is not perfect but no worse than cheap shit in the states. Watches seem ok so far. At least no worse than the shit on HSN with the screaming lady.

Met this rich lady ex-pat who was extolling the great life she had in China as she is now going home. This bitch had an aya for her other ayas. WTF. And she only frequented the 5 star hotels. No wonder she thought it was fab, she probably never saw the under-belly of this shithole. She thought I was wearing a batik blouse from Thailand and when I told her I bought it 2 streets over she changed the subject quick. She was impressing her friend, new to Shanghai, with her worldly observations. And she had never gotten lost in a taxi. Bullshit.

Might go to Yu Gardens today or tomorrow and look for bibelots.

Perfect Toilet Training

All my past efforts finally came together in the perfect toilet experience. At the A and B market. Had my own paper. Had my own antibacterial hand wipes. Hooray. Also did not have to squat which was fabulous. Funny how little things can make your day.

Old crown in starting to crumble so I may have to call and make an appointment before I get to New Orleans. Not looking forward to trying to squeeze in more things to do in a short time frame. Two crowns in two months.

Have to go shopping for boring items. Yuk.

Off to the City Market after we watch Ray Nagin on CNN Reveal. Also Watsons and maybe Sephora.

Hair on waking up: not too bad. More later today. Cool but sunny.