Additionally, finally after a period longer than I want to mention of living in
Ok so now that I have hot water in the apartment for the first time in since I have been here (I have had some luke warm water at points), I didn’t want to waste it since we heat our water only when needed and to wash a few quick dishes after a meal is not worth waiting to heat the water for (and only run the heater when at the apartment and the apartment is cold (so no everyone this is apartment is not 80 degrees, like you might think I would have it) and only turn the gas that runs into the stove when cooking, etc.) so I got the brilliant idea that I needed to run laundry and it would be really nice to wash it with hot water. Even though washing laundry is quite the process and it is like 11pm at night, I decide to run laundry. Now for all the times I complained about running laundry before I am sorry. That was so easy. So to fill the washer with hot water, I must take the shower head that is hooked to the hot water heater and open the lid to the washing machine and turn on the shower (the washer has a drain but no intake pipe, so once I load all the laundry and make sure that there is enough hot water, I find something to do for about 10 minutes and wait to hear that certain noise that the washing machine makes in order to go and fill the machine with now cold water for rise 1 but don’t forget that the agitation of the washing machine has so tangled my clothes that I must untangle them prior to the rise cycle. Now I go heat up a my midnight snack (yes turn on the gas, cook, turn off the gas) and hear that noise from the washing machine and now know it is time to refill for rise cycle 2. Now I finish my midnight snack, which was cooked mushrooms, onions and rice (quite a delicious dish), wash my dishes in warm water (yes!) and took a minute to record this experience so one might always remember the little joys in life. Now I must go hang up my clothes because I no dryer and hope that they will be dry tomorrow even though it was snowing today. But the nice thing about my washer is it spins better than one I have ever used before so they are almost like dry. Now just to find that socks mobile looking hanger so I don’t have to use like 6 hangers with lots of hooks to hang all those little items. I hang them out in my atrium which is like 45 degrees.
After my shower and while running laundry I saw this huge spider, my first one in the apartment in
The next day, I wake up and go check my clothes and realize that my only pair of jeans is still wet (why I didn't take one of my old other pair of jeans with me as well I don't know – but I took tons of dress clothes) and it is about two hours before I need to leave so I turn on my heater go get my coat hanger stand and place this right in front of the heater. I probably could have worn the jeans but they were still a little wet when I needed to get ready so I improvised. Take your jean capris ladies and you almost knee length black boots and tuck your capris into your boots (which is in style over here). Yes!!! Another success. (although I very much felt like an English horse rider) Note: need to go shopping for another pair of jeans soon! Later this day, we went to a beautiful restaurant. It maybe the most beautiful one I have been to yet in all my visits to
OH we went to store (kinda like a Wal-mart) and I found one of those mobile hangers super excited. I know my sister is going to be so proud of me for this I found one for 22 yuan and then I found another one that was cheaper in a different place in the store and then in a third place in the store I found one for like a 9.80 yuan I think. I was not trying to be that cheap but when I keep finding cheaper ones with no apparent quality difference why pay more.
Another day, we went to the bank and I finally got to exchange the money that I came over with. I had been just withdrawing money from my account via debit card (which works quite well). Note to all you foreign traveling friends make sure you take your passport to the bank and not a copy of it and go when the bank first opens when exchanging money it might save you a trip or two. Went to work, and later went to a coffee house to work today some today out of the office. Came home and went to the market with my roommate :). YAY!!! So fun. It was great because I am learning how to really shop and live like the Chinese thanks to my roommate, including teaching me how to cook amazing Chinese food. The market I will have to take some pictures of sometime. But let me give you a little sense. Think of a farmer's market year round day in and day out for your veggies. Along with a bins for all your grains and they scoop it out and weigh it and you pay for it, and then think of a fish market (there is live, fresh and frozen fish, take your pick...we picked frozen today) and a butcher shop and you kinda have the picture. And this is all right outside my apartment. I know that makes me sound like I live in a crazy place but it really is not like that. Ok, two of us buy a fish who both don't know how to cook fish (I mean I can cook fish sticks :) but that doesn't help me here) it was pretty funny but my roommate really wanted to get fish so she got to clean it :) Oh the good news is it was a female fish and they had chopped the head off and gutted it but the fins and scales were still on it. (I thought to myself at least the Chinese will not have the ability to honor me by making me eat the fish head...not that my roommate would do that :) but it is such an honor to have the head given to you…so if you do you must eat it. Also if they put the fish down and the head is pointing at you then you are the designated person of honor). Finally, whoever most visible facing the door once one enters the room that you are eating in is that is person of the highest honor. More cultural lessons later as I learn them J.
