Shopping in China

First of all I need to confess that I am not a shopper, and shopping is never high on my list.  I prefer going with a list or a project get the things that I need and checking out, pay my bill and get on with life. Browsing and checking out what is new is never something I like to do.  Both Kaci and Ashley have nurtured shopping as an art and can spend time enjoying shopping for hours, they did not learn that skill from me.

Shopping in China however has added a few more layers to that adventure.  Grocery shopping doesn’t take a long list, largely because we usually walk to the store or ride the metro or subway.  All three are limiting on how much you are able to purchase. You can only buy what you can carry.  No Costco runs to load the car and be done for a month, two shoulder bags that won’t damage your spine just about does it. 

The next layer of adventure is labeling.  Nothing is familiar even colors on Oreos are different.  Then everything is labeled in Chinese, if by chance it is an American product they are over labeled in Chinese.  I know that isn’t surprising but it makes grocery shopping a treasure hunt.  Even with my iPhone translator up and running I have become a pantomime expert.  My favorite was trying to fine spray starch. 

Chinese laundry is an American Myth.  There are no Chinese laundries anywhere near my apartment, or anywhere I have traveled.  As a result of that, I needed to iron shirts for Craig. Since we don’t have a dryer, the shirts are all wrinkled coming from the spin cycle of the washer then hung outside, starch became a necessity.  Off to the local grocery store to find starch. The nice Chinese ladies in the market really do try to be helpful but they do not speak any English.   After my iPhone translator pulled up the Chinese characters, I was escorted to the potato section, then the corn section, then my pantomime skills kicked in and I demonstrated ironing, off to the ironing board section, then to the steamer section and last of all to the iron section.  It must have been very entertaining to watch me with my iPhone in one hand and my best effort pantomiming spraying starch and ironing.  Suddenly I felt just like Carol Burnett!  I never found the spray or liquid starch and Craig walks around campus and church with water sprayed on his collars and cuffs and my best attempt at ironing sans starch! (Don’t invite me to a Charade party, you will looooose!)

Shopping at the mall is more entertaining than going to a movie.  Loud speakers, Christmas carols, barkers, demonstrations on all levels, Chinese people yelling “hello, hello” as you try to absorb the whole event, and mobs of people wandering the walkways.  I will never complain about crowds of people or long lines in the U.S. again.  Overwhelming but so entertaining! I might become a shopper after all.