Sprite at the Paper Store
One of the things that is so convenient about living in America is how you can go to one huge store and buy such a wide variety of things. I miss that. Already.
Imagine you have a list like this –
- cardstock paper
- dish detergent
- pain killer (like Tylenol)
- spray paint
- glue
- pillowcases
- telephone
In America, you pop down to Walmart or Target and get everything on this list at one convenient stop. And more than likely, there are dozens of choices for each item on your list.
Not the same here. In China, there are generally not stores that carry such variety.( One exception would be Metro which, of course, is a foreign store and isn’t in my city.)
If I have a list like the one above, each item requires a different shop. I can get dish detergent when I buy food at my grocery store. But none of the other items are there. I have to go to a drug store for pain killer, a phone shop for the phone, a department store for the pillowcases, a stationery store for the glue, an automotive shop for the spray paint, and a computer market for the paper.
Can you see why shopping takes up so much time? And remember I’m traveling on foot or by bus. So if I buy more than I can easily carry, I’ve got to go home, drop off my things and start over.
This is our paper store. It’s inside the computer market and is the only place I know of where I can buy 80 gram paper.
My Paper Store
Most stores sell an inferior 70 gram paper that I won’t use. Call me a paper snob. I want quality paper. Even though she is my supplier, she had to call someone to bring some over from the warehouse. You can tell that the 80 gram paper is not a big seller.
I usually buy four reams at a time so I don’t have to go back so often. (That stocking up mentality at work!) But since we really needed to do other errands, we could only manage one ream.
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One of the nice things about being military overseas is that we have the best of both worlds, but even if I didn’t have the military (American) community, the German stores are becoming more and more “American”. I’ve often wondered if I could live here (or anywhere else) as an expat ~ I don’t think so. I admire those of you who do it, seem to do it gracefully, and make it work for you. Every day must be an adventure!
Sprite looks like she’s a trooper ~ what a little companion!
Julie recently posted They Complete Me .
Oh, I so get this! I went to the market yesterday for mile and apples. The milk we drink wasn’t there and the apples were expensive and bruised. The next day I rode my bike to the larger market early in the morning-only the top floor of the market was open and some of the things I needed were on the bottom floor. We have learned that if we see something we want, buy it, or it might not be there next time!
Only another expat truly “gets” it. You’ve BTDT.
Do they sell those dolly things people use to cart boxes/heavy loads? Maybe one of those would be helpful for you on shopping days.
DebD recently posted School Year Curve-Ball.
I suppose life in a foreign country forces one to live more simply. Convenience is actually a luxury.
We live on a very remote rural farm and our closest town does not supply everything we need. These items go on our wish list and when (if) we get to a major city and can afford it, we may buy the desired item … and then what delight!
Thanks for sharing the details of your life in China – it is always so enlightening and interesting!
Nadene recently posted Mom The Narration Scribe.
Nadene,
Thank you! You said, “Convenience is actually a luxury.” This is the truth and really puts my inconveniences into perspective.
Jimmie,
You need one of the collapsible carts like my friend uses in New York City. It folds up small but then carries a ton of stuff when you fold it out. Like this one. http://www.activelivingnow.com/Folding_Shopping_Cart_p/dur64082130200.htm?gclid=CMiWrtXI2qMCFSP5iAodPVfw8Q
Darla,
I do have one of those! It’s very handy when I’m shopping on foot. But it’s a pain with public transportation. When it’s full, it’s hard to pull up/down the steps on the bus. It takes up too much room on the bus, and makes people mad. Also, it’s hard to get into a taxi’s trunk. I’ve done it before, but it’s not easy.
It’s interesting knowing that things in China are very similar to the way things are here in the Peruvian jungle town of Pucallpa! (BTW most of the items sold here are from China). We’ve been here for 5 years and several of the little stories you’ve posted are identical to how things work here… this one especially hit home with me!
Jimmie,
I’ll be sure to appreciate it more the next time I pop into the Target near my home with a list of very assorted items! I’ve been complaining because we don’t have a SUPER TARGET like the one I went to in Indiana. You know, because if we had a Super Target I would never have to go anywhere else!
Samantha
Samantha recently posted Ski Hats Completed!.
Oh my. I popped in to Super Target today. All that you mentioned AND Starbucks! I am spoiled.
I never noticed the weight of my paper. Hmmm… now I feel the need to see what 70gram paper feels like so I can see if I’m a snob too.
MarshaMarshaMarsha recently posted it has been 2 years.
I remember this from when we lived in Bolivia. I always used to think of the people that sit in those shops and sell that one item all day…I just couldn’t do that. Plus paper was super hard to find for some reason. Definitely, I didn’t waste it.
I do enjoy your blog…for stories like this and your homeschooling tips.
Susan
Susan, I totally agree. Keep me busy morning to night, just don’t ask me to do a boring job! Most jobs here are like this — super long hours with very few days off but with almost no real work to do. Just a lot of sitting, waiting, and sitting. UGH. Torture.
OK, I used to work in a bookstore and I’m having to fight the urge to jump through the screen and reorganize that shop. Haven’t they ever heard of shelves????? Look at all the wasted wall space! And how DO you get something off the bottom of one of those stacks? Are these businesses actually profitable? And what does that clerk do when she doesn’t have any customers?
Oops, sorry. Not the point of this post. I can’t imagine having to shop like that. I love Wal-Mart.
But you do it so well.
Oh, I know! It’s insane and sadly the norm for most small shops (and even a lot of big ones).
(This is why I laugh when people say China will take over the world.
Right. Not buying it.
LONG way yet to go before that’s a true concern.)
your paper shops WAY outdo ours girl! and I do feel your pain on the 20 stop shopping problem. and we have a store called metro too… of course not in our town either.
funny how similar things can be, yet SO different at the same time
amy in peru
amy in peru recently posted too busy to delight part three.