SEPTEMBER 11, 2006

So, I suspect that most dealt with the fifth anniversary rather somberly. I simply could not. I decided to embrace life and place an embargo on all the suspiciously-well-timed “newly discovered footage” and memorials by diving into the culture in which I currently live. I’ve had enough rubbernecking for one life.

Consequently, I made plans with my Brazilian Angel (the one on roller blades married to the Frenchman) for lunch. We had lunch at her place and I told her all about Teacher’s Day the day before. I told her about my run in with the toasting and she said I should be happy I’m not in Korea. (My Brazilian Angel and her Frenchman lived in South Korea for several years before they moved to China.) There, apparently, once you down the drink, you must turn the glass over above your head to prove you’ve drunk it all down. Frankly, my head would have been soaked with all the liquor my hand wrapped around the glass was able to cover.

After lunch, I had to return to classes but we made plans to go downtown for a visit when school was out, as I had yet to figure out where the 36 stopped. As we walked to the (embarrassingly obvious) bus stop, it was revealed that we both have the same green and orange pashmina. It was a funny coincidence and left me feeling even better about the universe.

We got on the bus and rode it down through the Old Wall. There is nothing quite like the old wall of Xi’An. It is so beautiful that you are willing to risk the imposing nature to get a better look. I was reminded of the first time my mother told this shy child to speak to a stranger to get some information; my nervousness was only exceeded by my excitement at discovering something new.

Quickly, we rode through the wall and I was sad to see it go but even more excited to see the old city arrive. When my Brazilian Angel and I got off the bus, I was amazed at the spaciousness of the old city. Most old cities in Europe are cramped and claustrophobic but the efficient grid system allows for massive boulevards like Park Avenue and huge roundabouts like the one the Arc de Triomphe is in. Everywhere is a mix of Westerners and Asians. The old city is a bustling metropolis of tourism, good food, high fashion and good bargains.

My Brazilian Angel and I went strolling about looking for a good gift for her mother-in-law, to no avail. She kept apologizing and checking to see if I was tired but I was so elated at being in a real city that there was no way I was cutting our trip short. We had a pretty good meal at a nice cafeteria-style restaurant (where you’re not supposed to bus your own table; the thought on that being if you bus your own table, there’s no need for the table cleaners to have a job) and then went to Carrefour.

For those of you unfamiliar with Carrefour, it is a godsend. It is a French “hypermarche.” (Grocery stores in France coming in several sizes from tiny stalls, to “supermarche” the French equivalent of “supermarket” to “hypermarche” where one must imagine Macy at 39th Street married with two more floors of supermarket) There is a Carrefour in the old city. On the first floor is a bakery with many French pastries and a McDonald’s as well as some toyshops, bookstores and jewelry kiosks. On the second floor begins the official Carrefour with any Western goods you could ask for from office supplies and sports equipment to Western bedding and it’s all at comparable-to-local-prices. On the third floor is the food. They have anything you could ask for from Cadbury chocolates to local dietary staples. Granted, the foods imported from the Western world are more expensive if you consider that (in terms of buying power) the yuan is close to the euro or the dollar in their respective countries but when you consider the rate of the yuan against the euro or the dollar, you’re actually spending the same or less on the product that you would at home. (Case in point; imported jiffy peanut butter is 15 yuan which is ridiculously expensive especially when you consider you can get local honey, butter or jam for 2 or 3 yuan but when you consider that 15 yuan is less than 2 bucks, you’re not doing so bad.)

Most importantly, they have yogurt! Real yogurt! A lot of the “yogurt” here is a drink for children that tastes of liquid SweetTarts, so I’m not much of a fan. But, at Carrefour, they’ve got real yogurt! Yay! They’ve also got lots of cheeses and whole wheat bread! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Chinese food. It is one of my favorite foods but it’s also nice to have some of my own dietary staples.
One of the best parts about being in China is that even the ramen is the absolute best. So, I got a few cups of ramen for nights when I’m in no mood to go out but would like some noodles.

My Brazilian Angel and I checked out and made it home by 9:45. Oops, hehehe. Forgot about that curfew. Ah well, I had a good harmless time.