Wednesday afternoon, when all that remained of the snow was water, I took the bus back to the haggling street to get the wooden mooncake mold I saw the previous day. Not that I intend to actually make mooncakes with them. I'd rather also get the modern mooncake mold of plastic with interchangable plates, haven't seen any of those yet though. I just want it to hang on my wall. I also picked up a chinese fermenting pot. Pretty proud of my haggling abilities with out knowing how to speak the language. This is the first day I got asked multiple times what country I was from. One guy says, I think America is rich, everyone is rich there. I said no, there are a lot of poor people there too, people without jobs and kurtly left his shop. Then I finally saw someone selling DVD's, granted they were only Chinese flicks, but I found some of the kids favorite shows. The lady closest to the opened suitcases was selling food, she gave me the big dame(bad) sign with her fingers. I went to a shop 2 stores down, the guy spoke English and told me the price. I guess she wasn't really looking for a sale. Gee if you don't want to sell to foreigners don't sit next to a tourist destination.
Thursday my in-laws went shopping for a new door, so they dropped my off in the garden art sculpture area, very cool, very asian themed(go figure), and very heavy. I think you could make your own wall picture out of styrofoam and coat in cement possibly and get the same effect without having to heft it home. I really wanted to take a picture, but I don't think it was really allowed since they are practically following you around. Either hoping you buy something or so you don't touch and break something.
Then we embarked on an hour plus goose chase on several bus transfers to try and find a shopping place my mother-in-law remembered. It's not there, or we didn't find it. So we went to lunch. Got me some meat(lamb) on a stick and spicy starch stuff. Think cloudy white gelatin, made from starches and cut up like tofu cubes. Also some pickled peanuts and homemade noodles. Then we took a taxi back to the huge mall we went to before. We didn't have much time, but I did find a cute green hat for Wensen.
Friday we went to the supermarket to get some food. I am not a fan of the asian pear/apple pear. I like a normal pear and a normal apple, preferably northern spry. Tried on some pants to see if I could figure out what size I would be. Not helpful in the way I've got thighs and they do not. So yes I fit in the XXL size, but it was not pretty. I did see some elastic waist pants with wide legs(for old people), the sales girl shook her head no. Just because they would've fit(I didn't try), I don't want pants that badly. They have a lot of interesting looking chapsticks. One showed a picture of hyacinth, my favorite flower, unfortunately I it didn't smell like that at all upon buying.
Saturday had a higher high temp than Friday, but it did not reach it, so I froze when we went to the park. But the kids had a grand time, making friends. Normally I always tell the boys to play with kids their own size, but the first kids there where bigger. 2 boys and a girl and they were very sweet to the boys. My boys throwing their hats around. The big kids picking them up and dusting them off and sticking them back on their heads. 2 of the them ended up living in the building next to ours so they walked with us home. I was enjoying reading my own book, as they are pretty contained in this corner of a park. Ethan ran up to me saying even the adults are nice, someone gave him a wet wipe. Ah my children, messy. Later a little boy smaller than Aidan let him play with his shovel and pail in the sand. All the kids love to play in the sand, but it really grosses me out. I've seen kids pee in it. And before cat poop from the homeless animals. As soon as we get home, wash hands and use the nail brush.
Ethan for the past week has been complaining of a tummy ache. Normally he tells us after he's had 2 yogurt juice boxes, so I think it's drinking too much yogurt at once. Today Aidan also had a tummy ache. I don't know, it could be anything. Too much yogurt, hands in your mouth, the water, something you ate at school, gotta go, eating the seeds of the golden orange? Drink some tea.
This afternoon, a small stage was put up outside, sponsored by a kids clothing brand. It was for kids, they did some games, gave some prizes. Ethan was so brave to volunteer for a race, he won a bunny to paint. Aidan volunteered to do a crawl through a tube race and won the same. They painted them as soon as we got back. Ethan was gracious enough to let Wensen finish painting the rest of his. Aidan's looked like a 3 year old painted it. My mother-in-law washed his all off. Really, you don't destroy a kids art.
Speaking of art, so they send these worksheets home, sometimes to say they studied the difference between boy vs girl, so over it with your kids, sign it and make any comments on what they said when you looked at this sheet together. Or a picture of a hand that the kids colored then the parent is to sign and write how to keep the kids hands safe. Really? Some of it is real artwork like pasted flowers. I'm not signing it to send back, artwork goes on the fridge. My mother -in-law took it all down, you sign, send back. I said no, they only want to hold it until the end of the semester and send it all back at once. What will I do then, throw it away. I want to enjoy it, it goes on the fridge.
So I guess our school is well known. I was told a singers kid went there last year and now a kid of a Beijing soccer player. Huh. No wonder they are about the appearance. Everyday when we pick them up, Aidan is usually doing the potty dance, I immediately go for the nearest tree. I asked if they could have him go the bathroom before he puts his coat on. they say they do, but they drink so much water, 1 cup every 15 minutes.
