shopping like it's my job...
Every day when I leave our apartment (to go meet a friend, to volunteer at the consulate, to go eat lunch, to babysit, to do ANY number of things) the door man smiles big, tells me (in English) I look beautiful and then says: GO SHOPPING? I'm sure he's only got about 10 English phrases in his repertoire, so I get it, but every day- huge grin, GO SHOPPING?
I will never forget back in October we went to our first (and only so far) fancy diplomat reception at the Ringgold-Carroll house in DC. What will stay with me are not the chandeliers, not the beautiful treasures from around the world bequeathed by retired diplomats or the number of former ambassadors in attendance.
No, what I will remember was a passing comment that a retired female foreign service officer made. She politely asked me where I was assigned to go and after explaining that I'd be accompanying my husband (the FSO) to Shenyang, she said: "Well, that's nice. Every post needs to have a few people around that aren't stressed out and are there to just go shopping."
While shocked at the statement, I recovered nimbly and asked after her resume which she was glad to go on and on about anyways. Harumph.
Lately though, to my chagrin, I have been shopping like it's my job. My mandarin tutor took a couple days of leave which turned into him quitting the tutoring agency. So as I'm waiting to start up with someone new (at a new agency), I've found myself doing more and more shopping (mostly window shopping but have picked up some cheap treasures along the way too).
Shenyang is apparently known for it's shopping among the Chinese but I think that's more for the crazy huge mega-malls with luxury brands. Not the kind of shopping I've been doing.
While I don't want to be a wife that just shops (did I mention I got a job at the consulate and I'm waiting on my security clearance? yay!), there are some nice things about it. Shopping is a great activity to do with new friends. It gives you something to do (in China it's usually hunting for something in particular that is absolutely commonplace in america but scarcely found here) in between possible awkward pauses, and plenty of time to get to know one another along the way. Even if I don't have friends to go with, it gets me out into the host culture and makes me chat with Chinese people. It's also great to know what's locally available and can make life a little more colorful or fun.
My favorite place is hands down the flower market near Zhongshan park. It's within walking distance and makes for a great afternoon jaunt through the park ending at the flower market. It's probably got 20 shops of cut flowers on the first floor (typical roses, tulips, lilies but I also found ranunculus which I was very excited about). The second floor is more potted plants. Which I've bought a few of too. (what's supposed to be a peony plant-if our chinese serves us right, a mint plant and a little succulent garden- check out the diplogram for a few shots of those). Each time I go I leave with more than I can physically carry, and have needed to taxi home. It's small enough to conquer in an hour or so and hard to leave without a little something that brings life to you or someone else.
五爱-WuAi- translated the five loves, is several blocks of 5 story markets with literally anything and everything. Shoes, cell phone cases, bags, Chinese handicrafts, cleaning supplies, dishes, yarn, toys, you name it- it's probably somewhere in WuAi. Most likely, if you can buy it elsewhere in the city, you can buy cheaper at WuAi too. You just have to find it. You could literally spend weeks in there and I wonder if people haven't gotten lost and died there, as it's huge and overwhelming. Still my trip there was nice because it was with other women who are enjoying shenyang and love the adventure of life here. We also didn't try to explore the WHOLE complex just one building in search of a couple specific items with time to stop and buy other things that crossed our paths.
Then there's our grocery shopping. In China, it seems, at least for Westerners, you can never find everything you want at the same place. What's more, food spoils a little more quickly here so I find myself going to the grocery nearly every day I plan to cook or bake. These are times I cringe and nod in confession as I pass my doorman asking: GO SHOPPING? I feel as if I've been caught and I'm living out my fate as an expat wife.
But shopping at this pace is not a sustainable lifestyle for me. It's about 50/50 on whether I come home from shopping energized and having enjoyed some quirky character I met at the market or utterly defeated and wiped out and deplete of energy. Eventually I'll start work, and my language lessons will start back up. So I'm trying to hold my head high as I leave our apartment building and return with spoils. A friend of mine used to joke that, "women be shopping," and while my feminist sensibilities are inclined to take offense, it aptly describes what I've been up to lately. I might as well give in and enjoy it for a while and just GO SHOPPING?
I will never forget back in October we went to our first (and only so far) fancy diplomat reception at the Ringgold-Carroll house in DC. What will stay with me are not the chandeliers, not the beautiful treasures from around the world bequeathed by retired diplomats or the number of former ambassadors in attendance.
No, what I will remember was a passing comment that a retired female foreign service officer made. She politely asked me where I was assigned to go and after explaining that I'd be accompanying my husband (the FSO) to Shenyang, she said: "Well, that's nice. Every post needs to have a few people around that aren't stressed out and are there to just go shopping."
While shocked at the statement, I recovered nimbly and asked after her resume which she was glad to go on and on about anyways. Harumph.
 |
| tulips & lilies are staples in china- gorgeous! |
Shenyang is apparently known for it's shopping among the Chinese but I think that's more for the crazy huge mega-malls with luxury brands. Not the kind of shopping I've been doing.
While I don't want to be a wife that just shops (did I mention I got a job at the consulate and I'm waiting on my security clearance? yay!), there are some nice things about it. Shopping is a great activity to do with new friends. It gives you something to do (in China it's usually hunting for something in particular that is absolutely commonplace in america but scarcely found here) in between possible awkward pauses, and plenty of time to get to know one another along the way. Even if I don't have friends to go with, it gets me out into the host culture and makes me chat with Chinese people. It's also great to know what's locally available and can make life a little more colorful or fun.
 |
| just one of probably 20 stores in the flower market. LOVE |
五爱-WuAi- translated the five loves, is several blocks of 5 story markets with literally anything and everything. Shoes, cell phone cases, bags, Chinese handicrafts, cleaning supplies, dishes, yarn, toys, you name it- it's probably somewhere in WuAi. Most likely, if you can buy it elsewhere in the city, you can buy cheaper at WuAi too. You just have to find it. You could literally spend weeks in there and I wonder if people haven't gotten lost and died there, as it's huge and overwhelming. Still my trip there was nice because it was with other women who are enjoying shenyang and love the adventure of life here. We also didn't try to explore the WHOLE complex just one building in search of a couple specific items with time to stop and buy other things that crossed our paths.
 |
| bouquets of teddy bears are also for sale but the flowers are the best! |
Then there's our grocery shopping. In China, it seems, at least for Westerners, you can never find everything you want at the same place. What's more, food spoils a little more quickly here so I find myself going to the grocery nearly every day I plan to cook or bake. These are times I cringe and nod in confession as I pass my doorman asking: GO SHOPPING? I feel as if I've been caught and I'm living out my fate as an expat wife.
But shopping at this pace is not a sustainable lifestyle for me. It's about 50/50 on whether I come home from shopping energized and having enjoyed some quirky character I met at the market or utterly defeated and wiped out and deplete of energy. Eventually I'll start work, and my language lessons will start back up. So I'm trying to hold my head high as I leave our apartment building and return with spoils. A friend of mine used to joke that, "women be shopping," and while my feminist sensibilities are inclined to take offense, it aptly describes what I've been up to lately. I might as well give in and enjoy it for a while and just GO SHOPPING?
Comments
Post a Comment