Red Tape Adventures

my first shots of Shanghai.

yeah, they have a Best Buy, and stuff in there is so overpriced. and you're not allowed to shop in peace, because about 5 employees rush up to you and haggle you so you can barely decide which product you want before u even know what you're looking at. i ended up buying a cell phone for about $130 (but no contract) and hairdryer for about $20 at the Chinese counterpart of Best Buy, called Guo Mei. i liked the subway stations at first but it's pretty muggy down there and I have yet to actually find a seat instead of snuggling up to someone's armpits. it's been hot and muggy lately and i've been told the summer months are going to be sauna hell, minus the part where u can dip in a cool pool afterwards. i've developed allergies to almost everything outside and am constantly sneezing miserably. oh but the food has been good, i haven't gotten sick yet only b/c i've resisted the temptation to buy baozi and yummy smelling vendor food. i so want a hot steamy baozi in the morning.

i found a cool eatery inside the tech mall by our apartment. they have Yoshinoya there but since i've banned that from my meal list, i wasn't as jazzed as i would have been. i feasted on a bowl of roasted pork miso noodle soup yesterday that was really good but was sweating into my soup the whole time. there's a bread place by our house and i wasn't too impressed with the bread but do plan on stocking up just to have something quick to eat in the morning. dave took me to this grocery store in the subway which sells almost everything. fruit is expensive, they don't have lowfat milk, cereal is premium but vegies are cheap. at some point, i'd like to start cooking but am dreadful about encountering the cockroach dave saw in the kitchen. the current load of laundry has taken me more than 24 hours to do, and it's still wet. i dream of tossing the w/d out the 12th fl.

every stereotype is true here. people truly are rude, but probably not b/c they want to be but b/c it saves time. a taxi was stolen from me today while i stood in the pouring rain. the man smiled at me from the front seat as the taxi drove away, splashing me with the putrid puddle water. i wanted him to die. i asked about 10 pple where the police station was before arriving there only to wait over an hour for their lunch break to be over so i could apply for my resident permit. i decided to go inside a mall to pass the time. i was elated to find a key duplicator. when i got back to the police station, i was the first to arrive, and assumed i was first in line. nope, a lady who arrived a little after me, and a man who arrived much later stepped right in front and were assisted before i did. i became very angry and stood up and waited right behind the first lady. she sat up and offered me her seat as the cop went to photocopy her stuff. the man then took her seat after the cop ignored me and began to serve him. i finally handed him my documents only to be told i needed the lease agreement. i was tired, wet and cold, and suffering from my allergies. i was also full of rage. i called the landlord and asked her to email the lease agreement after trying to explain what it was. she said she couldn't get to it us until much later today. she also told me to purchase another keycard for $50, which i later learned was her responsibility. so i never did get my Resident permit. when i got home, the duplicate key to no surprise did not work. but at least i did not have to undergo another health check, although there were several health issues noted. my temperature was taken twice today at the health check and i'm afraid the thermometer has been re-used b/c it had no cover. the police are unbelievably rude. and if u ask a vendor for directions, they give u attitude b/c you did not buy something from them. people knock u with their umbrellas, so i decided to knock back. i was accosted by 3 pairs of Amway reps, one of which asked me why at my age i was not married yet and how her family would be on her case if she wasn't married at my age. i was humored by that. while i was walking down the street today, a lady grabbed onto my jacket and starting yanking and wouldn't let go as she said something about "auntie wouldn't lie to you!" i pulled back but she wouldn't let go. the taxi driver dropped me off on the wrong side of a busy road that you can't cross and wouldn't turn around but i was happy that the subway station that went underground let me get to the other side.

i don't understand these people. i don't like them. i always thought i was open minded enough to give them another chance but right now, i'm going thru the anti-mainstream culture, the first step of acculturation. i may stay at this step.

more to follow.. the biggest thing i've noticed is there is more red tape here than the Great Wall of china.