Finding the Market

Upon arrival in Beijing I am thankful to be connected to the internet.  Thank you very much Sto for making sure to do that right away...the internet is such a blessing when you don't know anyone and can't speak the language.  I've sent an email to my parents and even was able to get on Facebook and send out a quick message to let everyone know I made it safe!  Tried out my VPN and it is working too (yay!).  That means I can blog too!  So here it is.

Since I got to my room around 5:45 p.m. I knew I needed to stay up at least until 9:00 p.m. in order to try to get on Beijing time.  But what to do?  I decided to start by unpacking and organizing.  The person before me left a few hangers (praise!) and so I was able to start hanging up some clothes.  It made me feel better to start feeling like I 'live' here.  I was also able to take account of what needed to be bought and what was of highest priority.  Three things stuck out in my mind.  1)  My electronics don't plug in.  SHOOT!  I called and asked if I needed to buy adaptors before I got here, but everyone said no, you won't need any because your room is 'Americanized'.  Oops, guess that was a miscommunication (it happens...nothing you can do about it).  So anyways, if I'm going to be able to use the internet I am going to need to find an adaptor.  2)  Toilet Paper.  Bathrooms in China are 'interesting' but one thing is for sure, no bathroom has toilet paper...might as well invest in that early.  3)  Food.  Haven't eaten in awhile and my stomach is telling me it needs something...soon!

So I set out to find a market.  I'd heard through past friends of a place called Merry Mart that was nearby and would have everything I need.  So I made it my mission to find Merry Mart.  (Keep in mind I knew no one so this was a solo mission).  I set out on foot, very weary...hungry, and a little nervous...but most of all just excited to be here an experience China.  I thought it was pretty close so I started by kind of working my way out from the campus in little concentric circles (I'm thinking already this will make a good real life example for contours in my Calc III class).  Right away I noticed the vibrance of the Chinese.  So much life and electricity in the air.  It seemed as if ALL of the students were all out in the courtyard near the soccer field.  Everyone talking loudly and cheerily to each other.  Much different than American Universities with much smaller groups, many more 'loners' and much less joy then these Chinese students.

One other thing I noticed.  (I know I've said this before)...it is HOT!!!!  And HUMID!!!!  And SMOGGY!  Woah!  I am dripping sweat everywhere as I walk...the Chinese Summer is brutal.  But here is something I didn't expect, my little room (I'm not quite sure what to call where I live...it I guess is like an apartment...but not really...more like a hotel room...so I guess I'll call it my room) has Air Conditioning!!!!  Oh PTL!!!!  I never imagined I would have air conditioning...and for those of you that know me...I am one of the 'hottest' individuals on the face of the Earth (and I do mean that in every aspect of the word).  This little tiny air conditioner not only works...it works WELL!  Oh it is so glorious.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for the air conditioning...I am so incredibly grateful!

Woah, sorry for the sidenote...back to the story.  Walking...and it is HOT!  And...I really have no idea where I'm going.  But eventually I come across something I do recognize...the Olympic Rings.  Those of you that know me well know that I LOVE the Olympics and everything associated with it.  As a child I researched and read all about the past Olympic games that took place and watched as much footage of old Olympics as possible...for whatever reason it has always been of great interest to me.  And here I am, standing in front of one of the Olympic Buildings from the 2008 Olympics!!!  This particular building is right in the middle of campus and was home to the wrestling events from that Olympics...very cool!  Oh yeah, I might have forgot to mention...there are Chinese students and military instructors EVERYWHERE drilling.  They are on the soccer fields, in front of the Olympic building, drilling...marching...yelling...I think there is a big ceremony going on, and I think all of them have to participate in the drilling or Chinese Army...I could be wrong...but the Soccer Field is right outside my window, and they drill ALL day (not the same kids, but in shifts).  I almost feel like they are split up into groups based upon major and they drill with their major (well females and males drill differently)...but anyways, it is quite the site to see...and the noise always lets me know when I'm getting close to 'home' :-)

O.k. so I really didn't know where I was going...I started venturing further and further out.  Eventually I got to where I thought I was leaving campus and where I 'thought' the Merry Mart would be.  But I didn't want to go too far without knowing otherwise finding my way back in the dark might be a little more difficult than needed.  So I decided to ask.  (Well after I worked up some courage).  I asked a set of two college girls if they spoke English and one of them made a motion like 'maybe a little'.  I asked about the Merry Mart and she thought about it and then seemed to know what I was asking about.  She managed to give me some sort of motioning gestures that implied to me go out through the gate, to the left and then she said opposite.  Hmm?  Well, not sure what opposite means, but at least I understood the first part.

So I go out the gate past some nice military professionals who never seem to ask me where I'm going...(thankfully, because I would never know what they are asking for!).  Take a left (Mind you...this place is not nearly as close as I thought it was...so I'm skeptical I'm going to find it here) and then see a place for pedestrians to walk over the road...I'm thinking 'opposite' got it!  So I cross over and eventually see a sign for KFC!!  I know I must be close.  I get closer and enter the building and find tons of little department stores.  I see one selling phones and I stop to look at the prices...I briefly look at other stores with suitcases, shoes, etc...but my eyes are weary...my feet are tired, and my stomach is grumbly.  So I press on remembering my three goals; computer adaptor, toilet paper, food.  Computer adaptor is first on the list...I go to the phone shop for some reason thinking they might have one...I see nothing and have no way of saying 'Excuse me do you have an adaptor that will take American plug ins and allow them to be plugged into Chinese outlets?"  I can say 'excuse me' although I don't think I say it quite right and also 'how much is it?' Although they reply in Chinese and well...that's the end of that.

So anyways, no adaptor here...I keep going through what seems like a maze, up to the second level, up to a third level weaving in and out (how will I ever find my way back home...you all KNOW I'm directionally challenged!!!).  Eventually I come across a little electronics store...perfect!!!!  I look...and I do not find.  I find power strips so you can plug in multiple things to one outlet...but no adaptors...I find my exact same computer...and even think about asking to purchase just the computer cord...but you know...who knows with that, might end up purchasing a hard drive for all my broken mandarin is good for.  But no adaptor.  I do see a fan.  Not a fan of me...one that blows air around...the glorious kind that I keep in my office and home all the time because, remember I am the 'hottest' individual on the face of the earth.  I linger over the fans...I consider buying one...I pick one up...and decide, 'no' it is not on your list.  "Gary, do you really want to lug a huge fan all the way back to your apartment when you don't even no for sure how to get home?"  The answer was no...even though I told everyone the first thing I would buy over here was a fan...other priorities came up :-)

Onnward and upward...I reluctantly come to a place where I need to exit the building and enter another building.  By now I'm getting farther away from home and closer to being lost forever.  But I do it anyways, my stomach is growling and I haven't found any of my 3 necessities.  I go in and more department stores...of course there's a map...lets go look at it....ha...just kidding...no way I can read that.  O.k., up to floor #2...nothing...Up to floor #3 just for kicks and giggles...score!!!!  Here it is...a place that has food...I can smell the fish (it seems like every market here that has food smells like fish...and everyone knows my nose can smell fish from a mile away :-)  YAY!!!!!  Now, I just need to start looking.  Wow, this place is big.  Wow, there seems to be no ryhme or reason to where things are and WOW there are a ton of people talking very loudly in here (were pretty much the only things going through my head).  I'm not sure how this whole purchasing thing is going to go but one thing I do know is I want to try to have the least interaction possible and be able to by food (keep in mind...tired, hungry, sweaty...just want to get something quick and easy).  Everything is in aisles...tons and tons of fruits and vegetables but you have to get someone to weigh them for you and put a price on it before you go pay...no good.  Wait!  Here are some prepackaged bananas.  A set of 4 bananas with a price tag already on them...score!  Wait 12 dollars for 4 bananas?  Oh nevermind...12 RMB...that's less than 2 dollars...and these were HUGE bananas, so that's not too bad!  (It is going to take a while for my mind to switch over to thinking in terms of RMB).

O.k. food...check!  Two more items.  (The other reason I should note that there were only 3 items on my list is that they don't give you bags at these stores...you have to bring your own or carry everything...and since I didn't have any bags...about three items is all I could carry that long distance.  I go to look for the other two.  I see someone with toilet paper in their cart...I look around, nothing...nothing...nothing.  I look and look and look...nothing.  I'm so tired...I look more...nothing.  Then wait, there's an aisle here with utensils and stuff for eating and right next to it is something someone has just left there out of place, toilet paper!!!  I still have no idea where they keep the toilet paper, and hear it is a very hard find in China...but the G man upstairs must have placed this set of toilet paper right here for me...otherwise I'd still be there walking around aimlessly :-)

Item #2...check!!!!!  Feeling good now I'm off to look for that adaptor.  I find a place with TONS of power strips...but no adaptor...finally, I give up...I'm too tired.  I see hangers...hangers would be good...if I had more hangers I could maybe finish unpacking...I change item #3 on my list to hangers.  O.k. here we go, Bananas, Hangers, Toilet Paper...off to find the checkout line.  Woah...that was another process.  Here's a tip...when the Chinese signs say Exit in English, do not think that means that they are leading you to A) The place you actually exit or B) The checkout stand; because neither is true.  To the best of my knowledge they lead you to nowhere.  But eventually after circling and circling I find my way to the checkout line.  WOAH!  Imagine Costco on a BUSY day.  Woah!  People here buy just a few things at a time...so they go the store often.  And there are a TON of people that live here...so that makes for VERY busy checkout lines and markets.

O.k. no problem, get in line...wait your turn.  This is going well.  Get to the front of the line and hoping the transaction goes smoothly.  I put down my items, she rings them up.  All I have at this point in time is 100 note RMBS.  I've never used one so am unsure really what size of bills most places take.  I put down the three items and it rings up to something like 72 RMB, the checker asks me something and I hand her my 100 RMB note.  She looks and me and says something then pushes a few buttons and gives me my change and I am on my way.  (It wasn't until later that I figured out what she must have been saying.  They have a store 'discount' card that most of the Chinese folk have.  It is like your King Soopers or Safeway card.  She was asking if I had one or potentially if I wanted to buy one.  She must have known I looked 'rugged' and just gave me the discount anyways, even though I didn't have the card.  What a nice lady!  I hope to choose her line every time.)

Now here comes the hard part...finding my way back home.  Not going to lie...I'm more than a little nervous about this.  So I run through my checklist of 'why' I'll be o.k.  "Gary, you are a BIG guy, no one is going to try to rob you or harm you...you don't need to worry about safety so you have all the time in the world.  Gary, you took note of several landmarks on the way here...just find them and you will be able to get home.  Gary, it is very likely you will pass out from exhaustion or go blind before you get anywhere close to home...oops!  How'd that one slip in there!"O.k. I follow a maze of sorts and eventually find my way to a place where I can see the KFC sign!  Success!!!  That KFC cannot be mistaken...it is the direction I came in!  So I find the KFC, and then head on back out.  On my way back I come across several of what people have called 'street vendors'.  I am very  interested in trying their food soon (although many say it will make you sick...whatever, I see the Chinese devouring it!).  Eventually I get home to my little room.  I eat two bananas and hang up a few more clothes.  By this time it is 8:45 p.m. and I have decided...good enough!!  Time for bed.  Hopefully I won't wake up at 2;00 a.m.

Zaijian!
Gary