A day in the life...

Some days in China are rapturous. So full of joy and excitement that I know a little part of me will die when I have to leave.

Some days are not.

We had some errands to do: bank, groceries. Quick trip, no problem. Even took a cab to speed things up.

The cab driver was very friendly. In fact, he started giving us an impromptu Chinese lesson. Teaching me (o.k., mostly Matt) how to properly say "Haidian" because Matt had used the third tone instead of the second (?). Then we got a little vocabulary lesson and dutifully repeated the words back. I have to say that this friendly little gesture gets repeated with cab drivers often and would possibly be endearing if I really could remember anything they taught me. Most of the time it turns into me repeating what they say. Nodding, smiling. Forgetting. Happened again, today.

Finally...after ploughing through traffic...we arrived at the bank to make our transfer. A simple procedure, right? Take money from account A, convert it to US funds and transfer to account B. Turns out it's not so simple. I argued and argued and argued with three different bank workers trying to get this done. Apparently, there are more rules than I had thought. Like I can't take out money and give it to Matt to deposit in his account in the US. At least if they're looking.

It wouldn't be such a big deal if it wasn't an hour trip each way to get to the bank. We'll have to go back on Monday to make the transfer. Aargh.

Then to grocery shopping. There is a store here called Carrefour. It's a big chain from France and has a few foreign items. It's the closest place to get cheese and beef. Going there on Saturday is like Walmart on Christmas Eve and Black Friday...combined. No kidding. Every Saturday.

After we loaded our cart with cheese, bacon, other American stuff, we waited in line for a very very long time. When I neared the checkout stand I saw a sign that said, "5 items or less". The people in back of me also had lots of things in their cart, too. So we (me and the people in back of me) decided that we would go through anyway and hope for the best. I got an explanation in Chinese that I didn't really understand but assumed it was about the over-the-5-item-limit so I turned to the lady behind me--looking for solidarity and translation--and the cashier capitulated. Thankfully.

So, we went to get a cab. Somebody butted in front of me and took the cab. The next cab came and someone else went to get it. I put my hand on the door handle and scooted in while the other person "tsk"ed me. I told them I was waiting for the cab first.

Got in the cab and waited/waded through traffic. Then the cab driver pulled out a cigarette and lighted it. I hate hate hate that. I told him to stop smoking. He laughed at me. Until I pulled out my phone to call the cab company. He put the cigarette out and laughed again. After he dropped me off at home, he turned the cab around and drove away. He had his cigarette lighted and gave me a really dirty look.

I sound like a mean person. I have found, though, that if I don't stand up for myself, I'll never get a cab, I'll wait in line forever, and people in general will walk all over me. Not doing that. I hope that doesn't make me mean. Today was just one of those days.

Tomorrow I'm hoping for rapturous.