No Black Friday here

I have had so many people wish me a Happy Thanksgiving day that I thought perhaps the stores would have "day after" Thanksgiving sales here too.  So, last Friday I decided to go to the nearest western style shopping mall and check the sales.  It was a disappointing no sales day. Not even at the recently opened Gap. (It's American, come on!) I would think stores here would take any reason for a sale but perhaps "Thanksgiving Day" is not as widely known here as I thought.  I did over hear a conversation while I was out shopping that made me chuckle.  A man said to the woman carrying several large bags next to him: "下次你来不买衣服"（xiaci ni lai bu mai yifu) which means: "Next time you come, don't buy clothes"  Haha.  Must have been a husband and wife.  It felt good to hear it and understand it at the same time.  Many times I have to think about what was said before I can comprehend the meaning.  When it comes to shopping however, I can usually understand the conversation.  (Not really surprising that my best vocab. is about clothing.)  I am quite familiar with the terms: 好看(Hao kan)=looks good, 太小(tai xiao)=too small, 便宜(pian yi)=cheap, and of course you need to know how to say "too expensive!"=太贵(tai gui!)  Its funny how many other terms you can pick up just by listening and asking.  I've learned to ask people the names of things I don't know and then repeat it a couple times with their help.  It not only helps my pronunciation but it also helps me to remember it.  For any of you chinese learners that read my blog I encourage you to use any new words you learn immediately and frequently.  I live here and I still forget how to say stuff I've learned in the recent past.  The only way I keep it is if I take every opportunity to use it.  加油! (jia you)=Keep up the good effort!

Sleeping on the subway

Sometimes you just have to sneak a pic when its this good.  I only wish the quality was better.  Hope it gives you a little chuckle.

Is there a non-smoking section please?

The weather has turned chilly here and the air has cleared up quite a bit.  Before we left for America I was definitely feeling the effects of the air pollution.  When we came back it was hazy for another day or two but then we had a light rain, some wind, and everything cleared up.  Today there was a beautiful blue sky and crisp cold air that did not hurt to breathe in!  My only complaint (you probably guessed that I would have one, right?) is that it seems like more and more people are smoking now.  I'm not sure if its because it is colder or I am just now honing in on it, but everywhere I go someone is lighting up a cigarette.  The last couple of times I've been eating at a restaurant, the people sitting next to us have been smoking.   It just wrecks me.  At first I feel a little nauseous (great if you're in the middle of a meal) and then I start wheezing which eventually leads to me either asking them to stop smoking or I leave the restaurant.  Actually, a law was just passed recently banning people from smoking at indoor public places, but as usual no one cares about the law unless it gets enforced in some way.  As of yet, I have not seen more than a couple of people besides myself asking others to put out their cigarettes.  Maybe I can start a trend.... eh who am I kidding?  I'll just buy a mask for my nose and mouth.  It will be in style very soon with the days getting colder and colder. 

Home and back again (or vice versa)

I realize that it has been a few weeks since I last blogged and I apologize if anyone thought we might have dropped off the face of the earth or something like that.  As many of my readers already know, we went back home to California for a couple weeks.  Actually, it was a bit shy of two weeks.  It was very weird to be back.  I kept thinking I would wake up and be in our cold apartment in China instead of my cozy old bedroom at my parents house.  It's funny the things that I really appreciated about being back.  For one thing, I couldn't eat enough salads.  At almost every chance I got I ate a big green salad.  I also enjoyed the carpet at my parents home.  There is something so warm and comforting about carpet in a bedroom.  But the best part was just spending time doing not much of anything with my family and friends.  A couple of times I got a little irritated that Sam was sporting a slimmer version of himself while I was in search of some bigger sized jeans. (Why oh why am I the only one who goes to China and actually gains weight?)  Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  My hands and feet even went back to their normal totally unbloated state.   Sam on the otherhand had stomach problems every night.  I told him it was probably the jet lag but it seemed like every night he was up with heartburn.   It would appear that while my stomach feels best eating "American" food, Sam's has totally embraced Chinese food and was simply refusing to go back to what it once put up with. (Food-wise that is.) 
 
I was a little worried that upon returning to China I would: 1. forget all my chinese and 2. feel uncomfortable and lost like I did when we first came.  I'm happy to report that neither has occurred.  It felt really natural to hear Chinese and see characters everywhere.  And, unlike when we first arrived, we now have an apartment with a comfy bed to sleep in.  I also do not need to ask anyone to help me buy dishes, towels, or groceries. So it was almost like coming home from any other vacation..... Almost.