Not So Simple Tasks

Our apartment in Shanghai came equipped with a combo washer dryer. For those of you unfamiliar with this type of appliance, it is simply a machine designed to both wash and dry your clothes. Simple enough.

Washing clothes is easy enough, though the first time I washed a load, I had water everywhere. Someone had neglected to tighten the water supply line in the cupboard.

Drying clothes is a new challenge. First, you need to remember to turn the water supply off, otherwise, you end up washing your clothes again. I forgot to do that once and ended up with a hot wet mess. Even if done correctly, the clothes take forever to properly dry. There is no vent like with a dryer (I suppose that's impractical since it needs to hold water in order to wash), so clouds of steam come out the front. I find it easier to use a Chinese-style dryer, which is just a large drying rack you set out on the balcony. Thankfully, the apartment also came equipped with one. Hanging clothes out to dry is a very Chinese thing. Everywhere you go, you will see clothes hanging out of windows drying, either on lines or poles. I'll have to take a picture sometime.

These past two days have been cold and rainy. I did some wash yesterday and had to set up the drying rack in the bathroom in order to hang up clothes to dry. Today is the kind of grey, dreary day that compels you back to bed with a cup of hot tea and pastry. In fact, I just had a cup of hot tea and a pastry. Mugsy is curled in my lap. I gave him a bit of my pastry, which he ate with his usual relish.

I have a sweet tooth and cakes and sweet breads are a weakness. Unfortunately, there are good bakeries in abundance and the goods are fairly cheap (about 50-60 cents for a raisin bun or a pain au chocolat). Unfortunate in that this is easy temptation. Yesterday, I set out from the apartment to visit Bread Talk for some raisin buns. (I don't know why it's called 'Bread Talk'. I saw another place called 'Juice Talk'.) Bread Talk is located in a mall which is easily identified by a large glass globe.

Our apartment is near an intersection where 5 streets converge. Zhao Jia Bang Road is a main thoroughfare with several lanes of traffic. There is a overpass pedestrian walkway (where this picture was taken), which we use to get to the building with the big glass globe (we are situated kitty-corner from the globe). Of course I didn't take the simple way of getting to Bread Talk. I crossed the street from another direction and decided to cross again at another point and take the scenic route to this mall and to Bread Talk. Nearly an hour and what seemed to be several kilometers later, I was seriously lost. Thankfully taxis are plentiful and cheap. When I got tired of wandering in the drizzle and was ready for the comfort of Bread Talk, I hailed one and got a ride back home.

Once you get off the main streets and onto the smaller, quieter side streets, you can easily lose your way. I had a hard time pinpointing any landmarks. It's hard to memorize street and business names when they're in Chinese. (Did that character have a hat or a tail? Both?) I found a small market and bought some fruit. They spoke very little English and I speak very little Chinese. Along the streets are tiny shops, hardly bigger than a closet, each filled with merchandise for sale. Cell phone stall next to a shoe stall, next to one filled with socks next to one selling underwear. Almost anything you can imagine can be found. If it's not there, it's likely that the proprietors know where or who to go to. Lots of restaurants serving noodles and set dinners. Next time, when I have my dictionary, I plan to visit one of those places and have a meal.

I doubt I could find that little market again. I don't have their address and I couldn't find a street name nor did I remember to take my mini dictionary so I could ask for their address. Though I suppose that it isn't that big a deal that I won't likely be able to find that place again. Fruit stalls are plentiful.

For my next walk, I am going to try to find the church that I see from my balcony.