Today was the very necessary shopping day. Forecast was rain and thunder so a day indoors was just what we needed - problem being this turned out to be the only all day dry day we've seen.
Away we went to Beijing Lu where people have been shopping for the last 1000 years. When they were building the current setup they found old archaeology and in the middle of the pedestrianised street is large glass windows showing the old road and edges of shops and houses. The modern shops are pretty good too. Very good quality and reasonable prices, sort of shopping in M&S at Asda prices. Naturally in Chinese style and Chinese sizes. But we did manage some brilliant buys and the first ever clothes shop for mum in China. Not even Beijing managed to produce a garment to fit me, but here I had a choice of three. Boutique prices, but still a lovely surprise and something I really liked. Bit disappointed with the book shops as they had nothing bi-lingual and no replicas of old propaganda posters which I was hunting for.
Later in the afternoon I started packing. It is like putting half dry washing into a bag. Even cardboard is soft and moist in the shop packaging. The humidity is really high, nothing dries in the room and Glo's rain drenched socks from three days ago are still wet. Putting on damp clothes in the morning is no fun, but on the plus side I have not used our travel iron once as hanging clothes out for couple of hours sort of steams all the creases out.
This time we are looking out to a residential block of flats and people there hang their clothes out to the balcony and for good days they have strung out some extra long poles out of the balcony too. Lot of the cheaper clothes are man made materials and I keep wondering how dreadful they must feel against the skin. Fungus and mould grow very well, in Wuchuan even down the bedroom wall. It must be really difficult to keep the place clean.
Everywhere you see an army of cleaners hard at work. China is in a way the cleanest place on earth, on the other hand they have the "squatty potty" system designed to drive any human insane. I can use it fine, I just do not like standing in the pee dangling my daughter over the hole. When we arrive to Hong Kong tomorrow I hope to leave the last one in the train....till the next trip.
Glo's picture from earlier town
Guard Cleaning In-Street Screen
Street
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