Yesterday I had another interesting experience. Go Figure!! I went to an antique market in downtown Puxi to browse and explore. The market is a group of streets (maybe more like alleys) that cross over each other. There are many small shops on both sides of the street and the shops extend out into the street displaying their merchandise on tables and in some cases on the ground. When I went "browsing" I was not aware that yesterday was a very important day for shop owners. It was the first shopping day after the Chinese New Year. I arrived at the market just as most of the shops were opening. The first shop owner said I was his first customer of the day and he would make me a good deal because I would bring him good luck. What? I did not understand what I had to do with his luck but...whatever!!! I told him I was just looking and went to the next shop. This time I went into the shop to "browse". The owner spoke English and again said I was his first customer and he would "make me a good deal" because I would bring him good luck. What??? I thought....wow...they all have the same "line". This shop owner tried very hard to sell me a set of small vases......saying that they were very rare and would sell other places for a very high price but he did not care about his profit today because I would bring him good luck. He was very very insistent....standing at the door so I could not leave...saying "I give you a very good deal today", "I want you to be happy". He also told me that he spent much money on fireworks during the Holiday so he would have good luck and all his luck for the year was dependant upon me!!! Yikes!!! That is a lot of pressure on a person who just wants to browse. After a long discussion about "browsing" and "yes the vases are very nice" and "I do not want to buy them today" (I had no clue if they were from the Ming Dynasty or if they were "Made in China" yesterday) I was finally able to leave his shop and lets just say he was not happy with me. I really did not want him to have bad luck for the year but I was JUST BROWSING!!! After I left his store I called our relocations friend and asked him...."What is up with the shop owners today?" He said they believe the first customer of the new year can bring them luck for the rest of the year ....so.... they really want to make a sale to that customer.....even if it is not profitable to them. He said...."don't buy anything if you don't want it BUT it is a great day to get a good deal". So.....I probably passed up a set of vases that could have been our retirement fund but ...... Who knew?? I left the market immediately and walked to Starbucks for refuge. I just did not want to feel responsible for how lucky or unlucky the year midht be!!! Too much pressure.

Today was a big success. I am learning to celebrate each little step as we continue our transition to a new culture and living in a big city. I hired a local university student for the next couple of months to help me with "stuff". She will be coming three days a week and I have lists of things that I need her help with. Her English name is Jane and she started today. She is a very lovely girl and very smart. She speaks Chinese, English, and German.....boy....do I feel like a slacker!!! She grew up in Shanghai and is in her last term of university. Her schedule is flexible because she will spend this term writing her exit paper. So....today the first thing we did was translate all the buttons on our TV and DVD remote controls, telephones, washer and dryer, and rice cooker. Oh my gosh!!! I am so happy. You can not believe how frustrating it is to try and run the washing machine, or change the DVD settings when all the instructions are in a different language. I am technically challenged in the first place and then when you add another language into the mix it is just impossible. AND now.....even though I am still technically challenged...at least I know where all of the buttons that I don't know how to use are located.

Two other big accomplishments for the day......I know how to mail a letter and a package through the China postal system AND I have new "local knowledge" about the fabric market and how it works. .......Small successes......big feeling of accomplishment!

The last part of my day was spent with our driver and Ayi scoping out yet another Supermarket. This market is called Metro and is a German owned store. You have to have a membership (sort of like Costco I guess) but in order to get a membership you have to show your passport (I never have it when I need it) and a letter from your "company". I am still not sure what the letter should say but they said it was required. Lucky for us.... they let me have a "visitor" pass because our driver had his membership card. So.....here we were....The driver that speaks Chinese and broken English, The Ayi that speaks English with a Filipino accent, and the Lady with the "visitors pass" that has no clue where to find anything. It could have been a scene from the three stooges. Delia wanted canned pineapple...King thought she said apples and could not figure out why she was looking in the canned food isle...and I was looking for corn chips and tortillas which are not common items in a Chinese market and therefore do not translate from English to Chinese. Then.....I was trying to explain to King how you eat corn chips and what you do with tortillas. It was all very comical. The good news.....we bought a lot of food so we will not have to go back any time soon. Maybe by then I can find out what the "letter" has to say so I can be an official "member".