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Hopefully over the next two years I'll be sharing some amazing stories and photos, from what I know is going to be a life-changing experience.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

But Isn't Everything Made In China???

One of the annoying things about China is how hard it is to find common items from back home. I understand things like baking powder (because the Chinese traditionally don't bake) but other things dumbfound me just a tad. Here's a list of things I've gone looking for and either had a really hard time finding, or haven't found at all....

-refrigerated milk. Milk is easy to find and cheap, it has just been stored at room temperature. Many even say "no need to refrigerate" which makes me wonder what they have added to it.
-index/cue cards - still on the hunt for - pretty sure I'm going to end up buying card stock and cutting it myself
-construction paper - the school has to order it from Canada
-a kitchen sink plug - I literally checked 6 or 7 places before I could find one
-cotton blend yarn that can be put in the washing machine (hand-wash wool is easy)
-tights with feet (you can find leggings or nylons)
-related, but sought out by a fellow teacher - baby onesies with feet
-terry cloth bathrobes (you want super fuzzy fleece? No problem)
-Christmas jewelry (was hoping it would be with the gaudy, glitzy, ugly Christmas decorations)
-3 ring binders - they have 2 ring, but even those are less common than other paper-holding devices
-postcards (that's why none of you have gotten one yet)

To be continued...

5 comments:

  1. Sara! It's so cool that you're in China. I hope you're having a fabulous time there! I haven't talked to you forever. I hope you are ok.

    When I got to the UK I had a hopeless time trying to find things I was used to. I managed, because the culture isn't so different, but it's frustrating not knowing where to go to get things.

    3-ring binders don't seem to exist here either...2-ring is very popular. The only good thing about not finding 3-ring binders, is that you won't find a 3-ring hole punch either. Just go for 2-ring and you'll be able to find a hole punch no problem!

    Ok, so tights. This is going to sound totally strange, but I will totally send you tights from the UK if you want! I am going to stock up before I go home as there's this cheap store, Primark, where you can get 3 pairs for 2.50GBP and they're decent! They're thick-ish (as in not see though), and don't get holes easy. If you want to give me the size (small, med, large) and colour you want, and your address, I will totally send you some! I wore tights every day at work, so I know how frustrating it is not to find some.

    So, now that I've left this strange comment, what are you doing over Christmas?

    Sarah (Collins) x

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  2. Thats sooo funny!! :) :) Non-refrigerated milk? Do Chinese people not drink milk as much as we do? Miss you girl! Hope you're enjoying every minute xox

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  3. This is very interesting to me! The kitchen plug is somewhat bizarre. I was thinking the lack of milk was too, but now I do remember hearing that Chinese people traditionally don't consume much dairy.

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  4. Ooooh, you should send me footless tights! =P I need some. But yea, those are very strange and frustrating things. And I've heard about the refrigerated milk thing before, it's strange...didn't Scott comment on that?

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  5. SV - what colour footless tights would you like? Everything, including gold lame is an option.
    SC - thanks for the offer! I have some more coming from home. Staying in Dalian for Christmas break, going to do some touristy things, and go see a Russian company do Swan Lake. Hoping to do something cool for winter/spring break, which is a month long.
    Jess/Tara - yeah, I really don't get the milk thing. It's not like it comes in giant containers and needs to stay good forever because it takes so long to drink it.

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