Fights & Food

So this guy....

He was quite the charmer. 

I got in the vehicle, gave him my piece of paper telling him where I live (because I STILL can't figure out how to say the words), and he madly started shaking his head while waving his hands to tell me no way. I get that a lot. It's a total boost to the self-esteem. To bad mister. I may be a white foreigner but I know the law and THIS law I'm choosing to enforce. Because I know it'll scare you into losing your job. I'm tired, my feet hurt, and I want to go home.

It is illegal in Shanghai (not China, just Shanghai) for a taxi driver to refuse you service. The trick? Don't tell him where you're wanting to go until you're in the car. Then, if he refuses, take a picture of his license and made it abundantly clear (aka grunting, gestures, and/or loud talking in whatever way seems to work) you are not moving and you have his picture. THEN, and this is extremely important, hold on and be prepared for some truly angry driving. Remember, I'm in Asia. Enough said.

Last night I made my first meal at home. I was pretty pleased. It was quite the feat finding the ingredients too. 

PB&J. 

I made it on a lid to a tupperware container I bought a while back. Because I haven't scootered (like that word?) the dishes I bought off a coworker over here yet. 

Seriously though, THIS is what I had to deal with. 

Every sauce, spread, and topping all lumped together. I pulled out my translator application which has yet to actually translate mandarin for me. Once again it didn't work. It's only worked for Spanish, which has also been helpful!

I nearly gave up in the jelly department deciding I'd just eat the bread plain and be done with it. Then I FINALLY spotted a tiny picture that looked like a pepper! Clearly that was not a good choice for me. But it gave me hope! Alas, the strawberries were spotted. 

This was after circling the store looking for toilet paper. I came up empty. The rolls that were in my apartment when I came had pictures of cats on them - because everyone knows you train cats to use TP. I'm guessing since China has this thing about not supplying TP in the bathroom that maybe the store by me doesn't sell TP and it only has what we would consider tissues. I saw some rolled TP at work today and nearly swiped it. Then I decided to be a good girl. Rats.

I guess tomorrow I'll head back to the store to get some tissue for TP until I figure out where to actually find toilet paper on rolls. 

Have I mentioned everything takes longer here?? Like E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.