This Little Lady Went to the Market

What do I spend my days doing?  I go to coffee, grocery shop, lunch with the ladies, maybe visit a garden, street shopping, take Mandarin lessons and visit the many kinds of markets in China.  When you see something you like, you can almost bet it was bought at a market.  I have been venturing out to as many different types of markets I can.  Markets are also the best places to hone your bargaining skills. 

Fruit and Vegetable Market: Check

This is probably one of my favorite places to visit.  I love all the fruit and vegetable stands, seeing the new items we don't have in the US.  I also buy my eggs here.  I enjoy the smile from my "egg man" when he sees me walking up.  My "veggie lady" is also very cute.  She always offers free green onions and cilantro and holds your bags for you until you done shopping.

Shanghai Fabric Market: Check

This is a dress I copied at the market.  I picked the fabric, left the dress with the shop and they copied the dress and sent it to me.  

A picture from inside the fabric market. It was four floors of little shops. There is also a fabric market here in Suzhou, but I have yet to make it there. Clif would like to have a few nice things made before we leave as well.

 Pearl Market: Check

I wasn't brave enough to bargain for any of the "best quality" fresh water pearl necklaces, so I stuck with the imperfect dyed pearls for my first trip.  There are pearl markets in many different cities.  I went to the Suzhou Pearl Market which was two building, three stories each.  You can buy premade items, have items copied, or design your own jewelry.  I enjoyed seeing all the different colored strands, choosing ones I liked and having them strung together.  Besides pearls you can find jade and other gems.

 

Flea Market: Check

I have been to flea markets in Suzhou and neighboring Wuxi.  I have also been to a "high class" flea market in Shanghai. In Suzhou the flea market was 7 buildings of multiple levels.  You can find nearly anything. The Wuxi flea market was more like a small village.  Just this past week I snagged a Mahjong set at the Shanghai market.  Now I just need someone to teach me how to play! 

This is the insert for the vase above.  While it doesn't appear to be hand painted, I found it to be a lovely addition to my empty cabinet in the living room.  Since this buy I have nearly filled the cabinet possibly signally an end for my need to shop. Other flea market purchases include rugs, bowls, onesies, air fresheners for the sometimes stinky floor drain in our kitchen, and of course some goodies to bring home!

Flower Market: Check

This past weekend we visited Shanghai.  One of our stops was the flower market.  While I didn't buy anything here, there were all kinds of plants and fresh cut flowers. This market was attached to an aquatic market filled with fish to purchase and the reason for our stop, a fishing supply store. Suzhou has what we call "Plant Street," but it really is just a plant market.


I have walked through a pet market, which is a sad sight.  Probably the only thing of interest in the pet market are the huge crickets in tiny cages. Evidently, cricket fighting is a past time in China.  I have never actually seen a cricket fight, but was curious about the sale of crickets after I saw them and did a little reading on-line. We tried to take a picture of them, but were shooed away and told no pictures.

Markets I have yet to visit include the copy markets, where you can buy all your fake Coach bags and Rolex watches, the science and technology market and the children's market.  I am sure there are many more I have yet to learn about!

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Some days things can get a little slow around here, so I decided to take you on a tour of our complex.  Plus it gave me the perfect excuse to check up on the caged pigeon I am so concerned about.

This is the main entrance.  Not the greatest photo, but this whole front is a water fountain that is occasionally turned on.

Our complex is called Marina Cove Garden, don't ask me how to say that in Chinese I have only taken two Mandarin lessons.  It is divided into blocks (or buildings) and offers a variety of floor plans. There are multiple gates from which you can enter, all are manned by security guards.  The building shown above houses a lounge, spa, restaurant and indoor pool.

Next, we have our building.  We live on the second floor.  There are two apartments per floor and we are currently the only ones living on our floor.

 Many of the trees and bushes are in bloom.  There are all kinds of flowering plants around the complex. It is also not uncommon to look out a window and see workers weeding the lawn by hand. 

There is a stream of sorts that flows through part of the complex.  It is full of different colored goldfish.










It is along this path where I also discovered the pet pigeon, or as someone suggested, a messenger pigeon.  I sneaked a picture of him.  I am pretty sure every time I walk by he calls to me free him. Poor guy.

May I interest you in a round of golf?
Short on time?
No worries, there are only two holes.

This may look like an innocent walk way, but just two days ago I met a women who has two small children.  On a windy day last weekend she was stopped on the bridge and let go of her stroller to say something to her other son, when a gust of wind tipped her stroller, baby included, in the pond.  Frightening.

We also have a ridiculously large outdoor pool.  I am told the Chinese are not much for swimming, so it is pretty wide open in the summer.  It seems as though I may regret the decision to not pack our Funoodles.  This pool is also a goldmine of confusing signs.  If you are a friend on Facebook you might already be aware that there is to be no slapsticking, ducking, duching, relying, or use of life-saving beds.

The building behind the pool houses a small gym, bad-mitten courts, fencing, yoga, spinning, and ping-pong.  On top of the building is a grilling patio.

This building is directly behind our block.  It has a small convenience store, basketball/tennis courts, billiards, indoor/outdoor play grounds, library (with only Chinese books), and what I believe to be a small theater where you can watch strange and/or outdated movies.

All-in-all it is a pretty nice place to live. There are walking path's all through the complex and lots of places to sit and relax should one choose.

It is also a very short walk to two international grocery stores, many restaurants, bakery, Starbucks and Cold Stone Creamery. Some day soon I will try the green tea ice cream!

Statue Saturation

If there is one thing China does well, it is fireworks. If there is second thing China does well, it is keeping artists employed. These are all located within a half mile or so from our home.

If your name is Uncle Jim and you still use dial-up internet....sorry....go brew some coffee, this will take you a while.