There is a Dunkin' Donuts around the corner from where we go to church, so we left the house a little early to enjoy some donuts for breakfast. We got really excited about the Lebron James poster on the front door. Anything familiar is comforting in such an unfamiliar place.
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| The family with their donuts :) |
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| Even Lebron eats donuts! |
I'm not sure why I've never blogged about this before, but it's definitely blog worthy. We go to church... in a bar. Yes, like a pub. It's a bar/restaurant area in the Holiday Inn. It has a stage, seating, a projector, a screen... and it's a place the government has approved for foreigners to meet on Sundays. So... we go to church in a bar. We take what we can get here. Sometimes we even play pool before or after. It's been a fun reminder of how we... as people... are the church. Not the building. Sunday, I took my parents to church... in a bar... in China.
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| Lunch after Church |
FASHION STREET
After church and lunch (a really great Chinese lunch, by the way), we headed to Tai Yuan Jie (Fashion Street). Fashion Street is a street full of shops, malls, vendors, and lots of people. As you are walking, there is a down escalator in the middle of the "sidewalk" that leads to an underground fashion street. There are tons of booths and vendors and you are usually able to bargain. This is also where I usually get my hair and nails done. This is one of my favorite places to shop. But, honestly... Sunday wasn't the best day to take my family. It was very crowded and a bit overstimulating for us all.
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| Wiped out... and we hadn't even started yet! |
We left feeling like we just needed to get out of there. These feelings are not unusual in such an overpopulated place. So, we left and tried to get a taxi... in the rain... for 20 minutes. This is one of the most frustrating challenges I have in China. Taxis turn you down because they don't want to "drive that far" or they "are not going that way" or they overcharge because everybody needs a ride in the rain.
So, after 20 minutes, we were wet. And I needed to strategize. I walked along the street, while the rest of my family walked several feet behind me on the sidewalk because taxis don't like to take more than 4 people. I finally stopped one and hopped in. Then came my mom... a few seconds later, my dad... and a few seconds later my sister and Emily. I could tell the taxi driver wasn't happy, but we did what we had to do! He made Emily get in the back and lay down and was very apprehensive about driving us.
THE TAILOR
We came home and ate dinner and then were excited about our appointment with the tailor. We had just bought new fabric and were hoping my mom could get something made before she left! So, we went over to a friend's house where several other ladies were waiting for the tailor to show up.
We were soaking wet after our 10 minute walk in the pouring rain. 5 minutes later... the tailor called... and cancelled.
Frustrating...
She said she would come the next morning... but we were leaving for the Great Wall, so I dropped off our fabric with a friend and she gave it to the tailor. My mom's clothes should be ready 3 days before she leaves!
A glimpse into everyday challenges in China.
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