Today, I ventured out into the city all on my own. I had things to buy. So buy I did.
I took the subway 11 stops to one of the malls. Although it's a small thing, I got no small amount of satisfaction out of successfully negotiating the entire trip there. Walking up to the Oriental Plaza station exit was thrilling!
And then I was in the mall. Oh, the mall. I would give my right arm for a Gap. The mall is filled with expensive, shi-shi stores. DKNY and French places I haven't even heard of. So even though they're Western, they're still filled to the brim with skinny pants in tiny sizes. Damn small women! Damn you all and your wholesale take-over of women's fashion!!! And damn you skinny pants! Only twigs look good in skinny pants and few of us are actually twigs! When will the skinny pant die?!
I left that mall and walked up the street to the other mall. (I went here ealier with a couple friends to have Pizza Hut -- yes, Pizza Hut. They are everywhere and it's pizza. Leave me alone.) In that mall is a Gap that says it will open in 2010 and be the Beijing Gap flagship. It's still closed. :-( I love the Gap, if only because their pants fit me, and in ankle I don't even have to hem them. But it was not to be. However, I did manage to find pants that fit at two different stores. The salesladies are very helpful -- almost to the point of annoying. But a good one will help you find what you need. They mostly pointed out the price to me (I got one pair of pants for 70% off, so they only cost $15, the other pair from Esprit cost more, but I decided I'd do a dollar cost average for the two), when what I really needed was size. The nice thing about Esprit is that they print about 5 different sizes on the tag, so I knew I was getting a size 12. Later, at another store, I pointed out the size I needed to the saleslady, and she was convinced that the 10 would fit (because maybe it was the same as one of the European sizes listed); lo and behold, nothing in the size 10 fit over my monster thighs.
I also rewarded myself with a coffee from Starbucks. I know, I know. But I find myself patronizing all the places I studiously avoiding in the U.S. because they are from home. If Stumptown were here, I'd go there, but if Stumptown were here, I'd probably end up avoiding them in the U.S., too. I saw one other Westerner in the mall -- until I went into the Starbucks. There were a good 15 of us in there. It was spooky. I inhaled the coffee aroma and left with my coffee. (It's not that you can't get coffee, but generally you can only get instant coffee, which is just sad.)
Then, I was off to find the World Market. I need things like oregano and canned tomato product. (As a good Italian-American, I can not live long without spaghetti. There is no ailment that spaghetti can not cure.) Except you can't find those things on my side of the city. You can find a few crappy jars of premade sauce, but I hate that sh*t.
I took the subway 11 stops to one of the malls. Although it's a small thing, I got no small amount of satisfaction out of successfully negotiating the entire trip there. Walking up to the Oriental Plaza station exit was thrilling!
And then I was in the mall. Oh, the mall. I would give my right arm for a Gap. The mall is filled with expensive, shi-shi stores. DKNY and French places I haven't even heard of. So even though they're Western, they're still filled to the brim with skinny pants in tiny sizes. Damn small women! Damn you all and your wholesale take-over of women's fashion!!! And damn you skinny pants! Only twigs look good in skinny pants and few of us are actually twigs! When will the skinny pant die?!
I left that mall and walked up the street to the other mall. (I went here ealier with a couple friends to have Pizza Hut -- yes, Pizza Hut. They are everywhere and it's pizza. Leave me alone.) In that mall is a Gap that says it will open in 2010 and be the Beijing Gap flagship. It's still closed. :-( I love the Gap, if only because their pants fit me, and in ankle I don't even have to hem them. But it was not to be. However, I did manage to find pants that fit at two different stores. The salesladies are very helpful -- almost to the point of annoying. But a good one will help you find what you need. They mostly pointed out the price to me (I got one pair of pants for 70% off, so they only cost $15, the other pair from Esprit cost more, but I decided I'd do a dollar cost average for the two), when what I really needed was size. The nice thing about Esprit is that they print about 5 different sizes on the tag, so I knew I was getting a size 12. Later, at another store, I pointed out the size I needed to the saleslady, and she was convinced that the 10 would fit (because maybe it was the same as one of the European sizes listed); lo and behold, nothing in the size 10 fit over my monster thighs.
I also rewarded myself with a coffee from Starbucks. I know, I know. But I find myself patronizing all the places I studiously avoiding in the U.S. because they are from home. If Stumptown were here, I'd go there, but if Stumptown were here, I'd probably end up avoiding them in the U.S., too. I saw one other Westerner in the mall -- until I went into the Starbucks. There were a good 15 of us in there. It was spooky. I inhaled the coffee aroma and left with my coffee. (It's not that you can't get coffee, but generally you can only get instant coffee, which is just sad.)
Then, I was off to find the World Market. I need things like oregano and canned tomato product. (As a good Italian-American, I can not live long without spaghetti. There is no ailment that spaghetti can not cure.) Except you can't find those things on my side of the city. You can find a few crappy jars of premade sauce, but I hate that sh*t.
I had done some research, and the World Market was three stops down and then around the block. Off I went -- only I never found the World Market. I found a half-empty mall that maybe once had a World Market, or had a World Market that was hiding, but that wasn't getting me any tomato paste. So I kept walking to the next subway stop and walked down to where the Jenny Lou's was supposed to be. I though the World Market would be closer and less scary to walk to (the Jenny Lou's is off the 3rd Ring Road), but it wasn't too bad. (On the way back to the subway, I saw that maybe there is even an underground tunnel to the mall where it's located -- maybe.)
And then I found it. Western food. Overpriced, Western food. The first thing I saw when I walked in was Pepperidge Farm cookies. I got some Milanos. Then I went upstairs and there was and entire aisle of tomato product! I got tomato paste and crushed tomatoes and chopped tomatoes. And oregano and thyme. And Parmesan cheese. Oh, Parmesan cheese. And crusty bread. And decaf coffee beans. And a giant box of Cheerios that cost WAY too much ($7 or so), but it was giant (well, giant for the land of teacups). I feel better knowing I have this food in my cupboard and can turn to it in a moment of distress.
Then, it was an easy, but long considering I was hauling around eight cans of tomatoes, trip back on the subway. The pasta and bread and greasy meat products I am consuming might conspire to make me fat, but I am definitely doing a lot more walking than I ever did in Cali.
And except for a bum who touched my arm briefly, it was a very benign trip.
And then I found it. Western food. Overpriced, Western food. The first thing I saw when I walked in was Pepperidge Farm cookies. I got some Milanos. Then I went upstairs and there was and entire aisle of tomato product! I got tomato paste and crushed tomatoes and chopped tomatoes. And oregano and thyme. And Parmesan cheese. Oh, Parmesan cheese. And crusty bread. And decaf coffee beans. And a giant box of Cheerios that cost WAY too much ($7 or so), but it was giant (well, giant for the land of teacups). I feel better knowing I have this food in my cupboard and can turn to it in a moment of distress.
Then, it was an easy, but long considering I was hauling around eight cans of tomatoes, trip back on the subway. The pasta and bread and greasy meat products I am consuming might conspire to make me fat, but I am definitely doing a lot more walking than I ever did in Cali.
And except for a bum who touched my arm briefly, it was a very benign trip.
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