Today's Snapshots

I wish I could give you some real snapshots of my day today, but since I wasn't able to take any pictures, I hope you will enjoy the mental snapshots I give you.  At one point I almost pulled out my camera, but decided it wasn't an appropriate time.  Someday I'll get that shot for you.

I can't remember which blogger it was that asked me about squat toilets.  I went to one today that was a trench.  But actually, it was a nice one.  It had aluminum siding in the trench, and we still had individual stalls, so I didn't mind it.  But there wasn't a true flush mechanism in my stall, so I decided it wasn't appropriate to take pictures.  Also, the sound in that kind of bathroom travels, and I didn't want my stall neighbors hearing the click of the camera.  lol  Some day I'll get a picture of one that doesn't look too gross.

Speaking of toilets, I bumped in to someone today who needed to use one.  Actually, we had just both gotten off the bus, and I guess he really needed to go to the bathroom.  We both passed a large sign.  There was a narrow space between the sign and a post, so we were both trying to squeeze through.  Actually, I was the one trying to squeeze through.  He had decided to use that as a place to pee.  I was waiting for him to move so that I could go through the space.  He was just about to unzip his pants when he noticed I was still standing there.  lol  Then he moved forward so that I could pass.  I discreetly moved along without turning around....

I was with a woman who had two little girls with her.  They are from Montana where it is freezing cold this time of year.  She told me that right now it is -16 degrees farenheit in her town.  So they are used to the cold.  But they don't dress the children very warmly.  The kids don't seem to mind, but the chinese go crazy when they see how little these kids are wearing.  The chinese go to the opposite extreme and dress their kids in so many layers that they can barely walk.  Whenever I am with this family, I hear people all around me speaking in chinese, commenting on how little clothing the children are wearing.  Often they walk up and grab their hands to see if they are cold.  Today one of the little girls got hot and actually took off her coat while she was inside a store.  I saw a woman walking on the sidewalk  who stopped dead in her tracks and stood their gawking with her mouth open.  She was in utter disbelief that a little girl would not be wearing a coat in that weather.  Actually, I didn't think it was that cold either.  The high today was supposed to be 46 degrees farenheit.

Here is the part I don't understand:  The chinese get really upset if they see a child not dressed warmly.  In the case of the youngest of the little girls, she was dressed in pants, a sweater, and a jacket.  But there were a few inches at her ankles where some skin showed.  The chinese can't stand to see bare skin in the winter!  But they have a practice of allowing their little children to wear bare bottom pants.  There is a split in the crotch of the pants so that little kids can pee without pulling down their pants.  So which is worse; showing a few inches of ankle, or showing an entire bare bottom and genital area?  I just don't get it.

I had some time to kill before picking up some clothing that my friend ordered on tailor street, so I walked around window shopping.  It quickly turned in to a "grazing" fest for me.  First I had some small fried meat buns.  Wow they were good.  Then I had a bowl of wontons.  Oh my goodness I was in heaven.  Then I bought a fried bread with sweet sesame paste inside.  It was crispy and sweet, so delicious!  Then I ate some steamed pork buns that were so good and tender.  Then I meandered down another street and bought some coconut flavored cream puffs.  I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  I would have loved to stay there until dinner time and start eating all over again.  lol

Thanks for perusing my mental snapshot album.  Check in another day for the possibilty of seeing actual photos.  ;)