Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Today's Snippets

---I had to go to the ATM today to get some money to pay my electric bill.  I've never actually gone to the ATM here before, I've always let my husband do it for me.  I don't know why I was so nervous about doing it.  As it was, I accidentally put in my VISA instead of my ATM card, and it took me a few tries before I realized I was using the wrong card.  Once I got that sorted out it worked okay.  Also, I was happy that english was offered without having to select it.  My chinese reading ability is poor.

--They bring our electric bills around once a month and glue them to our front gate.  Sometimes they glue it to the brick wall, or to the brick wall leading upstairs to the floors above us.  One time they glued it to the door of the utility closet in the back of our apartments.  So each month we have to really watch for it, and keep our eyes out for any notices posted on the bricks/gate/ or back door.  It's crazy.  And we don't really mail in our payment here.  We go over to the neighborhood grocery store and pay there.  Or we can drive to the actual electric company office and pay there.

--While I was out, I started getting hungry, so stopped for a quick bowl of spicy beef noodle soup.  Boy was it spicy!  While I was waiting, I saw a picture for a bowl of chinese dumpling soup, and wished I had ordered that instead.  Like I said, I don't read chinese very well, so I missed that on the sign that listed what they sell.  I followed that up with a chocolate drink.  I once got a sort of slushy mango drink, but I think now that the weather is turning cooler they have decided not to sell them for awhile.  Dang...I love those.  But I did order a cold chocolate drink.  I don't think there was any milk in it, but it was really good!

--There is a mentally challenged young woman who lives in my neighborhood.  Because I'm a foreigner, she has taken an interest in me, and will always say "Hallo!" when I go by.  I saw her at the store today, and she took a double take before she realized it was me and said "Hallo!"  Then when I got back to our neighborhood, there she was again.  We had a little bit longer of a conversation that time.  She sometimes walks around the neighborhood yelling and carrying on.  But she can have her lucid moments.

--I'm having to learn how to be nice when I write.  lol  I have had a few religious discussion on Facebook, and they often attack and say things in a very disrespectful way.  It's really good practice to help me to calm down, and not answer back in anger.  I"m still a work in progress, because I tend to have a sharp tongue (sharp typing fingers) and you can detect an "edge" to my words when I'm angry.  But I do believe you can teach an old dog new tricks.  :D

--Yesterday some girls from my neighborhood came over to practice English.  I had them help me make some oat bread.  They enjoyed learning, and the bread turned out good!

--The only thing I have to do today is hem my son's school pants.  He still wears his shorts to school, even in cool weather.  The Chinese are afraid of the cold, so they stare at him in shock when he walks by.  I realized today that I do the same thing when Chinese walk out in a jacket on a hot day.  :)

That's all for today's snippets.  :)

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