Leftovers

Sorry, nothing too exciting happened today.  Mondays and Thursdays are probably going to be lesser blogs this semester since I'm going to be at school all day and don't usually have my phone or time to think about using it.  But here are a few shots that I've been wanting to share that didn't fit elsewhere.

I ran some errands yesterday morning, one of which was picking up my laundry.  No one was at the counter when I arrived so I watched t.v. while I waited.  I haven't watched any significant amount of American t.v. for the past 15 years, so maybe it's equally strange to outsiders, but Chinese t.v. is totally bizarre to me.  I didn't even capture the craziest part of this show - I think maybe it's some kind of game show?  Everyone is super loud and melodramatic though and there are even louder sound effects every few seconds.  Total sensory overload.  Plus, what are they holding?  A 2-liter bottle of Coke and a trash bag and some kind of food item?  Why does the guy with the headband keep yelling?  At least it's not as bad as a show we saw last week.  The purpose of that show was for contestants to try to trick the audience into thinking they're the incorrect gender.  So they dress androgynously, and then have to do all these tasks - like folding laundry - so the audience can try to guess what they are.  (Because only women can fold laundry?  Have they met my friend Bobby?)  It's like "It's Pat!" all over again, except somehow more horrible.  I asked Carol, our cultural liaison, what these poor saps won if the audience was fooled.  Nothing.  Their only prize is the glory of knowing they tricked someone into thinking they were the opposite sex.  Wow. 

Another task I accomplished was to get a new light bulb for our fluorescent ceiling lights.  I really like these kinds of errands because most of my thinking time is spent in very focused concentration on lesson planning, and a task like this is much more freeing.  Basically I just took the information off the old light bulb and then wandered until I saw a store I thought might sell light bulbs, then went inside and did my usual hand-gesture-dance-routine until we reached an understanding.   Plus, I got to look at all these cool chandeliers.  There are a ton of these things in Macau - who has room for a chandelier in these tiny apartments?  Weird!  But I love them - I'm a huge sucker for crystal. 

In the evening I was walking to MamaCare, a grocery store/prenatal goods and toy store that I recently found out about. It's right next to where we catch the shuttle to school, but I'd never gone in because from the outside it looks tiny.  It's not.  And it's full of unusual treasures from the States - like Golden Grahams.  Yes, I got them and just finished a bowl.  On the way to MamaCare, I passed a construction site and saw this pink and purple backhoe.  Isn't it funny?  I mean I guess there's no reason they have to be yellow, but they almost always are back home.  Maybe this is a designer line.

And speaking of treats from the States, I finally found my one true love, Cook & Serve chocolate pudding.  Thank you, U.S. Mart for catering to my dire gelatin needs.