Beijing China, Day 8 - The bad mall

I woke up early. Perfect. I can wash my sheets now and they should be dry by the evening. I only have one set. Rebecca (my roommate) forgot to take them out of the washer once and slept on the bare mattress. It is all from IKEA.

I started painting around 10. By 4 I needed to get out of the house ASAP. Huili recommended a mall nearby and I headed out by bus.

I walked into a museum thinking it’s the mall. I looked for the shops but couldn’t find them.

Someone directed me to the mall behind the museum. Trashy looking area. My neighborhood is a lot better and business are still settling in. I heard that unfortunately there was a quick turn around. They build a complex, another investor comes in, offers more money and they level everything to the ground to build a new one. That explains all the ruins I have been seeing around.

I walked around the mall. On the 1 and 2 floors are ‘regular’ clothes and the third ‘designer’ I hurried to get out.

I found a giant store for household stuff and was excited to browse.

I got flip flops, a towel, which I am going to cut up and use for painting rags. And a few other little things, I can’t help it, I know!

Then I walked into a furniture store thinking it is a grocery store. It was so large that I got lost and escaped through the emergency exit.

A woman with a little kid pointed me to the grocery store. No one speaks English of course, and my Chinese is ‘outstanding’.

The store was huge but there is better stuff in my neighborhood store. However, I found bread for the fist time! And saltine crackers! All local snacks are sweet, the saltines were foreign, just as me :) I also got some vodka drinks on sale so the trip was worth. Rebecca said she is taking me to a nice bar tomorrow. I am looking forward to it. I also signed up to go with her to a clothes auction this Saturday, then open studios.

I make it home without looking at directions one single time! I cross the highway (the road has 8 lanes! ), get on the bus and blend with the locals :)

and my dinner tonight