We're going into Christmas week! Kids only get 2 days off that straddle the weekend so it'll be a four day weekend. There are many Christmas trees, poinsettias, & lights everywhere. So while Christmas is not a holiday here, they do embrace it and know that others do celebrate it and they make it festive. I was able to even find Christmas lights here (because we couldn't bring ours due to the different voltage)! Of course they are the epitome of 'Made in China' lights - cheap looking materials but really cool light effects (although one of the three sets of lights has already burned a hole through the switch - wonder if that was the cause of the strange smell we kept smelling - but thus my 'cheap' comment).
Shopping for Christmas gifts for the kids has been challenging. I can't just pop into to Target or Toys R Us or have Amazon deliver me something. Here the best deals are at markets. There are markets specializing in everything. I met a friend here who moved here at the same time I did and we have started exploring a new market each week and/or practicing returning to a market that we find. Sounds easy but most market locations don't have a website or anything so you have to hear about these from other people. Then I find out the cross streets, and then I whip out my iPhone's google maps and start walking and using the phone like a compass (and hoping China is in a good mood with Google and my location and the streets aren't off a few blocks). They do have malls here but you definitely pay more & the variety is limited. Most of the markets we've gone to are either underground or in a multi-floored warehouse building.
While on the topic of shopping, thought I'd give you an idea of prices of things. I've mentioned before US cereals and Pop Tarts are like $8-10 each. Campbell's soups are maybe $3-4. All those nice US brands are a hefty markup here. A taxi ride meter starts at little over $2 and then the rate is based on distance and time. Time...usually not a factor as they drive like they're in an Aston Marton from a Bond movie - even though it's a boring small sedan with manual transmission. A bus ride costs 2RMB one way (that's about 30 cents). The subway is about 4RMB one way. Shanghai is trying to reduce the number of cars on the road. To do that, they raised the price of vehicle license plates and make you go through an auction and the plates usually fetch about $8,000+ EACH plate. Yeah, so you really gotta wanna have that car and have the dough to back it up. Lastly, I heard that the cost of a ticket for a car for running a red light/speeding/etc, is 200RMB (a little over $30) for all violations. For a moped (lots of electric moped motorcycles here) that ticket is vastly reduced and I think it ends up being like $1.67. Basically no motivation for driving safely here.
Well, am trying to get some electronic Christmas cards out this week but regardless, safe holidays, a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!
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