Chinese Malls Kick Ass!

Malls are alive and well in China. A friend of mine criticized me several years ago about me hanging out at the mall. But if you’ve lived through the glory days of the American shopping mall, and miss how they used to be, come to China. The malls here are thriving.

My family wasn’t wealthy by any means, but for me and my mom, one of my fondest memories is going with her to the mall Friday nights. I was an extremely unpopular teenager and very close to my mom. Sometimes we’d go to the mall and walk around together; other times we’d split up and arrange to meet later if there were things we wanted to look at the other wouldn’t be interested in. We frequently found stuff to buy; this was the 1980s/1990s. We had a bit of money then.

Why are American malls dying? PBS Newshour had an article about why malls were going down, and here were some of the reasons:

Stagnant income

Online shopping

Social media

The article closed saying consumers want experience. For malls to survive, there needs to be more than shopping.

Wanda Lugang shopping mall has five levels. Located near the Dianqian subway stop, it houses a horseback riding academy, an open-air Buddhist temple, a grocery store, and of course, McDonald’s. This rock-climbing wall was just one of several kid-friendly activities located there.

In contrast, China has gone through tremendous growth in the last 30-40 years. No matter how you feel about communism, consider that it has lifted millions of Chinese out of poverty. Many people have started their own businesses. And you have to live here to really see it, but culturally and politically, of the two countries, China appears to be kicking ass. I can count on the hands of both fingers the number of actual homeless people I’ve seen. This is in a country with a billion and a half people.

I love thrift shopping. I get so excited when I see a designer item in the thrifts or a consignment shop for cheap. I snagged an Emanuel Ungaro little black dress for $1.25 during a $5 bag sale at a church back home in Fort Wayne, many years ago.

Thrifts are all over the place in the United States, because people are struggling. With stagnant wages, people want the most for their money. That’s why discount stores like Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Family Dollar and Five Below thrive.

But the Chinese, who have been used to poverty for so long, are now more prosperous. They don’t want used stuff. I’ve only been to one thrift shop here in Beijing, China. I passed by one in Xiamen, but it looked disappointingly small. So I skipped it.

The malls here, on the other hand, are huge. Both in square footage and their impact.

Walk along the tree-lined path on the left of this photo to see the outdoor arena of Struggle Upwards, a riding school located at Wanda Lugang shopping mall. I was very impressed by this facility, which had a cafe, a small indoor arena, a large outdoor arena with retractible roof, equipment for rent, and enough stalls for 15 horses.

I’m working on a video on a handful of malls here in Xiamen. It’s not a big city by Chinese standards, but it’s a city I’ve come to love. But I went around some malls in Xiamen that I visit on a regular basis to get a few pictures. Bear in mind, the video will focus just on malls in Xiamen. It’s a great city, but small by Chinese standards. The malls, however, are mind-blowing.

Interior storefront of Struggle Upwards, a riding school located in Wanda Lugang shopping mall. It includes a cafe and seating area.

The Chinese seem to have the “experience” thing down. Yes, there are plenty of stores, both obsolete and famous. There are western brands and Chinese brands. Designer stores too. But they also have some “only in China” aspects that you wouldn’t see in American malls.

Main arena at Struggle Upwards. It doesn’t get really cold in Xiamen, and even on the coldest days, the weather is ideal for riding. The roof is retractable.

Baby spas, for example. Lots of sit-down restaurants; not necessarily fast-food joints. Movie theaters. Karaoke palaces. Go-kart arenas. One mall had a skating rink set up for about a month. It’s not uncommon for malls to use both indoor and outdoor areas for small children’s rides. There’s a trend I’ve seen here that I don’t necessarily approve of, and that’s animals as amusement. There are plenty of malls with pools, some six foot by six foot tanks, others are actual 20 foot by 20 foot wading pools filled with goldfish. Children can scoop them out, put them back in. There are also birdcages that children can walk around in trying to pet the birds. The animals’ behavior is telling. The fish will group in the middle of the tank/pool; the birds will roost at the highest perch.

One of the more disturbing aspects of children’s entertainment in China. To the left is a birdcage, the blue thing in the center is a large wading pool with goldfish. Children are allowed to interact with the animals, for a fee.

Probably the most jaw-dropping “experience” I saw at one mall was a riding academy. From the street on one side of the mall, it appeared to be on the top floor. However, the floor it was on was also street-level, with a few hundred meter walk to the street. Finding access to the stable within the mall itself was a bit of a mystery. The mall had plenty of escalators that seemed like they went up, but once you got to the next level, it was confusing how to get back down. Anyway, the riding academy was located on a floor of the mall where it was the only occupant, except for a small gym. The riding school had a storefront. You walked in the doors and were greeted by a desk on the right, and on the left was a café. The facility even had an actual indoor arena on the smallish side, and the main outside arena with a retractable roof. The stables seemed clean and comfortable.

An open-air temple between areas B5 and B6 of Wanda Lugang plaza.

I’ll talk more about this place later, but it didn’t make sense that in a busy part of the city, there was a horseback riding school at the mall.

But then, it DID make sense.

At this same mall was an actual Buddhist temple. It was near the airport, so it’s a bit hard to meditate with planes flying overhead once every five minutes or so. Wanda Lugang mall by far was the largest mall I’d ever seen in China.

The open-air temple. I sad a quick prayer between airliners coming in for a landing. This one is China Eastern.

There were two areas of this mall that had small children’s rides. One area had what looked like a Habitrail for kids, tubes to crawl into and slide down. A short walk away were huge slides. Tucked underneath was a giant sandbox.

So can malls in the United States become the magnet they used to be? I think so, but some creative thinking has to be done.

This little guy was brazenly scavaging the sidewalk for an early supper. Stopped me and some little kid in our tracks.

Obviously, what is the local market missing in terms of entertainment?

On Facebook, I’ve seen ideas to turn malls into retirement communities. It’s not a bad idea. People need places to live. You could refurbish the interior according to budget. I don’t mean making all the living facilities luxurious. You could have a few luxury apartments; they could be in one area, you could have a mid-range area, and you could have a budget option for seniors on a very limited income.

But this is a post for another time.

Just In Time

Here’s the Reader’s Digest Condensed Version of what I went through the week of July 21:

Had to get a stay permit because my work permit was taking longer than expected.

School refused to help with stay permit.

Couldn’t get the stay permit without a form and a letter frrom school.

School refused to help with stay permit–until police intervened.

Ended up getting stay permit 16 hours and 10 minutes before plane was to take off for Thailand.

Celebrated getting stay permit by going swimming in a cloudy pool.

I’m sick for the second time in three weeks–probably thanks to all the stress I had wondering if I would have to leave the country and for how long.

Lessons learned.

More details to come.

Worst week in China.

I’m Sick, Part Two

I got sick again, but considering what I’ve gone through in the past two weeks, it’s not very surprising. That story is coming soon, but I’m not ready to tell it yet.

Two weeks ago, I got sick. The week after that I was fine, but under a terrible amount of stress. Then, after the worst was over, I got sick again. I’m not sure if that was because of the swimming pool, or if there’s a nasty cold bug going around.

But this cold had an added bonus: my left eye was oozing pus.

Yesterday, about once every half hour or so, I’d feel there was something in my eye. Usually I get eyelashes in my eye. Whenever I’d go to check, it would be these globs of pus.

I had several hours of this, then it stopped. Then, the coughing started up again. The coughing was so bad, at one point, I threw up. It’s annoying, this coughing. This itchy, tickly feeling that makes me want to gargle with bleach to get the crap out of my throat.

So I changed the sheets on my bed.

I’m getting better, I can tell. My throat is just a little bit sore, I’m not coughing as much, I’m not sneezing as much, and my nose isn’t running. I still feel like the cold germs are there. I still have an annoying click when I swallow. I’ve barely eaten in the past three days.

But I probably shouldn’t have gone swimming in that cloudy pool.

Worst Week Ever So Far In China!

This has easily been the worst week of my life in China.

It’s not really over yet. But at least some, SOME of my worries have been taken care of. And I’m trying to look at the positives.

A great computer guy who speaks English who set me up with a newer iPhone (13) that is lightning fast compared to my Stone-age iPhone 6, which I bought from the same guy. The important apps seem to be working, and I can buy stuff from the Apple App store. I couldn’t remember my password, but somehow was able to reset it and the password. I THINK it’s okay. I was able to get Google Translate for my new phone, and I’m grateful for that.

I know, I know. After five and a half years here, my Chinese should be better.

But for reasons I don’t want to go into right now, my Chinese learning has been lax. My Spanish is a bit better. But not much.

More positives include a former colleague who is trying to explain Chinese culture and behavior to me during a week when no one wanted to be accountable—or to help.

Another friend is baffled by my situation and said he’d help. And he has already.

Understanding friends, both Chinese and foreigner, who are questioning the situation as well. Just the fact that they can’t quite believe what is going on is helpful to know.

I’ve also learned the importance of time the hard way, and the saying, “He who hesitates is lost.”

Stay tuned.

I’m Sick

I’m sick.

It’s just a cold. And usually, they are mild colds. But not in China.

They come on the same way they do when I was back home. My throat always feels scratchy. Usually a couple days of that, then either the coughing or the sneezing starts.

But I got lucky this time. I was off work, plus it was the weekend.

I don’t know why I’m so bothered by this. I think it might be because I have so much I want to get done this summer. I’m accomplishing stuff little by little, but in very small increments. I think that’s part of the reason why. I’m spreading myself among various projects.

And what are they?

Curating photos for PicFair.

Thinking about putting together a Patreon.

Editing my novel.

Putting up a website to promote my white paper services.

Cleaning my apartment and getting rid of stuff.

Getting ready to move.

I still have several weeks, but I feel overwhelmed.

But I need to relax, because things usually turn out. I get started on those projects and I get stuff done.

And maybe this was the universe’s way of saying, “slow down.”

I’ve had pneumonia before, so I’m taking it easy while I can.

The last time I was sick, it was awful. It was extremely hot, and I was feverish. Why didn’t I stay home?

Because when I’d gone to Hong Kong in 2023 to renew my visa, my pay was docked, even though my employers made the appointment for me to go, and knew I’d be gone. I’d called off work every day while I was in Hong Kong to tell them where I was and to let them know how things were going.

When I came back from Hong Kong, a couple weeks went by and I got sick.

I knew well enough not to ask for additional time off, but thankfully, there was one week where I didn’t have to teach any classes at all and I took advantage of that to rest.

That amount of docked pay came to nearly half my paycheck.

Why they couldn’t schedule me during the week when I didn’t have any classes scheduled, I have no idea.

I knew better than to ask.

Hey! Do you know what chicken feet taste like? I do! Check out the video I made about it here!

Pleased to Meetcha Part 2

Last week, I interviewed myself and also added some blog post links. This is a continuation of that interview.

Gloria: So how is life in China compared to the U.S.?

Gloria: Well, it’s affordable! I’m not making great money, but when I first got here, I was taking home maybe $1600 a month or so. And I had to borrow money to make rent. But I was able to pay back what I borrowed in a couple months. And my first year, I paid off four bills. I remember when I checked my email one Friday morning the first September I was there. I got a notice saying my bill was paid in full. That surprised me because I thought I’d be paying on it for another two years or so. I started crying. That gave me the motivation to push to pay off another three bills.

Of course, if you’re a native, you might not think China is affordable. So it’s relative. But I know where the middle class is. It’s in China. The malls are amazing. Huge, clean, brightly lit, pretty much all the storefronts are occupied. You see stores like Makeup Forever, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Guerlain. They even have a Crocs store here in Xiamen, which proves bad taste is universal.

Gloria: Is it safe?

Gloria: Yes. Totally. I walk at night and don’t worry. Yes, bad things happen, but it seems rare. No one has hassled me, or yelled at me to speak Chinese, or go home, or anything like that. I go out and about and I don’t have to worry about being gunned down. The last couple months before I moved here, I got super paranoid. If I went out in public, I asked myself what I would do if someone started shooting. I told myself I didn’t want to live that way. So when I got to China, even though I was running low on money, I felt a load of stress off my shoulders. Even without knowing the language or culture or customs, I felt a sense of relief.

Gloria: How is it living under… you know?

Gloria: I’m here to teach and not stir up shit. And honestly, it seems very capitalistic here. You see old people on the beach selling beach toys and kites. People are on the streets selling food or toys, or household goods, or something. People definitely seem about the money, and I was shocked at the number of stores here that sell cute little trinkets. The first time I saw a Bentley in the flesh it was in my first neighborhood here in Xiamen, and I didn’t live in a wealthy part of town, either. I lived within a half hour walking distance of a Ferrarri/Maserati dealership.

For me, I don’t have much to say about communism. I know some people have said it’s lifted them out of poverty. I feel it doesn’t really affect me in a positive or negative way. I’m somewhat concerned about politics in the U.S. People asked me who I was voting for in 2020. I’ll be vocal about U.S. politics, but I don’t talk about Chinese politics. I’m not educated enough about it, and as I said, I’m not here to stir up shit. I’m only one vote. But our system is set up so that if our elected officials make a mistake, we can vote them out.

Gloria: So the crime rate is low?

Gloria: I think it is, but again, maybe I’m just ignorant. But I know here I don’t have to worry about being yelled at because I don’t look like everyone else. I apologize for my bad Chinese and pull out my translation app and I get what I want, unless the store doesn’t sell it. I try to use my limited Chinese when I can. People here in Xiamen seem really laid-back. Not pretentious. Friendly. Like in the Midwest, where I’m from. That’s why I like Xiamen so much. Beijing people were nice, but formal. Guangzhou people seemed brusque, like New Yorkers. Like, I’d take a Didi (Chinese Uber) somewhere and when we got to my destination, I’d say “thank you” and the drivers would just grunt. Xiamen is the best. It’s a good size, but not a small town.

Gloria: What’s grocery shopping like?

Gloria: Not as convenient. But at the same time, I live within walking distance of three grocery stores and a handful of fruit/veggie stores. There are two convenience stores on my street. I get hamburger buns at the store around the corner. But I buy my beef at Metro on Xiamen island. Potato chips I get at Olé, also on the island. So it depends on what I want. The staples are close by, but some of the more western stuff involves taking the subway.

Gloria: How about banking?

Gloria: That can get a bit inconvenient too. But I’ve dealt with it. On days when I get paid, I take the majority of it out in cash, then deposit it to the account hooked up to WeChat. I hardly ever use cash to buy stuff. I did in Hong Kong, but only because I couldn’t use WeChat in Hong Kong. It’s sort of weird to be carrying around literally thousands of dollars before I deposit it.

Transferring money home varies between banks. One of my banks allows two wire transfers of $500 each home per month using only your passport. Other banks want six different documents if you want to send money home. But people have ways of getting around this, trust me.

Gloria: What are the really good things about China?

Gloria: They fill water bottles all the day to the top. There’s no little space at the top. So you get a full bottle of water. People are nice and laid-back. You could lay down for a nap in the park and no one is going to bother you. Food is literally everywhere. You’re very safe in China. The bus is maybe 14 cents, or 28 cents. The subway is cheap too. I usually spend $1.50 to get where I want to go. A $10 Didi ride is rare. Usually it’s cheaper. Vacations are frequent. Mid-Autumn festival in September; that’s usually a week off. If you work for a school, it’s great. Usually you get Christmas off and sometimes western New Year, which is January 1. This year I went to Zhongshan Road to celebrate, and I was floored to see thousands of people turn out for western New Year’s. I didn’t get home until 5 a.m. or so, because I could not get a Didi until 4:30. I walked for hours that night. Then for Spring Holiday, or Chinese New Year, it’s common for teachers to have like five weeks off. Then you have Tomb sweeping festival in April, Labor Day in May and that’s like five days, Dragon Boat in Jue, and then summer vacation, if you are a teacher. If not, your next vacation will be in September. I wish the U.S. had more holidays. I think people wouldn’t be so burnt out if we had more time off. The people here are healthier too. I hardly ever see anyone who is really, really fat. The fruit tastes good. I used to stick to veggies until I started eating fruit in China and couldn’t get over how good it was.

Gloria: Well, this is another long interview. Let’s sign off with some links from your blog.

Gloria: Roger that. Here you go!

Read part 1 of the interview here

My friend Robbie and former co-worker writes a blog too. He takes quotes from famous people and comments on them. Check out his guest post here

My first in-theater movie going experience in China was Barbie. Yes, it took me a little over four years to make it to a movie theater. Read about it here

The best teaching experience I had was in Guangzhou. I was invited to the graduation, which was bittersweet. Read about it here

If you’re in China, spas are great! Read about this one here

Wonder what chicken feet taste like? I tried them on camera the other day. Watch the video here

If you wonder what Trump’s balls taste like, check it out here

Pleased to Meetcha

I have some new readers so I decided I’d interview myself so they could get to know me.

Gloria: Can you tell me a little about yourself?

Gloria: Don’t you know me by now??? Geez!

Gloria: Your new readers don’t know! Give them something, at least!

Gloria: All right. I’m Gloria. I am from Indiana. I moved to China when I was 51, partially out of boredom; partly because I was tired of working anywhere from 2 to 8 jobs and getting nowhere.

Gloria: That’s better!

Gloria: You’re welcome. I have lived in China for a little over five years now, and I love it. The day to day stuff. Not the job stuff. Don’t ask me about that.

Gloria: Uh… okay. What else?

Gloria: I’ve been writing something since age seven. I’ve been a professional writer for over 30 years now. I do a lot of blogging, and I post weekly on LinkedIn, or I try to, and I have several pieces on Medium. One of my articles was published in Going for Broke: Living on the Edge in the World’s Richest Country last October. I was so proud of that.

Gloria: You should be! What do you do for fun in China?

Gloria: Depends on how I feel and the weather. Sometimes I go out exploring places I’ve never been to. I go for walks, I take pictures, lots of them. Thinking of selling them online. The malls here are amazing. Think of the American mall’s glory days in the 1980s and 1990s, and that’s what Chinese malls are like. They’re fabulous! Other times, I stay home and watch tons of YouTube. I’m trying to watch my money, and staying home is free.

Gloria: I thought YouTube and all them were banned.

Gloria: They are. But don’t believe the hype. You can get around that.

Gloria: Hmmmm…. So how’s the censorship in China?

Gloria: At my jobs, I’ve been told not to mention the three Ts: Tiananmen, Taiwan, and Tibet. I avoid stuff that criticizes the Chinese government. What was wild was that I taught The Handmaid’s Tale and Nineteen-Eighty Four here in China right about when the book banning in the US started up. It kind of made me wonder which country was “freer.”

Gloria: Inflation is bananas in the US. How is it in China?

Gloria: People will hate me for this, but I haven’t really noticed. I eat at Subway probably twice a week, and that runs me around $9 for what I get. Burger King is slightly more expensive. But Subway gets the majority of my fast food money. There’s a pizza place that probably runs me $12 for a 10-inch pepperoni pizza and a couple of Cokes. It’s hard to gage what my groceries cost because I don’t buy everything at one place.

Gloria: Why not?

Gloria: Because even though they have stores like Walmart and Sam’s Club, you can’t find everything in one place. It’s frustrating. Like, interesting lettuce I usually buy at Olé.

Gloria: “Interesting lettuce”?

Gloria: Yeah. If you want something other than iceberg or romaine, you have to buy it at Olé. Although I’ve discovered frillice and I can get that at Sungiven Foods, which is right outside my apartment gate. Olé also has my favorite potato chips too. That store is good for more western stuff. But it can get expensive. I buy my meat at Metro, and sometimes online. Turkey is impossible to get in the store. I have to order that online, same with cocktail sauce for shrimp.

I can walk to four grocery stores near my house, and there’s several stores that sell just fruit. There’s one store that sells veggies and meat; they usually have eggs too. I like that I can buy two eggs if that’s all I need. Sometimes if I buy 10 or a dozen, they go bad.

So I don’t know exactly what I spend on groceries. I’ve given up stocking up at Walmart. I used to go there all the time, but now I don’t. Like, today I bought probably two pounds of hamburger and two pounds of chicken, and it was around $20 or so. That will last me for several weeks, if not more. My appetite has been down.

Gloria: Speaking of appetite, tell the folks how much weight you’ve lost.

Gloria: Since arriving, I’ve lost probably 35 pounds. That’s 16 kilograms for those of you who aren’t American.

Gloria: That’s quite a bit. How’d you do it?

Gloria: There were lots of factors: several bouts of food poisoning, unfamiliar food, unrelenting heat, urban exploration, walking to the bus stop two times a day for five days a week. Plus, there are things you just can’t find here in terms of junk food. They have junk food and all, but I’m not interested in eating steak-flavored potato chips. Snack cakes are pretty limited to Moon Pies. Forget about getting Ho Ho’s here, or Cosmic Brownies.

Gloria: Do you miss those?

Gloria: Strangely, not really. Last summer I broke down and ordered some Hostess stuff, but I had to wait weeks for it. It was coming from Canada. And if I wanted something quicker, I’d still have to buy online. You cannot buy cake frosting at the stores here.

Gloria: WHAAAATTTTTT?

Gloria: Yeah. I had to order it online. Baopals. It’s like Taobao, but in English. It’s where I get my cocktail sauce. Because even though you can find five different brands of ketchup on the shelves, they won’t have cocktail sauce. I had to make my own with wasabi paste and ketchup, then a friend ordered horseradish paste for me. Then, I found out about Baopals.

So if people in the US wonder why they struggle so much with weight, it’s pretty simple. A huge, HUGE variety of all sorts of food that’s bad for you, and people don’t exercise. It’s not like I told myself, “Here in China I’m gonna lose a bunch of weight.” It just happened. The Chinese are not so much into sweet things. If the food is sweet, it’s usually not that sweet. On the other hand, the spicy food here is a bit too much for me. And I think there are additives in US food that don’t help either. Reduce your choices of food, and change your lifestyle so that you only work ONE job, and you don’t have a side hustle, walk for at least a half hour a day five days a week, and the weight just might come off.

Gloria: This is all pretty interesting, but I think we should save some questions for next week.

Gloria: As you wish. In the meantime, here are a few posts our readers might like to check out.

https://nowaylaowai.home.blog/2024/04/21/sams-club-on-a-saturday-afternoon-in-china/

Yes, they have Sam’s Club here. Don’t go on the weekend unless you enjoy shopping with thousands of people. I started to get anxious after just a few minutes.

https://nowaylaowai.home.blog/2024/01/21/shopping-for-makeup-isnt-fun-anymore/

Normally, I LOVE makeup. But this post explains why it isn’t so much fun to buy anymore.

https://nowaylaowai.home.blog/2021/12/29/commerce-as-art/

This Beijing mall was a combination of art museum and consumer mecca. Andy Warhol would approve.

I complain about a man, and talk about how picky I am when it comes to men.

https://nowaylaowai.home.blog/2019/03/28/the-journey-begins/

And if you want to know what prompted me to leave, this post tells you about it.

Turn to Face the Strange 2024

So I’m all sorts of feels right now. Not sure that I want to go into it though. But I’m happy that I’ll have some time off to get some things done.

I don’t like change. But change is happening. I just need some rest first. I should make a list. That helps me keep organized and productive. It’s very satisfying to me to cross things off.

Not the Heat, but the Humidity

But right now, I’m tired. The weather here isn’t helping. I feel I’m more sensitive to changes in the barometric pressure, and I can’t really control that. It’s near 100 percent humidity and around 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and I’m dripping sweat all the time. It seems to rain at least once a day now, and if it isn’t raining, it’s on the verge of raining. I don’t do well in situations like this. It’s been the dreariest, rainiest spring I’ve experienced in Xiamen. Last year, it seemed very hot and sunny starting in May. Now, it’s basically July. And it’s only been within the past few days that I’ve seen sun for any length of time.

All Sorts of Feels Right Now

So I’m very glad that school is over and I can sleep whenever I want/need to. I don’t think I’ll be doing that after I’ve rested for a few days. There’s a lot that I want to get done.

But I think for the next few days, I’m going to be kind to myself. I’m all sorts of feels right now. I’m sure I’ll feel better shortly.

Save Money with Plastic Lid Coasters!

I’ve discovered another money-saving tip. I never really used coasters before. I understand why you need them, but instead of going out and buying them, recently I’ve used the lids from ice cream containers as coasters. They sell little tubs of ice cream here that are the perfect size for dessert. I’ve discovered a brand that has the perfect flavor of chocolate. The lids even include a tiny plastic paddle, so they are perfect if you want to eat ice cream on the go.

Anyway, I noticed these are perfect for coasters. They are actually better than coasters, because the raised edge helps keep the condensation from spreading. If the lids seem plain or just tacky to use, you can probably paint/decorate them so they match. Get several the same size and then get creative. Pringles can lids would work.

Introducing Better than Coasters! Stick your drink on a plastic lid and use the condensation to water your plants!

I guess the reason I never bothered with coasters in the first place is because I just didn’t. The drinks never “sweated” so much that I felt like I needed it. Either that or the tables had enough polyurethane on them that I never bothered. Or I just wiped up the moisture. But with a hot apartment, ice cubes can melt in minutes. THAT’S how hot it is.

Yeah, but it’s a Wet Heat

It literally takes days for clothes to dry here. There aren’t any clothes dryers like you see in the United States. Most of the time I don’t miss them, but on a cold winter night, it would be nice to put my comforter in the dryer for a few minutes, then snuggle into it. I like a cold bedroom for sleeping, so most of the time it doesn’t bother me. But on those nights when my feet are miserably cold, I think about the heating pads and clothes dryers I took for granted back in the states.

But I’d love to have some dry heat right now. This eternal sauna situation is annoying and draining.

Goodbye, Hong Kong

Nathan Street, Marks and Spencer and a Taco Kit

My train didn’t leave Hong Kong until a bit after 6 p.m. My hostel allowed me to leave my bags there until I was ready to go. I spent time in the Nathan Street area, checking out a Marks and Spencer, and I found some last-minute food items I wanted to take with me, like a taco kit. You just can’t find them in the stores on the mainland.

I wanted to get to the train station with plenty of time. My friends that I stayed with nearly missed their plane back home. So I got to the station a bit on the early side, but it was nice to be near the gate, settled in with snacks (salty popcorn and a Coke) waiting for the train.

However…

Hello, Immigration Officer!

I was detained by customs. I had some momentary panic going on, as the immigration officer in Hong Kong claimed I didn’t come in on my passport. WHAT!? It’s the only one I have! Fortunately, I kept all my papers—train ticket receipts, the Macau slips (they don’t stamp your passport; they just give you these postage-stamp sized slips of paper) and I can’t remember all what else and handed them over. After a few nerve-wracking minutes, I was free to head back to the mainland.

I had a relaxing train ride back, and an entire day to relax before heading into the last few weeks before school ended. As tired as I was, I realized I should have planned a bit better before leaving, but lesson learned.

The Next Trip to Hong Kong

I was very happy to know I’d come back with about $200, which will make a nice start for the next trip to Hong Kong.

I had started a year of frugal living. For those of you new to the game, it was in April of last year that I didn’t realize that I wouldn’t be paid for summer vacation. So last summer was extremely lean. I tried to live on $10 a day (excluding rent) if I possibly could. A fellow former educator felt sorry for me and lent me some money. I needed to make my $2300 paycheck last until November. Fortunately, I agreed to take over a class for an instructor, so I would start working in September. That meant I would get paid in October. Before that, my classes wouldn’t start until October because the students have a month’s worth of military training before starting classes. So that meant I wouldn’t be paid until November. But I agreed to take over the class, so with that and the money from my friend, I was able to get by. I paid my friend back. I continued my frugal lifestyle, keeping an eye on my spending and figuring out how much I could spend until next payday. Some creditors at home were kind to me and let me suspend payments for a while. I really felt I needed to get some money ahead, and fortunately, I was able to do it.

Huge Paycut, but Free Rent

This upcoming year will be interesting though. I took a huge paycut, and time will tell if it was the right decision or not. But I tell myself it’s only a year. At least I’ll have free rent. But if things get lean, I have only myself to blame, and again, lesson learned. Having a job is better than not having one at all, so I will look at the bright side.

But if you’re interested in how I got by on around $10 a day in China for around three months, check out the link below. The posts should be in chronological order.

If you’re wondering why don’t I just pick up a side hustle, it’s illegal for foreigners. Plenty make extra coin through tutoring, but some have gotten into major trouble with doing that.

Anyway, with more vacation time coming up, I hope to post more frequently. I also have a YouTube channel. Nowaylaowai.

The $10 a day money diet (the start of it all) can be found here.

Other money saving tips can be found here, here, and here.

If you enjoy this blog and know of others who like travel and saving money, please spread the word! Thanks!

Hello, Facebook Friend!

How many times have you “met” new friends on Facebook but you’ve never met them in person? I’ve got hundreds, but one actually lives in Hong Kong and I got to meet her! She is in one of my Facebook groups and we friended each other. So that was really cool.

We met at my hotel, where she found me talking to a strange man she assumed was my husband. I told her no, it was just some random American asking me if I knew about the bus system in Hong Kong. I don’t. But we had a pleasant enough conversation, and I hoped the guy was able to get the right bus out to the airport. It’s about an hour away from the city, since they closed Kai Tak airport. Watch a great video of giant planes that flew so close to apartment buildings, passengers could see what people at home were watching here. The video features footage of several approaches (including an “oh my God I’m gonna shit myself” 90 degree angle turn at the Checkerboard) as well as what the approaching planes looked like from the street as they seemed to literally skim the tops of the apartment buildings. Not sure whose idea it was to build an airport in the CENTER OF THE DAMN CITY, but at least the residents don’t have to worry that their privacy is being invaded by a passing airliner. To say nothing of spending a split second in the shadow of an Airbus A320 as it prepares to land.

Cat Cafe

We set off to a Cat Café just up the street. I was talking a mile a minute as usual, and we walked right past it. But we finally found it and it was a very zen place. On the second floor, with tons of natural light flooding in. We could buy treats for the kitties. Some of them were wearing scarves that let us know if we could feed them or avoid. It was a very calm, quiet place.

We had a really nice conversation about a lot of different things and we parted ways, urging me to not give up on my dream of having a swimming pool.

Looks like the dress Roberta Glass wore to breakfast in Desperately Seeking Susan.

This is one place where I wished I could float like a drone.

After about 30 seconds, you start to feel claustrophobic.

I set off to find some thrift stores. It turns out that I’d discovered one last year but wasn’t sure what the name of it was. Turns out it was part of the chain of thrifts I was looking for and they had several locations.

I remember having beaded purses as a kid.

Little Dot Vintage and Mee and Gee

The day before, I’d found Little Dot Vintage, which was recommended in Vogue magazine. I was really tempted by the Barbie dolls. The shop owner had several from decades ago. But I was still watching my money really carefully. I’ve known for years anything I bought needs to be used up or shipped home. And I wasn’t sure if I’d have enough to go home, so I was trying to keep the tchotchkes to a minimum. Still, it was fun to see a store that had been featured in Vogue. The owner was kind enough to let me take pictures. I hope maybe in the future, I can actually buy something there.

Late to the show? See my first Hong Kong 2024 trip post here.

What did I write about last? Click here.