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.

Time to Say Goodbye

Cafe Circles, You Win Breakfast

After our day in Macau, we were ready for bed and relaxed a bit before hitting the hay.

For some reason, I woke up earlier the next morning. My friends had some issues with their ApplePay and decided to hit up an ATM. I mentioned regretting not being able to try the pool, but my friends suggested I go swimming anyway. It worked out perfectly. I got to try out both pools while they got ready to begin their day. On my way up from the pool they were going to the ATM, then get breakfast. They suggested I meet them down in Café Circles after I got ready.

One last breakfast. God, those patties were Heaven!

That was great. Everyone could do their own thing and then we could have another great breakfast. If every breakfast every day could be that great, I think I’d actually eat in the mornings. It might actually lure me out of bed without me having to have a job.

We headed back to the hotel room and started packing. I was sad at saying goodbye, but happy that I could spend more time in Hong Kong. My room wasn’t going to be nearly as luxurious that’s for sure. My friend said he would get back with me about reimbursing him. I said I really appreciated him inviting me along on the trip since they couldn’t come to Xiamen. We parted ways in front of the hotel, and I took the subway to my hostel.

I had to be careful to make sure the door shut tight, because the mattress overhung the doorframe.

Ashoka Hostel, in the Heart of Kowloon City

My new digs, Ashoka Hostel, are in the heart of Kowloon City. I love it because it’s close to pretty much everything. I wanted to check out some thrift stores. I was looking for some decent loafers or leather flats. Other than that, I really didn’t have an agenda.

Ashoka Hostel was a far cry from Nina Hotel. However, it’s exactly what I needed. Hong Kong is terribly expensive. It’s a beautiful city, however, and there are ways to get around expensive lodging, but it’s not for everyone. Because it was a holiday, I paid around $120 per night. Normally it goes for $44.

The hostel is staffed by very friendly people. One of them remembered me from last year, which was nice. It’s not glamorous by any means. But if you are looking for a clean private room with a bathroom, this is the place. If you’re anything like me, you just want a relatively clean place to sleep and shower. This time, my room didn’t have a mini fridge, but that was okay. I still had a fan and an air conditioner, and after I figured out how they worked, set my room to arctic. I was really tired when I got to my room even though it was early afternoon. I didn’t want to waste my vacation time with a nap, but I was soooooooo tired.

Michael, setting up his next song. It’s rough not having roadies.

Temple Street and Michael Jackson

The nap helped, so I decided to go to Temple Street. That’s a pedestrian street lined with shops, but the street itself is blocked off with several vendors selling all sorts of stuff. Jewelry, cell phone accessories, souvenirs, handbags, luggage, electric fans, artwork and toys. I stopped in at Temple Street Spicy Crab for dinner. I wandered the street afterward and happened upon a Michael Jackson impersonator.

My sleep shirts are literally falling apart. I went by a store that was selling giant t-shirts (think American size 3, 4, and 5XL for about $114 or $14.59 USD. I thought about it. I could always come back and get a shirt. I was still watching my money. I still hadn’t hit up the thrift shops yet and I was hoping for some bargains.

I walked down to Victoria Harbour and took pictures, but there was a mist in the air, and my photos weren’t as good as they could be. I bought some postcards and then returned to my tiny home.

Read the previous installment here.

Late to the party? Read the first installment here.

High Rolling Macau

I was a bit reluctant to share a hotel room and part of a vacation with a baby, but I got very lucky. She was probably the quietest baby I’d ever met. I actually slept well my first night there. We had plans to go to Macau, but thankfully my friends didn’t insist on taking off at the crack of dawn.

Best Breakfast Buffet EVER!

We checked out the Nina Hotel’s buffet, and that was the best breakfast buffet I’d had in years. It was absolutely phenomenal. Part of me wanted to just sit there the rest of the day, reading stuff online and eating the best sausage I’d ever had. It was scary good. Just like home.

Just a small selection of the many pastries Cafe Circles at Nina Hotel had. I loaded up on the croissants.

Fresh fruits and veggies. The pineapple was divine!

They had a mixture of eastern and western breakfast items.

In one of these glorious containers was the best breakfast sausage I’d ever had. Like, EVER had.

Before you have a heart attack at the prices, please remember these are *Hong Kong* dollars. There’s more than one type of dollar than the American dollar, but the dollar sign is basically the same everywhere. This came out to $21.49 in American dollars, but it was worth every penny. If the breakfast was this good, I wonder what dinner was like?

The buffet also had Asian food as well, a variety of fresh fruits and veggies, cereal, juice, pastries and eggs. They also had a contraption where you fed your rolls or croissants or whatever in, which heated them up, then after they reached the end of the conveyor, slid out. They were the perfect temperature and I’m going to see if I can buy one someday. I don’t care that this was a commercial grade machine. Watching the pastry move seamlessly to the back of the oven, then slide out was fun.

We took a short cab ride to the ferry where we would depart. Not surprisingly, the ferry was at a mall. We had some time to kill, so we walked around for a bit then stopped at a Starbucks before departing.

The ride on the ferry was pleasant enough. It was the fastest ferry I’d been on; I think it was powered by jet engines or something. There was plenty of legroom and wifi, so we chatted and kept an eye on people who got seasick.

We only had a day, and we pretty much knew what we wanted to do. But Macau was astonishing in the fact that even though it’s small, one day really isn’t enough. Not if you go to the mall.

Discount Jeff Bezos in Macau

I just wanted to be able to say I gambled in Macau. I really didn’t care what casino we went to. We got in line for a taxi and saw discount Jeff Bezos. That’s one thing I noticed about Hong Kong and Macau. You line up for taxis; there’s no free for all. Made it a little difficult if you are the impatient type. And while standing in line, one of my friends saw young women elbow an elderly man out of the way to get a taxi. I didn’t see what was going on, but I imagined these young girls as being rich and obnoxious for some reason. There’s no excuse to elbow anyone out of the way for a taxi, especially an older fellow.

We went to The Venetian. However, once we got inside, it seemed that we’d suddenly been transported to Europe. When one of my friends got a map, we realized four hotels were bonded together under one roof, along with some casinos. I never really got to see what I imagined Macau to be like because you could easily spend a week inside the malls. I think we walked around five miles that day, just checking out the shops and looking for a place to eat.

Even Dollar Store Bezos has to wait in line for a taxi, just like the peasants do.

Nobody wanted Asian food. My friend went to check out the prices at a restaurant while we waited. He returned and said we had two choices: Gordon Ramsey’s, which was expensive, and The Cheesecake Factory. So we picked Cheesecake Factory (so sue us; we’re American) and settled in with some drinks. The food was fine and we set off for a casino.

I See London, or France…

The facilities were huge. The architecture matched. You could look out an observation deck and swear you were in London or France. Inside the mall, people in British period costumes and uniforms strolled around. Appropriate, since we were at The Londoner. We looked around some more and finally settled on a casino. The mall may be dead in America, but in China, Hong Kong and Macau, they are beyond anything that any U.S. mall was in the 1980s. It was mind-blowing.

I think this was in Hong Kong. It’s one booth in a salon, that was actually next to another salon.

Since when do malls have ceilings like this? This one in Macau did.

The fountain in front of the “more affordable” casino.

Since only two of us wanted to gamble, mom and the baby agreed to wait for us and walked around near the casino entrance. My friend just wanted to put $20 or so on a roulette table. I wanted to play video poker. Alas, the odds were not in our favor. The minimums were way too high, and the first casino didn’t have a roulette table staffed by a human. They were all automated.

“Slightly” More Affordable Minimums

We found another casino with slightly more affordable minimums, but the lone roulette table with a human had a minimum of $100. They didn’t have video poker but they did have 20 cent slots. Still, I was confused. I hated slots anyway, but I couldn’t figure this machine out. Rather than burn through the $20 HKD, I took my $12 and change and cashed out. My friend was pissed not just because of the roulette table thing, but while I was in the bathroom, he decided to get some video footage of the gaming floor. He was promptly asked to delete it by a security guard. This really set my friend off. I teased him about it the rest of the day. But it really was ridiculous. Did he really think my friend was a spy?

By this time, it was getting later and so we headed back to the ferry to get back to Hong Kong. I hoped it wouldn’t be my last trip to Macau. It’s definitely a high roller’s paradise. Should you be so lucky to win in the casinos, there were plenty of expensive stores to take your winnings. I want to come back someday and wander around the streets and see the mixture of Portuguese and Chinese that makes up Macau.

Late to the party? Read the previous installment here.

I also want to thank my followers! It means a lot that you take time out to give my ramblings a look see!

Heading to Hong Kong!

Next Time, I Won’t Ask

I’ll be honest—I tried to finagle a couple extra days on my vacation. I don’t work Mondays. With that in mind, I thought it wouldn’t be a problem to ask for Tuesday off, and reschedule my classes. That way, I could leave late Sunday or maybe early Monday and have some extra time to spend with my friends.

Work said no.

A Case of Vacationitis

I was PISSED. A couple friends told me to fake sick, and I wrote about this for LinkedIn, but I was a good girl and went to work. I figured since I had afternoon and evening classes, there would be at least 10 students calling off. I was wrong. Fourteen students said they had “vacationitis.” I feel it’s ill-advised to not cancel afternoon/evening classes the night before a five day weekend, but what I do know, right? So I taught class.

The next morning, I had plenty of time to have a leisurely lunch and get to the train station. Despite the weather, I was happy. This was literally the first vacation in China I’d had that I was traveling. Going by train in China is very relaxing. I had plenty to read, I napped a little, and watched the countryside speed by at nearly 200 kilometers per hour.

I even got my swim on! But I didn’t go over the edge, this is just an optical illusion.

Cash Only, Please

Not getting a day off meant I wouldn’t have much time to spend with my friends. This was a tragedy, because they were some of the nicest people I’d ever met, and their little girl was perfectly behaved.

I knew where they were staying, but my phone was acting up. Depending on where I am and time of day, I can’t pick up a signal. The subway line serving the West Kowloon train station had a stop a few steps away from my friend’s hotel. Score! I could avoid having a steep taxi fee. Because I’m not a citizen, my WeChat pay doesn’t work in China. It’s cash or credit card only. Several kind subway employees guided me toward a ticket machine that took cash.

I got on a car and took a short ride to the stop near the Nina Hotel. Thankfully, my phone was working so I was able to tell my friend I’d arrived. He agreed to come and meet me, which was helpful. For some reason, I always get lost in Hong Kong. I have a navigation app, but I still get messed up.

Outback Steakhouse, We Meet Again!

We eventually found each other and went to the hotel room where I met his wife and little girl. They had upgraded earlier that morning so that I had my own bed, and I was humbled they were willing to do that. It was also nice to spend a couple nights in a really nice hotel room. The bathroom had an unusual design that I was familiar with. The shower stall was clear glass looking out into the room, necessitating a second shower curtain.

Hong Kong is a bit more western than the mainland, so we descended on Outback Steakhouse, a restaurant I hadn’t eaten at in nearly a year.

How Now, Brown Macau?

The conversation flowed (and the drinks helped too) and we ended up closing the place. We walked back to the hotel, with casual plans for visiting Macau to get our gamble on the next day. My friends were disappointed I couldn’t do Disney Hong Kong with them, but maybe someday.

So what happened in Macau? Well, I thought I saw a very famous person. Who was it?

Well, you’ll just have to tune in next week!

P.S. Late to the party? Read part one here.

Three Adults and a Baby

Who would willingly share a hotel room with two strangers and their baby?

Me.

Make Friends with WeChat!

To be honest, one of the strangers wasn’t all that strange. I met him in a WeChat group five years ago. He really wanted to come and teach in China, and I was already here, so we would chat every so often. I’d tell him stories about my job and what it was like to live here.

Then, the pandemic hit.

We kept talking. I encouraged him to try and come when the all-clear went out. I love living in China. Not all of it is perfect, but I enjoy a LOT of things about being here.

Finally, last summer, he was able to come over with his wife and baby daughter.

After a few weeks of filling in at his school, he got a class of his own.

And within the week, he lost his job. He never saw it coming.

I’d told him a lot of stuff that had been happening with me. He wasn’t sure any of that would happen to him, but that sounded familiar too. I never ever DREAMED that the nonsense I’ve been through would happen, yet here I am.

But I offered my sympathy. The experience hasn’t deterred him, but it’s something he never thought would happen.

Come to Xiamen and Teach!

Anyway, his original goal was to come to Xiamen and teach. The school closed, so he had to go somewhere else. This May holiday, also known as International Labor Day, he was going to come to Xiamen and check it out. But financial worries made a trip to Xiamen a budget buster.

So he invited me to join him and his family in Hong Kong.

That floored me. We’d never met in person, just chatting via WeChat, and he invited me to come along. I was honored and thrilled.

A Couple Nights in Hong Kong

I’ve got financial worries too. But splitting the cost for a couple nights in Hong Kong made the prospect irresistible. And this was literally the first time I took a trip during a holiday in China. Every other vacation I’ve spent at home because I was broke. The bus trip to Foshan I took a few years ago was sponsored by the school I worked for. And grades were due that same weekend (WTF?) so I didn’t really consider it a mini-vacation. Not when we had to work. I didn’t care. I wasn’t about to work. My grades were turned in late, but they got in. I absolutely REFUSED to work on a school-sponsored trip. And before you grill me about my work “ethic” I’ve come in to work plenty of times when I was sick—viruses, colds, and infections with pains so bad I thought I would faint. (When your body is trying to get rid of a fibroid tumor that is breaking up, and you’re not dialated, it fucking HURTS.) But I came into work anyway, so shut up.

And I’d been saving for Hong Kong ever since I got back from my first trip to Hong Kong. So maybe it wouldn’t be luxurious, but even budget Hong Kong, staying in a tiny room for a couple days, walking around taking pictures, is enough for me. So I said I’d love to come.

I wasn’t worried about the adults, but a baby? I’ve got troubles sleeping at the best of times. I didn’t know how it would be with a baby.

But it turns out this is the best baby in the world. My friends are truly blessed.

So what all did we do? You’re going to have to tune in next week!

Lots to Write About!

So I had a great trip to Hong Kong. There’s different aspects of the trip I want to write about.

There’s also a business I would like to highlight here in Xiamen.

Because I went away on a trip for the first time in a long time, I couldn’t use my vacation time to stay ahead on my job, so I’m trying to get caught up. But I will have lots of words and pictures about the Hong Kong and Macau trip.

I also want to talk about one of the most unusual and cozy hotels I’ve ever visited.

I’ve also got other stuff going on that I don’t want to discuss right now. I could be headed for another huge change in my life, or more of the same.

Stay tuned.