My Caichang

So, I thought that since I have run out of new things to tell you as life has fallen into a rhythm here, I would start telling you some of the daily life stuff that is different than the States. Well, I may NEVER run out of things to tell, but much of the newness for us has worn off. Many of you have also asked about just what a typical day or week is like so I will attempt to share some of this. . .  As I have stated before, I go to the grocery a whole lot more here. I have found that I usually go to the grocery store about twice a week and the fresh produce market about two or three times in a week. I love the caichang (fresh produce market)! You can buy so much there! I could buy a chicken (live) and have them kill it for me, buy fish from a tank, so many kinds of tofu, spices, and let's not forget the fruits and veggies. Now, I don't feel brave enough to go the live chicken route (or even buying fish), but I really enjoy buying spices, tofu, fruits and vegetables. This is also a great place to practice my Chinese. I have gotten to the point where I can ask for what I want (I know quite a few vegetables in Chinese), can ask for suggestions and can understand how much I have to pay. Yes! A victory for Sarah in the ongoing Chinese battle! I have a regular veggie lady that I go to - so much so that I sometimes come by myself and she always then asks where the kids are. ;-) But the differences don't stop here - then when you get the vegetables home, EVERYTHING is thoroughly washed (in soap). This helpful piece of advice has kept all of our stomachs behaving normally throughout the transition. Here I am washing xi lan hua.