Being regular is pretty... regular.

Today was a day of sightseeing for me. I heard about this big market somewhere in town, so this is where i found myself heading after a couple of minutes walking. It seems like the community have made peace with this white face in their midst, though you can still feel people staring every so often. I have made it my task to greet those staring in a good Chinese "Ni hao" which means "how are you" and "I am good" at the same time, i think? But this is what i do! All you see then is a smile and some of them even greeting back with an english "Hallo" or "Hello". This is as far as our communication goes.

I have found that there is a cafeteria on campus and actually very close to my apartment. This has become my local eating place. But, today i was late for lunch and by the time i arrived they had already put all the food away and cleaned all the tables. Well, just another reason to venture into this city. Like i said Linfen is a great, big, polluted city! I have been told that for China it is one of the smaller cities and with a population of 400 000 people, this city is not really that small!! Still on my way towards the market i become really hungry. "Well, nothing as good as a street vendor" i think to myself!! The first vendor i see sells this strange kind of fruit on a skewer. Almost like an apple covered with candy, but the fruit are much smaller than an apple. I think the fruit on this skewer could have been figs. With some hand gestures me and the vendor communicate and the skewer gets sold for 1Yuan. With a smile and a Chinese "xie xie", "thank you" in English, i set off towards the market. Little did i think of the repercussions figs have on the body!!

I reached the market in good time only to find the biggest market/vendor/car repair/hairdresser/pet shop/etc. etc. place that you have ever seen! These people have their own type of Wal Mart(don't know the correct spelling) or for the South Africans, an OK or a Game! Did i mention on the way i stopped at another vendor for some spunge cake and something filled with cream? Walking through this market and admiring all the strange shops and all the rubbish that people sell and buy, i could feel something brewing in my stomach! Me, using a public toilet? Not a chance!!! It is here that i realise i am... well, you can't call it lost because i know i am in Linfen city. Maybe you could say that i just slightly lost my direction? Whatever works for you. But i knew that i needed to make my way home as quick as i can! Whatever was brewing in my stomach, parental guidance is advised.

How do you ask for directions in China if you don't know where you actually live? I don't have a mobile phone yet, and whom will i call? All this you can probably work on, but i think my biggest problem was the language barrier. It is like having this Great Big Wall of China right between me and all the local people. You can see the predicament! Walking from corner to corner, my stomach doing tumbles like a big load of washing. To think of it, it almost sounded like it as well. Eventually i found my way, and bargaining with my stomach to make it home. I reach home with sweat running down my face, and the rest is history. One thing you need to know in China, being regular is regular, so no worries! If you ever have any trouble, just have some candy covered figs.

(Linfen, Shanxi Province, China)