A Day in Anshan

Taian is too crowded to be considered the country but too small to be a city. I often bemoan the fact that living in Taian is like living in a city without the conveniences of the city. For this reason, I had to make another trip into Anshan. A representative of the school met me at the bus station to help me complete my errands. Her name English name is Fairy (or at least that’s how she says it—I have never seen it written).

Fairy and I have met on several occasions and I was glad to have her with me because she speaks English well and one of the things I wanted to do was get my hair trimmed. I could do this in Taian but I was very nervous about it since my hair is different from the hair of the Chinese in texture and, in some ways, style. How many times have you gone to get your hair cut and asked for things to be one way but ended up with something different? It is difficult enough when you speak the same language but add a language barrier and I’m sure you can sympathize with my hesitation. I wanted to go to the salon with someone who spoke good English so they could understand exactly what I wanted and communicate it to the person cutting. Even though my hair is getting really long, longer than I would usually like it, I decided just to ask for a trim since it is the simplest thing to do. Fairy must have been very clear that all I wanted was a trim because the guy who was cutting my hair seemed reluctant to cut the length. It was one of the most modest cuts I’ve ever had in terms of the amount cut yet it took almost 45-minutes. He cut a little wet, blow-dried a section, cut some more, checked the length, cut a little more…always very small amounts at a time. I think he could have been done in 15 minutes but he seemed to like playing with my hair.

One of the other things I had to do in Anshan was send money to the States. I mentioned before that I make three times what the other teachers make but I’m not living the high life here because I still have bills in the States to pay so I need to send almost all of it. Fairy said that I could Western Union the money at the post office but first I had to take it to the money-changers to convert my RMB to US dollars. So, I had 8000 RMB in my purse, which is currently just over $1,100 and I was following Fairy as she approached some stately looking buildings. I figured we were going to a bank of sorts but she stops just outside one of the buildings where, sitting on the bottom step, there are three little old ladies in polo t-shirts and sunhats, resembling retirees who might be part of a bridge club. Fairy started talking to them then one pulls a fat roll of $100 bills out of her handbag. They must not have been associated with the building; it was just where they set up shop. It was so bizarre and I was so surprised I actually started laughing. It was like being in the movie, Men in Black, where people aren’t what they seem. In case you are wondering, I did check the bills to make sure they weren’t counterfeit.

Getting around Anshan is more difficult than getting around Taian because it is bigger and more crowded. I was thinking not that long ago that crossing the street in Taian takes a lot of the same characteristics one uses when sparring with the long sword: initiative, audacity, awareness, and commitment. If there are traffic rules, they are "more like guidelines" (movie quote :D) so cars can come from any direction at any time. This is multiplied in Anshan where there are wider streets, more cars, and more pedestrians. Crossing the street in Anshan is more like “Frogger”. Some streets have “walk” signals but this does not necessarily mean it is safe to cross the street since the traffic rules are largely ignored by the drivers and if the light changes while you are in the intersection, the cars will go around you. So, to cross the street, Fairy and I found ourselves crossing a lane, waiting in between lanes for some cars, crossing another lane, waiting for a bus to pass, and so on to get to the other side.

While I was in Anshan, I decided I wanted to buy a toaster-oven, an item which has been on my list for some time now. Fairy took me to a shopping center that would put a Wal-Mart Super Center to shame. Six stories of shopping bliss plus an underground grocery store! It is not quite a mall, since there aren’t different stores, but there are different brands, or in some cases, different vendors to choose from. Two floors are dedicated to women’s clothes. Fairy asked me if I like the clothes and I told her I find many of them too “cute” for my taste—a lot of puffy sleeves and hems, baby-doll looks, frills, etc. The appliances are on the top floor and amongst them I saw microwaves, percolators, scales, and more rice cookers than you can shake a stick at. I did manage to find a toaster-oven and can now enjoy pop-tarts (sent by my parents) hot!