The wardrobe is cleared and most of the winter clothes have
been washed and packed. Kitchen stuff has been sorted and what I am taking has
been set aside. The geegaws, knick-knacks, tchotchkes... all have their
reserved space. All that remains is for my departure date to get here, and then
I'm gone and my few selected things are going with me on the plane. Because
shipping anything from China has become an exercise in frustration (see A
Logistical Nightmare entry, posted in January of this year).
All that's left is to enjoy the last few sights, sounds and
smells (good ones, not bad ones) that Wuhan has to offer. During my forays into
town, now fewer than ever, I find myself anticipating missing things that are
not so ubiquitous in the west.
Cantaloupe flavored gum:
Sure, you can buy Trident or Dentyne brand melon gum from Amazon, but
can you find it on the grocer's shelf? Will it taste the same as the one I
current am chomping on? I've gotten hooked on this tangy treat that has a kick
of spearmint, and it does not stick to my teeth. Wonder if the other types have
the same kick and non-stick quality.
Re Gan Mian: True, I've scaled back on eating at food vendor
stalls but I can never say no to a heaping bowl of hot dry noodles, Wuhan's
signature dish. While you can buy 'noodle packs' on Amazon (and probably in
grocery stores, at least Asian food stores), they do not taste nearly as good
as those from a food cart (Amazon sells the same brand available here, and I've
tried them: they are not good). However, I know I can buy that fragrant and
flavorful sesame paste and the correct type of noodles from Asian grocery
stores, so I just might try to make it myself... if possible.
Maverick bacon: Unbeknownst to me till now, there is a music
group called Maverick Bacon, but they are not who I am referring to as I sing
the praises of a thick-slab breakfast meat: a joy to the senses. I have been
buying it from Metro in 2-kilo packages almost as long as I've been here. Not
that I'm obsessive; I did try other breakfast meats but this bacon is supreme!
And now I have to give it up.
Over-the-counter medicines – specifically antibiotics: by no
means am I devaluing physicians, their education or their services. However, when
you get to a certain age, you tend to know your body pretty well and, should
you ail, you probably know exactly what you need to take to fix it, especially
if it is a recurring condition.
For example: if you are prone to urinary tract infections,
you would remember what medication and dosage the doc recommended the first
time you were stricken, and could go to the pharmacy for another round (not a
refill of an authorized prescription). If you've not been to the doc but know
what a urinary tract infection feels like, a simple Internet check reveals what
'family' of antibiotics you need. Head to the local pharmacy and Presto! You
have that infection whipped!
Of course, I ponder this as a person without a criminal bone
in her body. Seeing as nefarious people can manage to make illegal, deadly
street drugs from medicines that are/were available over the counter (and also
from Sharpie pens), who knows what they would do if antibiotics were sold
rather than dispensed. And, I emphatically believe that some drugs need to stay
behind the counter and only get dispensed with a prescription. But not
antibiotics; surely not!
Farmer's Markets: From early morning until 8:00PM, seven
days a week – except for the hallowed Chinese New Year celebration, local
farmers hawk their wares. All over the city, every neighborhood provided for,
one can head to the nong mao shi chang (农贸市场 – literally 'farmer's
market') for fresh produce. My neighbors sometimes go twice daily for all
manner of fresh: eggs, veggies, meat and fish. Some stalls within the arena
offer condiments, cooking sauces and rice. One thing you will not find at the
veg market is fruit: for that, any of the streetcorner vendors will do, and
there could be more than one vendor on any street corner, all shouting their
products' praises and urging you to trade with them.
I know there are farmer's markets in the west, but are they
the same type of raucous outlet of produce so fresh the dirt on them is still
moist that one can visit every day? Sadly, no.
Alipay: in spite of the limits this system puts on me
because I am not a Chinese national, I still rave about the ease and
convenience of this electronic wallet. Online shopping is done by tapping a
single button. The list of conveniences this app affords is ever-growing, from
food delivery to clothes purchases. Order a chauffeured car (using the Didi
app, China's Uber sytem)! Send money to family! Top off your mass transit card
and your phone minutes, pay your utilities and buy plane tickets: all from one
convenient system.
And what is especially bruising is that I have no idea how I
will manage my money once I am gone. Considering I will most likely be in
transit for the next 9 months and vagabonding for the next 5 years, it wouldn't
make sense to open a physical bank account, so I have to investigate other ways
to manage and legitimize my funds, hopefully online.
Mobike, Ofo and Hello Bike!: I know that Germany has a
bike-sharing system but I don't know if there is such a program anywhere in the
states, let alone where I plan to be. Although I've not yet officially tried
renting any of China's bikes, I have downloaded all of the apps (because they
were free and I was curious). I've ridden a Mobike, and I am excited to try an
Ofo and a Hello Bike! because the seats are adjustable (Mobike seats are not).
Timed street lights: I've gotten so used to a timer next to
the stop lights that indicates how long one must stay stopped (or how long the
light will stay green) that, when I head west, I actually miss them. Chinese
traffic nightmares aside, those timers are a wonder of civil planning. How
often have you wished, when you're stuck at a red light, that the light would
just hurry up and change? With these timers, you know exactly when they will.
There are similar indicators for pedestrians.
Now, if we could only get Chinese drivers to reflect on and
appreciate the forethought put into their driving amenities...
Dancing women: after all the fuss I've made lately over the
cacophony of this community's dancers (and the ones next door), you'd think
that their pastime would be something I would be delighted to leave behind. In
fact, I quite admire the idea of neighborhoods gathering to dance in the
evening. When I think back to how quiet it was in other enclaves I've dwelt at,
and how I never knew any of the other residents; on how sad it seems to me that
people rush home, lock their doors and seldom mingle with their neighbors,
nightly dancing takes on a whole new significance.
I still wish these women would not dance every night, but
who am I to disparage their gathering and enjoying themselves?
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