Hanging Out

So this week has been pretty lazy for us around the Hudson house!  Mom hasn't been sleeping well with baby #2 moving around and crazy pregnancy dreams so we haven't been to active.  Its been a little rainy this week too so i don't feel too bad about taking it easy.

Finding Thing in China:
I was finishing up the scrapbook for Blake's first year and needed to go our and buy some more supplies, paper, stickers, markers, etc.  I asked Brian's office where i could go and they said a stationary store, so they sent the driver to pick me up, then we show up at an office supply store.  Needless to say they didn't have much for scrapbooking, not sure that is such a popular past time in China to have a craft store devoted to it, so i guess i just need to find things while i am out and pick them up as i see them. This seems to be the case in general with products from home in China, when you see it, BUY IT, you never know if you will see it again! (I also ordered some stuff from Amazon and have my in-laws bringing it with them next week along with a list of other items from home).

I did find these, who remembers the awesome pens that could be any color!

Along the way to the office supply store we passed the Olympic Stadium in Changzhou, thought i would share the photos i tried to take from the car, pretty large and impressive structure.

While Blake and I were out running errands we stopped at McDonald's for lunch, they don't have drive-thru McDonald's in our city at least one i have found so usually you get out, go in to order and get your food to go!  When you do this you get your drinks in little baggies, they don't seem to like the drink holders from home, i have only seen those at Starbucks.  IN addition, they offer corn cups, hot corn instead of french fries in the happy meals, so i like that difference from the US.  Otherwise they have a simplified menu of what is offered in the US, you can get a Big Mac but no Quarter Pounder with Cheese, no fruit and yogurt parfait and the McFlurry is alway oreo.  They have a stand outside of the McDonald's that is specifically just for soft serve ice cream, appears to be green tea flavor but i haven't ventured over there yet.  Below you can see the Furby is back from the 90's as their toy, they still use the actual Happy Meal containers, and then a sign of the new specials.  They also offer some chicken wings which you wouldn't find on the menu at home.  I posted an article on FB that i read about McDonald's food in other countries (See here) and it shows a black and a white burger, i haven't seen these yet in China but will be on the lookout!

It is summer time!  Banana flavor seems to be popular here, McDonald's has a banana pie and we found some banana Popsicle at the grocery store, Blake is loving them!

Other things i have seen but have forgotten to mention:  The food at the stores have a production date, not expiration date that takes some getting used to not to set things back that have yesterday's date on them :)  There is only one brand of sour cream and cottage cheese at the store, i don't think these items are popular in china, they are also sold in 8 oz, containers.  When you go into most stores everyone is in the same uniform.  Restaurants I get they wear a uniform and in a Walmart, but the clothing stores, all the girls the other day were in the same ugly yellow dress, the same thing in most stores at the malls, strange to me. I get at home in a clothing store they want you to wear something they sell, but come on not everyone wears the same outfits its like clones, creepy!  I am still looking for an electric tooth brush to replace my sonicare that won't work here.  We bought a DVD player, come to find out there is no way to make it play DVDs from the US and we were so excited we threw away the box before trying it!

I finally have a hair appointment for this Saturday so I am sure that will be my next adventure.  My in-laws are coming in from the US for a week starting Sunday and Blake and I are showing them around China so will have more post to come!