Sometimes I walk into my house and it smells like sewage. like today, i just did laundry (which took all morning with my non-automatic washing machine) and so I was expecting to walk into an apartment that smelled like clean laundry. well, on top of that smell tonight was a particularly bad night for sewage. the open drain in my bathroom that serves as a shower drain i don't know why but sometimes provides me with this free potpourri. joy. And to top it off, on the way home I stopped and bought a couple of buns fromt he bakery and some chocolate hazelnut looking bar. When it came time for the chocolate, i tasted chalk. the buns? filled with red bean paste (a popular dessert item, red bean, personally not a fan). Sometimes I would really really just like some food that is just what it says it is, no crazy flavors, none of this looks like chocolate but tastes like ass, or made with funky milk so it looks like cheese, says it's cheese, and tastes like my foot smells after teaching all day. but this sewage bullshit really gets me, gross. i hope it doesn't stick to my clothes so i walk out of the house smelling like it. ew. sometimes I feel like hopping on the next plane to, well, anywhere but here. The last couple of days have been like that.
There have been good moments this last week. I've not been sick (knock on wood!) for a few days now, swimming is good times, and another gaelic football practice was this week. So i'm still doing fun things, just in my downtime moments not super happy and fun. Looking forward to my week of no classes next week for the Chinese New Year. I have the 11th to the 18th off, and so I am going to try and meet up with Molly (she's in Beijing right now) in Harbin for a few days. Harbin is much further north than Dalian, and much much colder. but right now they have a really cool (haha) ice festival, and the city is full of Russian-influenced architecture. So it will be a fun trip!
Hanging in there.
Oh Kate, hang in there!
ReplyDeleteThat smell problem sounds gross. My friends Danny and Tania have been combating a similar problem ever since they moved to their new apartment. Their strategy has been to keep all of the drains closed, which helps a lot. They've also poured significant quantities of bleach down. Real(ish) bleach, that is. Costs it bit more, but it isn't diluted.
Re the food disappointments-I totally know what you mean. I keep making the mistake of buying 'cheese' snacks. Chips, crackers, whatever, they're all equally disappointing. And chocolate in China is a thing to be met with skepticism. :( Fortunately for me there's a bakery down the street that makes these delicious choclate pastries. We had them before in '08, don't know whether you remember them. They had a lattice-like patten on top and deliciously rich chocolate filling. The most satisfying chocolate Chinese thing I've encountered.
Yeah meeting Molly in Harbin!! I'm trying to message you regarding that very topic, but Facebook is being a jerk.
"the open drain in my bathroom that serves as a shower drain i don't know why but sometimes provides me with this free potpourri"
ReplyDeleteIn the old country our drains did that too.
R-
Romano? is that really you?! how the hell are ya buddy!
ReplyDeleteRomano indeed. Who else would have a monkey for an avatar? So you still spilling drinks on people or what?
ReplyDeletepsh.
ReplyDeletered bean buns are delicious.
I would love to be surprised by one. Or ten.