Wednesday, May 11, 2011

A List: Part II



Recently I mentioned that we are all out, as in very out, of deoderant. I also mentioned that this is a sure sign it is time to return to the Motherland, as usually we are so stocked up it's hard to find anything but deoderant.

It seemed that the deoderant issue just opened up the floodgates, because since that day one thing after another appears to have dried up. No more band-aids, no more chocolate chips, no more Midol, no more Criscoe, no more pants without holes in the knees.

The pants thing is starting to get embarrassing. I know it may seem like I'm just trying to be grungy-cool or something, but the sad reality is that my very nice fitting, more-than-I-normally-spend pair of jeans have started to deteriorate after just two years of crazypsychowringthehelloutofyourclothes hard washing from our machine here. Just two years! And they are now almost severed at the knee. Anyway, I'm obviously not over it yet- and for some reason I'm starting to feel almost ashamed of myself when I head out the door every single day with two bared knees, feeling like a five year old.

You may have surmised from this list that there are many items that are just not available here in China, and most of those things we happily do without. The first time we went home, I was determined to bring back everything (sort of- within reason) that I missed. Had I ever pined for a jar of sun dried tomatoes? Bring it. Did I wish at some point for white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts? Buy them. But after my first bout of this, I decided to just stop trying to bring America on the plane with me to China. I still have my standard  go-to items that I use on a regular basis and cannot purchase here, but most of the things we've just decided to do without by choosing to eat or live differently.

Yet still, times are gettin' a little rough over here where even my essentials, the ones I tried to stockpile two years worth of into my suitcases last time, are running out.
Do you wonder what we crave? Here, just a few things we are looking forward to, or badly needing to replenish...
  •  Did I mention deoderant? By the way, thank you to all my friends who have recently gifted me with some of their stash, used and unused..
  • Yarn... my needles have been itchin and I've been dreaming.
  • Thank you cards/notecards... any kind of cards.
  • Makeup. In general. The non-whitening kind. The colors a red head can wear.
  • Socks for growing boys (without mickey mouse or embroidered bears on them)
  • New cookie sheets.
  • Measuring cups and spatulas, without broken handles, or melted paddles, or chopped up paddles (don't try to unclog the hummus while the blender is still going...)
  • Books... oh, the Amazon wish list.
  • Peppermint, Lemon, and Vanilla Essence.
  • Basil seeds, rosemary seeds!
  • Bed sheets. Hand towels.
  • Family Games (we've moved beyond Candy Land and Junior Monopoly...yay!!!)
  • a lens cap for my poor, neglected camera lens.
  • Yankee candle (splurge-one summer scent, one fall scent)
Well, the list doesn't stop there but I fear I may lose you if I keep going. The point is, it's time to head back and we are pretty excited. Blue skies, green grass, lazy summer nights, and shop shop shopping, here we come!

5 comments:

  1. I'm sorry about your jeans...but I love the pictures :-)

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  2. Your jeans are cute with little knees peeking through the holes. :)
    Sundried tomatoes (in case you still want some): just take some fresh tomatoes, cut them in half, toss with olive oil (do you have that there?) and salt and pepper, stick them in the oven, cut side up, and bake at 200 for hours and hours (like 6 hours!) and you'll have something like sundried tomatoes. They are heaven. I eat them like candy. ;)

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  3. Thanks for that fun tip! I will definitely try it once I get all these boxes out of my life.

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  4. I just discovered a Yankee Candle store in Solana Mall in Beijing. I didn't have a chance to check prices. Since I moved to Beijing from Shandong I find that the only thing I really need from the US these days is deodorant. What is it about American deodorant? I can find the most random products in Beijing import stores, but quality American deodorant is never one of them. I've had to import it to every country I've lived in.

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  5. I don't know if they just don't have hyperactive sweat glands like we do or what. But the one little roll-on brand I found in the store barely made a dent!

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