Off The Beaten Track

Now that we have been here awhile you start realize that when you live in Shekou, you live in a bubble. If you want, you can live in that bubble forever and be perfectly happy. We made a decision that before we moved here, we would not live in this bubble and try to experience everything that Shenzhen has to offer…well maybe not everything! David and I are not very adventurous on our own but together we are much more brave, just not crazy brave.  So our adventures always begin with taking the subway.

Here is map of the Shenzhen subway. I swear to God that this is also what the inside of David’s brain looks like and that is why the man can navigate any subway system in any major city in the world.  Shenzhen subway system is very new, very clean, very cheap, very efficient and very safe. It is safe because there are security guards around to make sure of that. After you buy your ticket at the kiosk, you have to pass through the security gate and put your bag through the X-ray machine on the conveyor belt, just like at the airport. After that you are good to go.

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 We are using the tokens because we do not have WePay on our phones yet. You can’t get WePay on your phone until you get a bank account and you can’t get a bank account until you have an address. You can’t get an address until you get your residence permit and you can’t get your residence permit until you get your work permit. We are almost through all these stages as tomorrow we get a bank account. Well, Dave gets a bank account, I do not. I am kind of partial to the tokens and I will miss them.

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After an hour on the train we came above ground and had a ten minute walk through construction (they are always building something here) and we reached our destination. Today’s destination? The Stationary Market.

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The Stationary Market consists of three building, five stories high, all filled with STUFF! As you can see, it is all decked out for Christmas. Christmas overload, that is.

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You can get just about anything here… toys, towels, umbrellas, bags, paint brushes, calendars, thermos’, kitchenware and as the name implies, stationary and office supplies. Each little cubicle is filled to the brim and bursting at the seams with stuff. They will bargain with you but I think I insulted a lady when I offered her a price for two bags. She said they were cheap already and refused to bargain. Oh well, her loss. 

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Oh and just in case you didn’t know, 2019 is the Year of the Pig!

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http://www.catster.com

If you want to find out more about the Lucky Cats or Fortune Cats, take a peek at the link above.  There’s your history lesson for the day! I did buy a few things at the market but not much. After awhile it just all blends together and you forget what you came for but the experience of it was great. Not very much off the beaten path but enough for us now!

KBye!