My big non-event

  Living in China I've come to take pleasure in some very simple things. Ordering food or taking a taxi using my oh-so-limited Chinese skills, finding the short line at the grocery store, bargaining and actually getting a fair price, understanding...well, pretty much anything. These are all very exciting occasions. I even get a bit of a glow when I cross the death trap streets with the ease and confidence of the locals. Yep, just waltz across one lane at a time, unphased and unflinching with the blare of horns whizzing by, inches from being splattered all over the road. Nooooooo problem! Just like playing Frogger.

  Well today was true cause for celebration. I bought a new shirt! Yippee yahoo! It's the first new thing I've bought (not including my winter coat, and that was a necessity so it doesn't count). My elation was only somewhat dampened by the fact that I couldn't do it alone. You see, the shirt fit perfectly, and if it were to shrink even the slightest amount, it might be too small. So I needed to know if it would shrink in the wash. I had gone shopping on my own when I originally found the shirt, and I tried my best to communicate my concern. I thought I was a very convincing washing machine! But alas, I was met only with blank (albeit slightly amused) stares. So I returned with a Chinese friend who did the talking for me, while I stood grinning idiotically in the background. But who cares! I have my new shirt!! Bedtime for me now, that's enough adventures for one day.