How Big is Ellie? SOOOOO BIG!!!!!!!!

Yesterday was the Great Department Store Adventure- a herd of Americans tromping through 3 stories of Changsha department store that sold everything from heated oscillating fans, and heated bed frames, to chair-rail height safes, appliances, and complete with a Kiddy Wonderland. We focused on the third floor- children's apparel mostly (and those safes)- and the first adventure was in the land of shoes. Jordan came away with a Laser Light Show- which we didn't know until after we got back to the hotel- and Ellie got a cute pair of hot pink hiking boots. Both girls got new coats (red for Jordan, pink for Ellie), and I bought Jordan a doll for X-mas: a Tang Dynasty Princess in Bridal Attire- I know that she'll pretty much get destroyed after being opened, but I couldn't help myself!! Jordan wasn't in too good of a mood, but that was fixed for a little while when I took her and Caroline to the kiddy playland... with our guide Joanne's help. All the signs were in Chinese and obviously I couldn't tell rules, prices, etc. Joanne was able to negotiate a ride for the two girls on the little train and the big cars for only RMB$7- or US$0.90, and they were longer rides than I think I've seen on such contraptions in the states. The girls loved it!!! After wards they both needed to use the bathroom, and then we discovered (Dum dum DUMMMMMMMM) it was a Squatty Potty of Doom and Destruction!!!!!! The girls both agreed they could hold it until they got back to the hotel... until about 15 minutes later when Jordan said she couldn't hold it anymore. I had promised to do whatever they needed to help them go- hold them, what be it. Well, we got in there and Jordan was almost in tears, she didn't want to use it. I explained that this was it... no Western potties in sight. I asked her if it would help if she could see how to use it... and yes, I showed her (and i can't believe I just admitted that to the world). I had experience with Squatty Potties of Doom and Destruction in Cairo, so they really didn't particularly bother me. But even after that Jordan employed her willpower and that stubborn, spicy nature to H-O-L-D I-T. Iron Bladder!

After a bit more time wandering the store, it was time to depart... and take a pit stop at McDonald's. I didn't really feel like eating anything myself from those Hallowed Arches of Gold, but I volunteered to be the representative for the Knights to venture in. It was disconcerting only because everything screamed McDonald's... I just couldn't order for myself and couldn't read the menu to even attempt the ordering. Ellen translated for me when I got in line, and luckily I can handle money with no problem, so had that ready. When the food was ready she had me check the order and they had forgotten Ellie's hamburger, so Ellen waited in line again (which was very helter-skelter) and I asked her at the last minute to also order 2 Green Bean pies... one for me and one for my sister (we had wanted Red Bean pies, but looks like that wasn't an option this time around). And... the pies were great! I wasn't sure if they were Green Mung Beans or sweetened Edamame or what, but they were quite tasty, and i would swear up and down the fries were fried in Beef Fat the way they used to be in the States... because they were more delicious than McD's fries in the US! After everyone completed their order, we went back to the hotel and chowed down.

We napped and then decided to brave the swimming pool- we had heard it was ice cold, but when Jordan decided she didn't want to go swimming with little Caroline before nap, I had gone down to tell C. and her Uncle that Jordan wouldn't be making an appearance, and I stuck my hand in... the water was so warm!!!!!! So it was definitely a go for after nap. Everyone except Grandmutti donned a suit, and we headed down. Caroline and Ellie pretty much found the warm stream of water and stood in one place since Ellie wasn't 100% sure about it, and I swam around with Jordan and had a blast!!!!!!!!

I grabbed a quick shower after swimming and we headed down to dinner. I was a little turned off of my braised greens and noodles though... when I went to put my bowl together, I got my glass noodles and as i put them in the bowl I realized someone before me had used the tongs to get the pig's blood curd (yes, Pig's . Blood . Curd- ewww. sorry, I'm not that cosmopolitan) and it got on my noodles. Well, needless to say, when they came back, they didn't quite taste right. Maybe it was psychosomatic, but I think actually it was the fact that the PBC had been heated/ braised int he same broth that my noodles went into. YICK. Other than that, dinner was a-ok.

Today we hied ourselves to the Hunan Embroidery Research Institute. Silk embroidery is an amazingly fine art here, to the point where a talented woman with over 40 years experience doing single sided embroidery (picture on one side of the silk), might learn to do double-sided embroidery, where 2 different pictures are embroidered on each side of the silk, but the stitches and threads can't be seen. It's truly phenomenal. A large piece can take multiple women working at the same time 5 days a week, 8 hours a day, over 3-5 years to finish. I purchased a small piece and wish already that I had splurged and gotten one of the big pieces that cost $300 dollars (and that was still CHEAP- the pieces I really wanted weren't large at all and cost over US$1000). Mom had stayed at the hotel with Jordan, and she had wanted a landscape- well, Caroline and I found one that I also had fell in lobe with, and it was the only one even remotely in the price range. Mom had wanted to spend only $200 and it was $300 (US)... but we got it anyway- I was ready to take that sucker home. Well, she fell in love with it, it was exactly what she wanted... so, I just have my small piece, but I have decided i will order a piece online pretty soon. I wish I had time to go back!

We lunched, and the buffet this afternoon had some new and VERY tasty items on it, including the Mongolian Beef and most especially the Sliced beef with Wild Green Chilis (and some red ones too). It was quite spicy!! The noodles were extra spicy today too, and very yummy. I have fallen in love with this peanut cake they have on the dessert buffet.. I have eaten a slice for lunch and dinner every time we've gone down since Monday... it tastes like it belongs at the Virginia Diner- it's that good!!!

Caroline blogged over nap time, and we just returned from a venture back to the Whacko grocery store for more chips, coke, formula, and the Chinese tissue packs that have Winnie the Pooh on them- hee hee! Caroline spied the fact that they also sell day to day dishes (kind of like Harris Teeter does), and they have the covered tea cups that I like, as well as some very pretty rice bowls and spoons. I think I may try to go back tomorrow and buy 4 bowls and spoons, and 2 cups- nothing fancy, but exactly what I've tried to find for years in the US, but unsuccessfully so.

We'll be heading down to dinner in a moment, then hopefully we'll talk to Dad around 6am his time (7pm ours) and I'll call Charles around 7am his time. Tomorrow is a completely free day except for Caroline at 4:40pm, when she goes to finish the passport paperwork for Ellie, which must be perfect for when we go to Guangzhou- any mistakes in this part of the paperwork discovered in Guangzhou means a flight back to Changsha to re-do everything- ugh! But Ellen is great and she won't let any mistakes be made. I am hoping to get a massage int he hotel as well- apparently they have fabulous massages for less than $30 for an hour, and Caroline wants one as well... so hopefully we can squeeze that in around nap time! The Saturday at 11:00am we leave the hotel to go to the airport to catch a 2:15pm flight to Guangzhou.

I am definitely missing home and sometimes am ready to just be done... but at the same time I love this and am so glad to have the experience. I hope to walk a little more in Changsha tomorrow- the pollution was not horrendous today but was definitely thick in the lungs- but today was our first sunny day, so it was great to be out!

Love to Daddy, Charles, Pushkin, Thumper, Smudge, and Baxter, and Meema, Gail, Don, and anyone else reading this!!!!!!