…and I’M TIRED!!!  Luckily for you, my best friend sent me a guest post to help me while I recover and catch up!  I’ve known Mashawna since the first grade!  Between both of our moves, she has always kept up with me.  She is a wonderful friend, mother, wife, lawyer, cook, and talented individual.  Remember this awesome clutch she knitted for me?  AND she speaks Mandarin {I cannot}!  Anyways, I can’t say enough wonderful things about her.  Currently, she resides in Chengdu, China but will be coming back to the states for her husband’s next assignment.  Whoo Hoo!!  Hopefully, she doesn’t kill me for posting this pic of us at the Great Wall of China.  It was a freezing and rainy day in October of 2010.

Shopping in China is an adventure.  As its people get richer, more and more global companies are moving in.  At the same time, however, there are still many mom and pop stores selling just about everything.  Which means that if you spend a morning walking around Chengdu you can go from outdoor market to luxury shopping malls in just a couple of blocks.  One of my favorite markets, the one around lady street, is sandwiched in between the super luxury street surrounding the JinJang (golden) Hotel and the less luxury, but still very nice, walking area of Chunxi lu (spring street). 

If you want, there are enough malls popping up all over the place that you never have to set foot in a market.

There is a mall almost on every corner, and expensive looking shops lining the streets.  Even the mom and pop shops have started to clean up their acts.  In the year and a half that I’ve been here, many of the shops have upgraded their image, or moved on.  Of course, with it the prices have been upgraded too.  However, if you are looking to buy something specific, or you are just looking for a challenge, you should head out to the markets.  

North of town there is a massive market called Hehuachi (Lotus) Market.  If it can be sold, they sell it there.  I’ve purchased material, buttons, yarn, toys, stickers, paper, paint brushes, shoes, wall stickers, rugs……well, you get the picture.  The only problem with the market is finding what it is that you need.  The place is so big, and constantly changing, that I think you could go there every day for a year and still see something new. 

Aren’t those pictures amazing?  I was so overwhelmed when I went to visit her last year, but completely enthralled by all the sights, sounds, and smells.  Hope everyone’s week is off to a great start!