Getting Down To Business

After all the excitement over the past few days, being in a different country is becoming more comfortable. Dwayne and I have visited the little supermarket in our neighborhood enough to where they recognize us. Well...how hard is it to spot two black people among the millions of Chinese? LOL...we spotted a good red wine for a good price...and knew this was the ticket! They caught on fast to our purchases and made sure that we were helped right away. They keep our wine in stock...even go to the back to make sure that they have more if we want extra. These people are funny...I tell ya!

Another meeting was planned and set in Xintaindi. Rehearsals would start tomorrow (Tuesday) for Dwayne and Brannen. Sarah and Miles tagged along and while the fellas met, we explored the mall. The same thing we walked in with...we walked out with...NOTHING! We were determined, while on this trip, to find more suitable deals for what we carried in our purses! Lord have mercy! Do these people really have this much money to spend??

The four of us and Miles had spotted a pizza place earlier and opted to try it out. Okay. Fancy. Pizza Marzano. Linen napkins and bathrooms that required instructions on how to flush the toilet. At least I felt I needed them. Dwayne and I had wine and Sarah and Brannen had cocktails while we waited. Oh boy! Miles couldn't resist the ice cream shop next door, so that was his appetizer. The menu was extensive AND expensive. Remember, the U.S. dollar don't mean a thing over here. We carry RMB. So when you're looking over these menus and see that a pizza is 108 RMB you think...what? Are they outside their minds? But then, when you figure that 100 RMB is a little less than $20 in America, you settle down...a bit. $20 for one pizza? Where is Papa Johns'? Don't they have pizza buffets? It turns out, this fancy pizza joint was da bomb! We promised to go back...when we had a lil' extra RMB.

The next day, I decided to cook brunch for Brannen, Sarah, Miles and Dwayne before rehearsal. I managed to smuggle tortillas in my luggage...stop laughing. Anywayz...I made the fixings for some breakfast tacos. Our first home cooked meal. No...I left the salsa in America. So they were still good. Stop laughing.

The rest of that week was centered around Dwayne going to rehearsals and my not becoming bored. Me? To be able to sit home and watch movies wasn't a bad deal. There were a few glitches. No internet access and no working phones. Boredom tried its best to overcome me. I wasn't having it. The company soon provided local cell phones and service, so that glitch was a done deal. Could I now have means to get this blog started, please?

In the mean time, our water situation was taken care of. Hot water and good pressure was an answered prayer. The plumbing system over here sucks. They all admit to it. Having two skillets and one pot was another test. Your RMB went fast on eating out, so the alternative was a must! To see me working on a full course meal with limited cooking necessities and two burners, was hilarious. You know I made it work. Dwayne got his fried chicken, mashed potatoes and fresh green beans as requested. I even tried my hand at a curry chicken soup. Yummy!

We visited Brannen, Sarah and Miles. Their place is nice as well. They live on the top floor of their building...34. Yes! And there are 20 floors in our building. People gotta live somewhere around here...I've already told you.

The rehearsal space where the guys go is not too far away. They have to take a taxi there and back, but find out that between 5pm and 7pm everyday, in this big city, getting a taxi is literally impossible. What time is rehearsal over? 6 pm. Okay. They make it through the rest of the week, but not without a few curse words.