Chinese New Year is around the corner. In order to avoid crowds at Carrefour and Walmart, I decided to go to the slightly less crowded wet market.

A lot of action happens outside of the market. The sidewalks are bustling with delivery bikes.

The three-wheeler belongs to a recycler. Recyclers get a nominal fee for the flattened boxes. If I need boxes I will purchase new ones from the Chinese Post office. If I take one discarded by someone else, I feel I am taking income from the recyler.

The pine bows are just one of the auspicious items you see this time of year. It is said that this is a traditional way to invite Toshigami (Shinto god). Other traditions include not washing clothes, as the beginning of the festival is the birthday of the water god. If you wash clothes, you will offend him.

I want it on record that I didn’t offend any gods today.

  • Urubamba

    It’s a sham. Gift registries for our friends who get married, but what about the gal who remains single? in China, she’s called a leftover woman. At prayer meetings, she’s prayed for as if her singleness is leprecy. In my book? She’s called a kindred spirit. In spite of the amount of periwinkle taffeta bridesmaids…

  • Cuidado médico

    Oh, the joys of being an ex-Pat seeking medical care abroad!

  • My name is Ginger and I’m a wordle-aholic.

    soon, I moved to the Fentanyl of New York Times Puzzle games, the Spelling Bee.

  • Where am I?

    Considering that the circumference of Earth is 24, 888 miles, you really can’t get much farther apart than China and Peru.

  • Azul Skies

    With every new stamp in my passport comes a skid mark in the pants.

  • Word of the Year

    We all hope to be stalked by a wingless Clarence, being reminded that we’d each leave a tear-jerking hole in this world if we weren’t born. But would we really?

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