After signing my contract in Hongkou I was very hungry. Now Hongkou is extremely posh and 1st world. It's like I was in a dream. I expected the price of eggs to be really high so I avoided restaurants and found a small sitdown joint. Looking at that menu was like looking at hieroglyphics. The only thing I could read were the prices. I actually walked in, because there was only one lady chowing there and I was hoping to hala at her. Like most of the girls in Shanghai she was beautiful. The uncle cooking knew that I didn't know what I was doing and pointed at something he just finished cooking. I nodded in surrender and my goodness...what a glorious decision. It was delicious. I can't tell you what it's called though.
Another uncle entered and started rapping in Chinese to me. I could tell that he was asking me a question. I responded in English 'I don't know.' He dropped another verse that ended with Tanzania and I said 'South Africa' then he said 'mmm'. He motioned that I should stab my food rather than trying to pick it up politely with both sticks. It worked.
Before that I entered a beautiful fruit shop. I saw fruits that were virgins to my eyes. I picked up this fat litchi and asked for the price. The lady said it was 15 bucks (around $2). Then she told me to take it with a smile. I'm still thanking the Lord.
Before all of that I made the mistake of trying whatever this is. It looked like chocolate. The centre tasted like a tolerable muse, but after 3 bite I chucked in the bin, fast.
After seeing that there are 10 Amways on Google Maps I went searching for the 1 on Hongkou. It was such a long walk after the mistakes I made. I was exhausted and needed liquids. I made the mistake of buying this drink that had more tasteless jelly than liquid. When I eventually arrived at the supposed Amway I found a clothing store instead. What an anticlimax. Again! But the girl that was helping me understand that Amway had moved (probably). She was so cute I had to tell her she was beautiful through the translation app on her phone. I think I'm gonna buy a shirt there one of these day. Things are so cheap here.
When I returned to the subway station close to home I scurried to this vending machine and made the best decision of my life. I thought I was buying ice-tea, but it was this.
