The move cont.....s

Upon arriving back at the appartment, I happily sauntered off the lift at floor no.3 and turned left. This is when disaster struck. For the life of me I could not remember where my appartment was. I climbed stairwell after stairwell looking for my door, they all looked alike and I was not about to leave my bags of shopping in this unknown rabbits' warren, so pulled and shoved it in front of and behind me, as I searched in vain for my home. In tears, after 20 minutes, I resolved myself to being unable to find it and phoned the ''agent'' in shame. After careful instructions, I turned right instead of left at the lift, down the corridor to the furthest staircase, up one and a half floors - and home!

After spending a restless night, the bed, a double, being as hard as rock, I decided to delve back
into the magazines and see where I had gone wrong. Advertised there under Supermarket/superstore was the French chain store ''Carrefour" - after having gone to the local
internet connection office, that was really close by, my knight put me into a taxi to the ''super''.

This kind of market I have not seen, even in London. As you enter, all entrances to stores in China are covered with heavy plastic sheeting or vinyl (maybe to keep out the cold) and one has to push it aside to enter. On entering there is a moving ramp, like an escalator that takes you to the next floor, in some supermarkets there are even three floors. You take your trolley or basket with you on the way and there need be no fear, for the electronic walkway locks the trolley and stops it from rolling backwards, unfortunately it does not offer the same service for you, but there is a handrail to hold on to for support. At the top, a gentleman that seems to be dressed as a security guard, helps your trolley (not you) off the escalator and guides you into the store.

Here it is very much like a large Tesco, where they sell everything from underwear to a pencil.
Walking through the aisles slowly, I began to fill my trolley. If you are a careful and not too fussy a shopper, you are able to find here everything for the cheapest of prices, cheaper than the
other two places I had visited yesterday. A chair for 20rmb (10nis) just over $2 or just over one pound (sterling), a kettle for 16nis (2 pounds or $4) etc..... At this price it is possible to leave it all behind to make it easier or more comfortable for the next tenant.

Chop sticks or course, but also a normal cutlery set other odds and ends and down to the supermarket to stock up on food. For those of you who are worried that you are not used to the Chinese cuisine, I promise you that there is food of all kinds to be found. Firstly cakes and candies, the chinese have a very sweet tooth, sugar still comes in lumps here, something that took me back to tea at my grandparents house. Cereals, tinned foods, meats, fish all that
you could wish for. I myself do not eat sea food and found the display not so terrible and quite
easy to avert ones eyes. Yoghurt is sweet, even when plain and white cheese impossible to find
unless imported.

Vegetables are plentiful, but the cheapest and nicest are the courgettes, broccoli and celery!
Now with trolley overflowing it was time to make my way home, with my goodies and home comforts. Unbelievable how cheap I was able to shop and just to give an example - decorative
cushions 10rmb (5nis, one pound 20p, $2.5) a large box of corn flakes, an unknown brand to me at 12nis (24rmb, $3, one pound fifty pence) - if you know how to shop and live as a native, things are inexpensive; that is the secret, to live as a native.

Well almost, tonight I paid the taxi an extra fare to help me up the stairs to home!! Í will be a ''Beijinger" tomorrow.