Doing "bookshop" is not fun. It's not hard work, it's just boring, and it makes my legs ache standing still for so long. But when there are not enough clients to fill our timetables with lessons that dazzle, we get landed with a few stints there in the bookshop. It's "performing monkey" time, just stand there and look foreign, attract attention, get prospective new clients so intrigued they just have to come over and have a closer look at us. While one of the office girls stands with us and does all the real work: - "Excuse me, blah blah blah..." The (hopefully) new client chats with them, occasionally glancing at the foreigner curiously - no idea what they are saying, but we smile and nod.
But it is fun to have some time chatting with whichever of the girls has also landed bookshop duty. Remember Alice? (She featured in "I love work"). She and I were doing bookshop together today, and neither of us had our hearts in it, I must admit. I casually asked if she knew where I could buy some knitting yarn - feel like keeping my fingers busy with some crochetting while we watch some of those six yuan (one dollar) DVDs on these cold cold evenings, and the blanket I started last year is too big to be fun any more (takes a whole ball of yarn to go around once.) Alice's eyes lit up - they sparkle with mischief on her saddest days - at a chance to go shopping, her favourite sport! She suggested that if I wasn't doing anything after bookshop she would go with me to find some.
What was even better, from her point of view, was when I suggested a couple of minutes before knock-off time that maybe we could go now. That set her to chuckling, and she slipped her arm happily into mine as we set off into the crowded street.
She had no idea where to go, but after all her sales training she was not at all averse to bowling up to the nearest startled pedestian and ask them if they knew. Apparently nobody did know, so we headed in the direction of one of the really big department stores, places I normally avoid, especially at times like Sunday afternoon. "Commercial Mansion," the three metre high words announced, and Alice stood there for a while and practised saying it until she got it right - I am often curious as to who the English names are put there for, is it really just so Alice can practise her English?
Once inside Alice started questioning people again, and we were pointed in the direction of an enquiries counter. At least I think it was. A big sign announced "Meet Your Every Demand". Hmm. I had some thoughts ... but I was fairly sure the two girls slouching around reading magazines behind the desk did not even know any English, Alice had enough trouble attracting their attention in Chinese to ask her question about knitting yarn.
Third floor, they told her. That was when I noticed the escalators. And the solid mass of people around the bottom of them. I am not fond of crowds, and by myself I would have walked back out of the shop. But Alice took my arm and we barged right in there, pushing with the rest, until we found our feet on the escalator steps. Just as well we were heading for the third floor, because as we came out the top of the first escalator we were in the hub of the crowd that spun around to the right and continued on up.
Once again Alice ran around looking for someone to ask for information, which is just as well because the only place that sold yarn was down a spooky little alley-way between a couple of shops that were boarded up for rennovations - it was not at all obvious that people were even allowed in that area.
The lady in the shop was looking down her nose at me, I am sure of that. I was obviously not her usual class of customer. This was a shop where they tailor beautiful suits for people, and I guess you could ask to have something knitted for you with the yarns as well. I told Alice it was really too expensive - I was glad the lady didn't speak English. Bold little Alice asked if they offered a discount, and chuckled a bit when she told me this shop did not give discounts. That was obvious enough.
It was good yarn though, Alice kept pointing out - I could see that. Not like the knotty home-made stuff I bought in Xiao Qiao last year. Real merino wool, apparently, and sold by the kilo. It looked like it would cost me about a hundred bucks for a kilo, but I had no idea how much I needed - I'm used to buying wool in ounces or by the ball. Eventually I was persuaded to buy a half-kilo, as this would apparently be enough to make a vest or the like.
Now I come to look at it, I have never bought a half-kilo of wool in a presentation box like this! There are four large balls and two half-sized balls, each in their own little plastic-moulded hole. And the box! What happened to stuffing it all in a plastic bag and tying a knot in the top? How will I know which ball to start with? How guilty will I feel if this project fails or remains unfinished? I don't even have a pattern, just a vague idea in my head ... is it okay to do that when the wool comes in a presentation box?
I guess I'll sit and stare at it a while longer.
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