I made my stomach hurt!

  Yesterday was another late start to the day. Since my apartment has been so freezing cold I just don't seem to want out of bed. No long run for me this weekend, sleeping in just sounded way better. I was still on the hunt for some good fabric for Chrissie's wedding and I was curious about the other fabric market that I read about so that one destination was all that I had planned for the day. After bundling up and trekking the whole block to the Metro, it wasn't until I was waiting for the train that I realized that I forgot to bring a map. I hemmed and hawed, should I go back for it or not. The last time that I had a destination in mind and forgot a map, I went on an hour and half detour...but that was also my first week living here. By this point I have a much better sense of direction and I felt like i had stared at the map long enough that I could get myself to the South Bund Soft Spinning Material Market from visual map memory. When the train came, I got on and tried to forget that I was mapless. I only got detoured about 4 or 5 blocks...and found my first Walmart in China (I was almost curious enough to go in).

   I had read that this fabric market was more popular with tourist of the 2 that exist. The South Bund SSMM was also supposed to be very crowded on the weekends. Upon arriving I found that neither of those statements were false. I had gotten there about an hour before close hoping that that crowds wouldn't be too bad but it was crazy. There were foreigners and Chinese everywhere, all wanting some type of clothing item made. Many of the stalls were so crowded that you couldn't get in to see fabrics...good thing I've learned to do a little pushing and squeezing my way through crowds (Shanghai subway travel has taught me well). I looked at so much fabric that my eyes were starting to cross. Sorry Chrissie, I didn't see anything exciting here either.

Can you tell how long the hall is? There are about 8-10 of
these on each floor. Three total floors in the building.

Not sure how I managed to get a picture of an "empty" hall

Some stalls are neatly organized and others you have to pick through piles

of rolls of fabric (sometimes 20 rolls deep). 

    It was dark by the time I left and apparently the food vendors know to set up shop outside to feed all the hungry shoppers coming out. There were about 20 different food carts there selling all sorts of stuff. Luckily, the one item that I wanted to try was easy to pick out b/c of it's stench. I finally got to try the long awaited fried stinky tofu. I opted for the white version and not the black version...the black is REALLY stinky b/c it's been fermented for so long.

   Above is the lady that I decided to buy from. I purchased a fried potato thing (very technical name, I know) and my stinky tofu. She tried to scam me though. First I told her I only have a 100rmb bill, could she give me change? After getting a positive response I ordered my 2 items for a total of 9rmb. First she digs around and hands me a fifty. Then she fumbles some more and gives me 2 tens and a moment later gives me a five. Then she starts doing other things. I had tell her that she owed me more money...I'm positive that she was hoping that I didn't notice but eventually got back what I needed. I could tell this wasn't her first time trying that move on a foreigner and I'm sure that half the time it works...grrr, that's just not cool. 

Stinky tofu!! Do you think that Donald will kiss me knowing
that I have eaten stinky tofu?! There's no guarantee. Why
do I love all things fermented?!

This is the fried potato thing. I was planning to eat enough food
out that I wouldn't have to made dinner when I got home. I'm
just now realizing how unappetizing this picture looks. 

I made my way closer to home and did a little more wandering around.

I bought, yet, another snack. This time it was waffle cone roll things.

They were a lot like eating a waffle cone. 

  When I was about 5 blocks from my apartment I got my first drug offer. I was walking down a street and the man that was coming the opposite direction of me said "need hashish?" as we passed by and kept on walking (yes, I really did put a link with the word Hashish, I'm not sure that my parents will know what it is and they will need to know in order to understand the story). I think this guys walks the streets saying this to Westerners and I'm sure that ppl end up buying from him. The rest of the walk home was uneventful.