Mid Autumn Festival

Well as Mark mentioned, this is the time of year when everyone is out and about buying, celebrating, drinking, visiting family and playing dice.

Yesterday, Edlin and I went to SM, the largest mall in Xiamen to purchase party gifts for the expat luncheon on Tuesday, so we can also play the dice game. Generally I avoid the expat luncheons but since Edlin is the president, and I offered to support her during her reign, I got suckered into helping her. The only saving grace is that she's moving, and I only have to attend to one of these functions, but I digress.

We enter the Walmart to purchase the gifts, and let me tell you, it's worse than black Friday, which is the Friday after the American Thanksgiving. Most of the customers had three to four buggies worth of merchandise. It's amazing how they can push through you as if you weren't' even there.

Amazing during this time of year, the Chinese buy practical things, such as Tupperware, notebooks, toilet paper, creams, towels and oil which seems to be the most popular item. We went and purchased Kleenex, Tupperware, makeup, brushes, candles, etc.

Let's just say that the enthusiasm in which the Chinese purchase their goods, would deem them worthy of a gold medal. Perhaps, the Olympic committee should, consider this as a sport. Somehow, I think the Chinese would sweep in this event.