reality check
so sometimes i forget that i'm in china.
i just went for my bi-weekly (that means twice a week right? not semi?) grocery run. in the past, i had it down to a science. every time, two bags: orange juice, tofu, vegetables, eggs, tomatoes, and sometimes some other stuff. my schedule lately has been pretty wack, so it changes.
but today, the same. two bags.
i put my little basket on the counter, and she looked at me and said, in chinese: do you want to buy a bag? i said, no. no, i don't want to buy a bag. just give me the cheap free ones.
okay. two mao.
what?! i'm not gonna pay two mao for a plastic bag! i was shocked. i said wait, you want me to pay for the cheap bags?
she looked at her friend and said i didn't understand. i said, oh no. i know what you're saying. i just can't believe it! before, i didn't have to pay!
don't worry, mom. i didn't get angry. i was just in shock. and a little bugged. but i realized i'll just have to take my own bags next time. no worries.
and then, as i was walking out of the grocery store, still a bit in shock, i realized that two mao is a whopping 2.9 cents. i think i can handle it.
[update] daisy just told me that the gov't is now forbidding all free plastic bags! to save the environment, they make me carry small change rather than replacing those twenty year old buses with new electric ones (that they had a few years ago but replaced with the old crummy ones because it makes the city look bad... and don't worry, the black stuff on the plants from the soot and pollution really does look great... hmm... another blog]
comments:
Way to go Chinese government! Sounds like you could use some fun tote bags, Peter!
Benji! | June 8 @ 2:20pm
I heard about this a few months ago. No more free plastic bags! It's going to start in China, and then they're going to try and enforce it in the US...we'll see...
kate | June 8 @ 3:49pm
I like the part where you found out it cost 2.9 cents.
Will | June 14 @ 12:52pm