Splurge...
On Wednesday, after making it through 3 classes and 190 students in the morning, I decided to go into town in the afternoon to do some shopping and exploring. I did a lot of wandering through back alleys, and main streets.
I came across a Buddhist temple that I hadn't seen before through the haze and although it was closed there were people burning incense outside. Walking back, a really old guy came up and started chatting with me asking where I was from and how old I am, what I'm doing here, etc. I went into a store and an 80 year old (I asked him how old he was) guy working there asked me to stop, sit, and chat a while. People here are quite curious and friendly, especially when they're not rushing from here to there. It's a great chance for me to practice my Mandarin.
On the way back I went into a CD/DVD store and bought "The Promise" on a whim, a Chinese action movie that came out a year or two ago in China. I got it for 6Yuan, or about $0.90 (Canadian). The lady even had it in DVD Code 1, which means I can play it on my computer or when I get back to North America.
For dinner I got 20 freshly made dumpling for 5Yuan, or about $0.75. They were really good and the ladies who made them beamed when I said "hao chi" (delicious).
After the grocery store I went into KFC, to give into temptation and splurge on an iced coffee with ice cream on top -two things I've been craving since I arrived. I figured it was well worth the 8Yuan, despite the little amount of iced coffee in the cup after the ice and the dolop of ice cream. Eating it on the bus back to the school the bus didn't seem so crowded, nor the streets so busy. It was well worth the cold treat and the little splurge.