A Few Words About Shopping

Chinese super stores do exist, but it can be a little more involved shopping there than you plan.

Let's pretend that you are looking for wood glue - simple, yellow, Elmer's wood glue.

Now let's pretend that you head out to your local B&Q (think Lowe's or Home Depot, only everyone speaks Chinese.)

So you find the adhesive aisle because those lovely signs are also in English (yay!) And there is superglue, some 2 part mixes, silicones... no wood glue? You walk up and down the aisle a few times hoping that maybe, just maybe, you just missed seeing it, but nope, its not there.

Okay, now for plan B. You know the Chinese words for 'glue' and 'wood'. And there are about 4 store assistants waiting in the adhesive aisle alone. (It is amazing how much staff most places employ.) You approach one of the nice people and ask for glue that can be used with wood (you think). She smiles, nods and leads you to a different aisle... at the other end of the store... in the lumber section.. and here are large, industrial,5 gallon adhesive tubs. Not quite what you wanted.

After looking around and confirming that indeed this is not the stuff you wanted, you go back to the adhesive aisle and try again.

This time the new assistant tries to give you the superglue.

One last time. This time you are directed to a small tub (about a quarts worth) of something. There are even a few blocks of wood glued together to show how it works. Well, why not - you take the small tub.

We felt like we had accomplished something.

Then yesterday we used the stuff. It appears to be Elmer's glue - regular white Elmer's glue, like the kind that kindergarteners get to use. So close....