Baby and non-baby news!

This post will make the most sense to those of you aware of how small
AND sensitive my feet are. In fact, it has become just about
impossible to locate my size shoe in an American store. And usually
in the rare instance that I do, the shoes are either ugly or
uncomfortable. (I recall the time when I did Internet dating and met
a guy I was sure would be interested in me. When I didn't hear back
from him, I checked his profile and noted that he had added "has
impeccable taste in shoes" to the description of his desired mate.)

So imagine my delight to discover this German brand of shoes that are
super comfortable, attractive, and in my size. In any other
circumstances, it would seem crazy to purchase four pairs of shoes in
China, especially a Western prices and even more especially since we
already may have to pay for overweight baggage, but in my case it was
a sheer joy. I almost bought more, but I trust I will at least be
able to locate Gabor shoes online from home.

It is really interesting how much better the service has become here
in China, even as it has gotten worse and worse in the U.S. While one
often struggles to find a clerk in an American department store, in
China we rarely have had fewer than two helping us at a time. In the
80s, we used to joke about how bad the service was, and what a favor
it was for a clerk to agree to wait on us.

While I was in the shoe department, Pan Pan took what I think was her
first self-inspired walk. She was standing next to me holding on to
my seat when she pointed toward the mirror. I turned her around and
held her hands and she started ambling forward without fear. Then she
turned around and went the other way. She is really gaining
confidence and seems quite pleased with herself. I was so pleased
that I bought her two gorgeous dresses.

But we konked her out on this shopping spree, and she is now taking
her much-earned nap.