It is generally accepted that women not only spend a great deal of time shopping but they seem to enjoy it immensely. Few men volunteer to escort their wives to the supermarket. A common phenomenon is that when the wife is enthusiastically examining and appreciating their favorite item, be it cosmetics or clothes, the poor husband is  exhausted and can’t help yawning repeatedly. Some husband tried hard to cover his boredom, knowing that the least exposure  might incur the dislike of his beloved. A sympathetic wife might condone his lack of enthusiasm and find him a place to rest, where, more often than not, he might meet guys of the same mission. I am not averse to shopping now, though a few years ago, like many of my pals, I hated it. My change is gradual, bit by bit, as I grow more mellow.  I now know shopping is no fun: it takes time, patience, wisdom and labor. Only after one has seriously entered into business can one truly know the toil and pain our womenfolk have endured in order to support a family.

Several days before I came back to Beijing, a friend had  my house thoroughly cleaned. She told me that it took a day for three workers to finish the job. I really appreciate her help as my house has been in disuse for over two years, and one can imagine it must be extremely dusty.  I am allergic to dirt, an idiosyncratic reaction which has afflicted me for a decade, so the thought of entering a staled and dusty room makes my nose itch. Thanks to her help, the biggest block in tidying up my house has been removed, but there are still a lot to do to make it a home. This time I take it seriously and really want to build a cozy and comfortable home. First I opened up every cupboard and desk, examining every item inside and sorting them up. Two bagfuls of worn clothes and other  old items were thrown into the garbage van. The remaining clothes, the sheets  and the curtains were all in need of washing, but my washer is a small one,  reminding me that I  had obviously purchased the wrong size. This is the first lesson I learned that shopping needs calculation and calibration: the washer is brand-new and expensive, but its hold is too small for large items, so either I have to choose washing some items by hand or buy another one. Actually my house is not that spacious to receive two washers. It is an inconvenience brought on by myself and I have to put up with it.

Summer is very hot in Beijing, so installation of an air-conditioner is desirable. It took me three days to decide on a new type of Haier in Gome Store. At the same time I have window-shopped in  Longde Plaza, the largest of  my community. To be frank, I was impressed by this plaza which combines shopping, cuisine and entertainment together.  I was very satisfied with their service and applied for membership. Tired as I was, I went there three times to buy the house paraphernalia, each time my T shirt being soaked with sweat. Shopping does need toil and labor.

The community I live in is located at the northern suburbs surrounded by acres of uncultivated fields, so mosquitoes are rampant, the battle against which is earnest. I have put up a net to fend off their attacks during sleep, but their annoyance is continual outside it, adversely affecting the quality of life. Fumigation, electric bats are temporarily effective against these invaders and a truce can be maintained for a few days, but soon their reserve force will break in; I have no idea through which way they break. Yesterday I came across an exquisitely-designed lamp, which is specially used against such bugs as flies, mosquitoes or moths. It costs 378 yuan, a high price for a lamp. Anyway it is the right appliance I need at present, so I bought it without hesitation. Late in the  night, I opened up the packing, put the plug into the socket, and switched on. NO LIGHT! I immediately changed another socket, still NO LIGHT. Unbelieving my bad luck, I took up the user manual and read it again, scrutinizing each word, trying to locate the clue as to how to use the lamp. Ten minutes passed, the dear lamp still refused to work. Frustration? No. It pissed me off. Why haven’t I checked it up at the store? Yes, the saleswoman said there shouldn’t be any problem, but I had to bear the unpleasantness for being credulous. Quickly I cooled down and logged on the net, pretending nothing had happened. It worked. Complaining and cursing hurt only oneself by making a simple thing complicated. Today at 9:30  in the morning, I went to the store and explained politely to the saleswoman about the event. She expressed disbelief and checked the lamp herself with the same result; so we tried on another one, which lighted up immediately. Without more words, she exchanged the valid one for me. I heaved a sigh of relief and quickly left the store, just in time catching an approaching BRT bus. On the bus the Haier salesman phoned me that they were unable to install the air conditioner today as planned due to transportation problems and asked me whether tomorrow would be okay. After deliberation, we made a new appointment. When I have cancelled other activities and waited at home for their arrival, they were audacious to tell me they couldn’t fulfill their promise with some unfounded excuse. What a mess! Now I know that shopping do need time and patience.

At 11 o’clock, the repairman from the Boiler Company told me he would arrive at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, so I have to wait for him at home. At 2 he duly arrived at my house. After a glimpse of the boiler, he asked me what was amiss. I told him that it doesn’t run at all, and he explained that there was a small cushion ring needing replacement , but the sad thing was that he didn’t have it, so he asked me to phone the Property Management Company to give a hand. The workman there answered me bluntly that they didn’t have either. I was angered and retorted that if both of them were unable to solve the problem, then what was the use for this bulky boiler. The  workman changed his tone and told me there was a Mechanic Ware Store in our community which had a ready supply of this ring. I immediately went there and searched in vain for this queer thing. The saleswoman was also at a loss about the right size of the ring, but she was kind enough to send me two. With the precious find I quickly went back home, and handed it to the repairman, who was very suspicious about its validity. Fortunately one ring met its requirement and the ordeal was over.

These days I have learned first -hand experience of shopping and know the trouble and sometimes tribulations involved in this business.  Shopping is more than a recreational or leisurely activity, sometimes it is a task of inconvenience and vexation. In this respect our womenfolk deserve our respect: they are the unsung heroes of forbearance and fortitude.