DAY 11: IS WEED LEGAL HERE? CAUSE I JUST SAW MY CAB DRIVER TAKE TWO BONG HITS

The day started with the usual buffet breakfast.  I have decided that I am “watching my figure” from now on. The days of having three full meals of Chinese food are over… so later I skipped lunch.  By 10am I was in a cab off to solve the mystery of the damaged leather dress.  To be honest I’m surprised that more garments didn’t get damaged in this whole event.  We got to the dry cleaner to realize that they could not do the repair at that location and would have to send the garment out to a specialist, which would take up to two weeks, so that option was off the table.  Hopefully we can figure this out before I am shipped back to America on Wednesday. 

On the way back from the cleaner we stopped to get some coffee, something that I requested so I could go back to the hotel to prepare my presentation for Monday. While I was waiting for Joe to get back from KFC (yes, KFC is EVERYWHERE in China) I noticed the cab driver open his door.  I thought he was just having a cigarette, something people even do in restaurants here, but then got a whiff of smoke of a different breed, weed.  I leaned over to investigate to see the driver holding a bong outside the door.  When he was finished a couple of hits he casually slips the bong between his seat and the door.  Joe gets back with coffee and we drive off.

I was speechless, not only because I could not speak the language but because I honestly didn’t know what to say.  It kind of seems like an anything goes place so I didn’t make a fuss and we got back to the hotel safely.

I spent the afternoon preparing my presentation for the design forum and by 2:30 we were off to visit some of the best fabric stores in the area.  It was truly amazing to se all of the venders on the street, some with great fabric, some not so great.  I was surprised by the amount and quality of denim at the market, something that is difficult to come by in New York.  I bought a few yards of black and dark blue denim, in hopes that it would actually get me to make a couple of pairs of jeans for myself.

After the markets we made our way to a traditional Cantonese restaurant for yet another feast, at least this time I was ready for a meal.  Along with diner we had a Chinese wine, which is actually just shots of rice liquor.  By the end of diner I consumed about 9 little shots and was fully prepared for the hour ride back to the hotel and the night of sleep to follow.