Dan is a writer living in Shanghai, China.
March 8 08
Orange Slices candy in Shanghai
As I often do, I made a random statement to Bliss this afternoon. "You know what I could go for?" I asked. "Those gumdrops in the shape of orange wedges." I didn't think I'd ever get any, and wasn't really willing to put any effort into finding them, so I forgot about my unhealthy craving for Orange Slices. A little while later, I had to run some errands in the neighborhood — eggs, fruit, Diet Coke ... the usual — and I ducked into one of those local shops that sells nuts and dried fruits by the jin (an arrangement very similar to candy shops back home). And whaddya know: Pretty much the only candy they had were miniature Orange Slices! RMB 10 (US$1.41) per half kilo (1.1 pounds). And now I have to ask Bliss to hide the Orange Slices I bought, because like a typical 7 year old, if there is candy that I like in the house and I know where it is, I will eat it until its gone or until I am sick, whichever comes first.
Anyway, more proof to my theory: You can find pretty much everything you need in life on Wulumuqi Lu.