Guangzhou Treasures!

Am currently in "delete photos" mode because the program's running slow so here's an amazing photo I have to show you before I get rid of it.

See, Nikita was telling me how her uncle who lives in Australia discovered that, after his trips back home to Guangzhou, no present for Oz friends thrills them more than the cheap junky stuff he bought in Chinese "five-and-dime" style stores. I knew what she was talking about because never once have I taken a cheap junky Chinese Communist Party cigarette case abroad without someone craving it so much I've given it to them.

So, during my long enforced sojourn in Guangzhou I checked out the five-and-dime stores ... and just look what I scored:

Those yellow diaries are leather and those clip-things on it are brass. Those card cases are also leather, and the green one has the most amazing spring action. Michael, who's a total gadget-guy, was so impressed he's asked me to buy him one, only in butch black or brown, next time I'm in Guangzhou. And that green lock for my suitcase is just so cute.

But here's the astonishing part. You will never ever guess how much I paid for all that! Yup, the combined cost of everything in that photo?

I had change from 20 yuan! No, I'm not kidding.

So that's totally solid advice from Nikita's uncle. When in Guangzhou, shop at the cheap junky five-and-dime stores for your gifts for folks back home.