What we learned, and pondered, on day 3

We went furniture shopping today at a furniture mall. It was 7 stories, and every floor had at least 20 furniture stores on it, everything from couches to beds to faucets to hardwood floors. It was an amazing selection, and we feared we might not have time to find a store with furniture for the kids room. Eventually we hit the right store, and while talking about what we liked/didn't like about the bunk bed we discovered that when you are IN China, having something custom made is only a 10 day process. Wahoo, we got exactly what we wanted for the same amount of money, just have to wait a few more days for it.

You might wonder how it is that we got to this mall and learned all this when we speak no Chinese. Once again we were blessed with the kindness of the people we have met here. Rebecca, who works in the leasing office of our apartment complex and who is a friend of our apartment owner, volunteered to accompany us on the shopping trip. Unbelievably, she sacrificed her entire Saturday to translate for us while we shopped for furniture and exchanged most of the bedding we bought on Thursday. :)
So, here's what we learned:
The Chinese do not believe in pillow-top, or even soft, mattresses. They believe that hard mattresses are better for the back. And a hard mattress consists of springs, a board, and a thin piece of cotton over the top. We will be hunting for foam to soften up our bed!
Washing machines in China are only plumbed for cold water! So basically there is only one temperature that everything gets washed.
It is normal for a young working couple in the expensive city of Shanghai to leave their baby/young children with mother-in-law full-time while they work. And mother-in-law could be in a different city, meaning the parents only see their children once a month.
We get serious thunderstorms in Shanghai, with wicked lightning and thunder. Our kids aren't sure what to make of it after their mild rain experience in Oregon.

And here's what we pondered:
What does the button on the outside of the refrigerator labeled "fuzzy" mean or do? The other buttons control the temperature of the fridge and freezer, but "fuzzy" remains a mystery to us.
How can people eat gelatinous food for breakfast?
Our driver seems to work for us whenever we want, does he really want/like the overtime or does he sit in the car thinking what spoiled Americans we are and resent the time he drives us around on the weekend?

Last but not least, here's Gigi's quote of the day as we sped along in a taxi: "That boy crazy driver!" She's was totally accurate as he sped in and out of traffic, switching lanes and stomping on the brakes.

We've officially moved into our apartment today and are sleeping in our "own" beds tonight, so I'm signing off to go test out the Chinese theory that hard beds are better for your back.