The Packing List

While we were in the states, we spent time with friends and received plenty of questions about life in Shanghai.  One of the most common questions was What are you bringing back with you?  So, I thought our readers may find my U.S. shopping and packing list interesting.

Along with our standard clothes and Christmas presents, we fit into our 500 pounds of luggage:

- Pull-Ups: 1 box of Pampers Easy Ups gave us 80 items for $29.99;  1 bag of Pampers Chinese pull-ups give us 12 items for RMB100, or about $14.

- Deodorant: The Chinese do not use deodorant, so we each brought a 1 year supply.  This is no rumor.  Not only is it exceedingly difficult to find deodorant on a drug store shelf, but it is just as difficult to give it away.  I had a brand which I found ineffective for my personal chemistry, and tried to gift it to our ayi.  She had no use for it.  Impressively, I've never found her smelly, either.

- T-Shirts and Jeans: Although each of these products may be purchased in Shanghai, I am not likely to find my size or level of comfort.  I stocked up at the Gap Outlet and brought back a good pile of both.

- Cetaphil and Neutrogena Moisturizer: Allow me to generalize.  A woman cares about how she looks, and especially about her complexion.  Once a woman finds a good facial soap and a good facial moisturizer, she quits shopping around.  Consider my favorites found, and on my import list.  Although each is available for sale in Shanghai, the price runs double.

- Hair Product: If the following is true for me, than this is true ten-fold.  I've now had a few "fixes" on my bad haircut and am liking what I see in the morning.  But that is thanks in good part to the magic potions provided by my St. Louis based hairdresser, Martina.

- Quaker Instant Oatmeal: Available in Shanghai at RMB75 (about $12), purchased at an American grocery for .  This is where I have come to realize I am making a thoroughly American choice.  Apparently, making oatmeal from Quick Oats works as quickly as instant oatmeal packets.  But still, I happily pay for and import my packets of instant oatmeal.

- Old Navy Raincoats: These may be the best children's raincoats on the market.  Only available for a few months a year and in precious few patterns, these sturdy raincoats with jersey lining always look cute and keep our kids' appropriately warm on those chilly spring days.  We bought one in L--'s size, and in her sizes for the next two years.  Seriously, these are fantastic.

- Chocolate Chips: Purchased in the U.S. for around $3 per bag, they cost RMB60 (about $10) in Shanghai.  In the same vein, we also imported baking squares, powdered cocoa, yeast, baking powder and baking soda.

- BBQ Sauce and Natural Peanut Butter:  Brand Loyalty.  Kraft sells a BBQ sauce in Shanghai - the only BBQ sauce on the shelf.  For a girl from Kansas City, that stuff just doesn't cut it.  We import two sauces from Kansas City - Arthur Bryant's and Bilardo Brothers - and one sauce from Chicago - Sweet Baby Ray's.  The same goes for peanut butter.  Although Skippy actually makes  a peanut in China, sold at local prices which tastes just like the American product, I am just a lover of that oil-on-top, sugar-free variety.  So Smucker's earns a place in our luggage as well.

The list goes on, but my explanations become repetitive.  We also brought back Crystal Lite Raspberry Ice, Johnson's hair detangler, baby toothpaste, fruit snacks, a bag of chocolates and sundry other dry goods.

There is one last product worth mentioning:

- MacBook Pro: I made the switch.  I'm know an Apple girl, and although I'm not entirely sold on my new product, I am pretty excited to explore how well it works.  My last computer promised that it would die in under a year, and taking it at its word I decided to replace while still in the states.  I've been intrigued my Macs for quite a while, but AppleCare is what tipped the scales.  AppleCare is Apple's worldwide service, and therein lies the selling point.  Worldwide.