the best thirty yuen a girl can spend

Cold nights in unheated cement apartments are deeply undesirable. I, for one, cannot sleep when my feet are numb. Apparently a sleeping bag and down feather throw are barely adequate to fend off the chill of an Asian apartment. Happily, i know the secret of conquering this heartless force of coldness. Enter the electric hot water bottle. This little wonder saved me last winter when i was here- so i eagerly went to the market within days of arrival to acquire a new one for use this year. Already my evenings are cozier and my feet toasty enough to sleep through the night. At just ¥30, or about five dollars, the electric hot water bottle is far and away the best winter investment to be made around here. The soft little sealed cushion full of liquid has an outlet which can be plugged into a cord (which in turn plugs into a wall outlet) and charged...when five minutes later the small red light clicks off, you know your water bottle is fully heated. Deposit the hot little cushion into your bed, and enjoy warmth clear through till morning! I think its positively wondrous. It may seem to be a small thing, but with life here (as in general with me) its the little things that make a difference:)