Thom and I have crossed the normal threshold of courage on a totally superficial level–we went shopping at Ikea Shanghai on a Sunday.  HOLY. HELL.  We’ve been before so it wasn’t so shocking to see the wall to wall people using Ikea as their personal living room/bedroom/dining room but it never fails to amuse. Not a lot of buying but lots of socializing going on!

The Ikea staff was very absent, probably hiding in the back and wishing for it all to be over with so they could clean up the debris.  There wasn’t any attempt made to keep it looking presentable–it was all out chaos and they must live it every day but especially on Sundays when families are off work and looking to spend quality time together enjoying the fine furnishings, numerous outlets to charge their electronics and plentiful beds to rest at Ikea.  Every bed was completely destroyed, having been slept in by multiple people by the time we arrived around noon.  One toddler slept amidst the noise with his mother browsing on her smart phone and protecting him so he could get a quality nap. He looked very comfy and peaceful.

I was tempted to join the family who had commandeered a dining set to enjoy their packed picnic-what’s for lunch???  Once we got to the Ikea snack bar, you could immediately tell the most popular item(s) in the store–CHEAP FOOD!  We kept right on motoring with our list at hand-hangers, picture frames, napkins, etc. which you can score at normal Ikea prices not boosted with import taxes.  We packed it all in our Ikea bags and luckily found a taxi right outside–never again we keep telling ourselves but the lure of cheap home furnishings and ample photo opportunities to share always lures us back.