Unlike the shopping experience in the West, many stores in provincial China don’t have a great variety of products readily available in the stores. Choices usually are rather limited, and shopping like that can be rather frustrating at times. But we have taobao! Everyone here knows what taobao is, and thanks to this huge online market, I’ve been able to purchase quite a range of goods. Rumor has it, that there is nothing taobao doesn’t offer, though – of course – that is a bit of an exaggeration. The truth, however, is that you really can get almost anything you need – from simple groceries, to clothes, office supplies, electronics, … anything! In the past, I’ve ordered things like vanilla extract, as well as printing cartridges, external harddrives, sharpie markers, tennis balls, and countless other goods. This online market basically is a place where lots of sellers offer their products, and usually for a really low price. I couldn’t imagine my life without taobao. After all, I had my last order arrive in the mail just today, and I’m sure, in the future there are still many more to follow!