Today's adventure: going to the mall for scented candles (and other stuff)

[e_k_braveman]

So, recently I've figured out that some of my neurodivergent sensory weirdness also involves certain senses becoming understimulated. Most relevant to today's story is smell. I do have one scented candle I received as a gift years ago (probably from my paternal grandma? K genuinely can't remember) that I haven't used all that much, but after having a bit of fun with it, I decided I needed more for variety's sake.

Cut to today. I had plan on where to go for the candles + some drugstore items I needed anyway, and I was actually supposed to go yesterday, but got hit with the executive dysfunction beam so I put it off. I waffled on it a bit today too, but around 3pm I was like "you know what, it's not like I'm getting anything else done today so fuck it, let's at least go outside." So after a quick shower, that's what I did... and right after getting on the bus, I realized my phone was at 20% and I didn't bring a charger. So I got off the bus, walked back to my place since it was only one stop anyway, got my power bank and then finally set off.

I hadn't eaten much so my first task was actually to get some bubble tea so I was both water hydrated and carbohydrated ('cause I've heard the tapioca pearls are quite rich in those, but don't quote me on it). Got that done pretty quickly, since I happened to enter the mall from the exact entrance I needed to beelime it to the bubble tea shop. Got my beloved taro milk tea. 🧋💖

First stop was the makeup store Douglas cause I saw in their website they sell scented candles. Unfortunately, it was a comically snall Douglas that only had makeup and not any of the other extra stuff, so Inleft pretty quickly. On my way there I did see a drugstore on the same floor so I stopped by there next. One of the things I needed was moisturising face cream, which is a nirmal thing to want and also for some fucking reason now requires you to get it in this big plastic box they open at the cash register. Most of the creams were locked up this way, I assume because they get stolen more often?? IDFK, I've never seen this before. And I got one that wasn't in a box because this foolishness was below me.

So right across from the drugstore was a shop that's like... IDK if there's a term for it, but they sell decorations - both seasonal and just for the home - and some items for parties. Also pasta and olive oil inexplicably. Anyway, they had scented candles. Most of them were either too sweet or too... car freshener for me, but I did find two I liked, which was good enough for me!

So, I did get the thing done I was there for, but I had one more thing planned: finally getting a salt shaker. After living here for 6 years. Yeah. Got that done pretty quickly too. I was right next tot the food court ATP so I went and hsd uhhh late lunch I guess? It was some fast food Indian chain that was too mid for the price they were selling it at.

But wait! There's more! On the way back home I stopped by the library to finally get a card. I had an online account up to this point 'cause I didn't need physical books necessarily and I still don't, but the uni library has been busted and at limited capacity for years, so I can't really go there if I wanna do my work outside of home. So, regular library it is! But you can only access the Wi-Fi if you have a physical card. So yeah.

I got a lot done today and I'm very happy about it ^w^

Comments

[diva_samodiva]

so the salt shaker one is universal! I didn´t wait 6 years, only 1, but I was sooo happy when I found a salt shaker that was on that 1 euro shelf at Aldi lmfao.

[e_k_braveman]

I got mine at Tedi lol. It's actually kind of wild neither me nor my mom thought to get one when I was first moving here. I got two of each of everything else! (plates, bowls, cutlery, etc.)

[diva_samodiva]

Same lol! In my case it was a bunch of plates transported the True Balkan WayTM - we found a bus driver who was close to another friend that lived in the region, and placed all my luggage carefully in a whole bunch of banana boxes, slipped some $ in his hand, and he transported it lol (still cost far less than buying everything new in Germany in my case). I didn´t even get cutlery for two weeks! Then got shipped one of the decorative sets that they used to sell at Penny 15 years ago. Apparently, when the store shut down, my grandma bought a set for 1,20 lev and now they´ve been mine for a year.

A friend of mine´s Indian heard this story and told me how when she & her family moved from India, they manually disassembled each piece of wooden furniture because it cost less to transport them to Germany than to buy new in here. I love how it´s an universal immigrant experience of sorts!

[e_k_braveman]

That's awesome LMAO, we just shoved all our stuff in a big Chevy + an extra rooftop cargo and drove all the way. The border guards between Serbia and Hungary had a very "alright I'm not dealing with all of this shit" vibe when seeing us XD

[diva_samodiva]

Omg they must be so used by now lmfao😭. I remember some of my boxes were opened up but they must have seen it's just old plates and books and personal belongings so they let them be. We didn't/don't have a car that's okay-ish enough for the travel (a typical "трошка" that's close to three decades old that my grandpa got from Italy second hand lmfao) so This Was The Way. It turns out there is a bunch of truck drivers that only do semi legal transportation for Bulgarian immigrants in Germany - the market was big enough that some only specialised in certain regions. The guy that transported the second part of my luggage some months later only does the southern parts for example.