More Basketball and Shopping

Good Tidings to all!

I have to start jotting down notes of what I do with my days else-wise, come crunch time; I don't remember what I did.

This might be the shortest email I have written yet.

I would think Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were all pretty similar. I think they all involved sitting at my desk and loosely thumbing through the Annual Report for 2007. I think tomorrow I'll ask for a new assignment.

After work one of those days, I began watching Lost, which I downloaded prior to my departure. I must admit that I am hooked. I find it to be a compelling show and typically full of surprises. I've also been watching Arrested Development, but the characters are so dumb that it hurts to watch; Arrested Development is less compelling but has a higher laugh factor. I also began reading Freakonomics. It has been a pretty unique read. I’ve finished 2 of my 5 books. I would like to finish 5 of 5 by the time I land in Houston. I am still exceedingly bitter about not being able to find my copy of Cormac McCarthy's, The Road. Every English teacher I have had throughout history would be joyous to see that I underlined that movie title in an email. I just can’t get away from that good ole public schooling.

I believe it was Tuesday, that after lunch Rachel & I were invited into the Big Boss's office for a little chat. He asked how Cheng & I were enjoying Beijing, what we thought of the food, what I wanted to do with my life, how Cheng is enjoying work, etc. Thankfully he didn't ask me what I've been doing while in the office here because my answer would have as much substance as a Saltine.

He decided on the spot that Rachel should book a train to, hotel and flight back from Shanghai. I believe we will be leaving Thursday. He also told her to give us some pocket money. Lam's reputation really must bear a lot of weight around here or Richard is just generous people. Either way, I spent a good deal of time thanking him for that offer and for having us here

in the first place. He went on to tell me that he wished he would've known someone in the US the first time he visited. He also said his family is coming in town soon and that we should all get together for "BBQ." We'll see if he knows what that truly is. I also spent a few minutes telling Richard what a great job Rachel has been doing in taking care of us. Rachel was embarrassed, but I think I earned many a free pass. Saving face and compliments are a bigger deal here than they are in the States. I promptly returned to my desk to stare into a great abyss.

Thursday was basketball day. Cheng had to sit in a different cubicle because the owner of his desk had returned from off-site. It was lonely with him being 16 feet away instead of 8. At the end of the day, we finally got to play basketball. This time 20 people were there. The games were no less confusing or unorganized. They keep score in a 4 quarter game, but the players seem to have trouble remaining on one team.

Everyone mixes up and they substitute on the fly like in hockey. At one point I jumped in on the opposing team when a kid's glasses busted. I had no idea who was on my team and for the life of me couldn't figure out what defense we were playing.

I remember feeling like I was counting 6 people on my team when we played defense and I know that's not a good starting point. In 4 quarters of play I played bad, poor, fair, good and very good- in no specific order. I attribute it to the fact that both teams lack individuality (thanks Mao and your communism). They pass one too many times, every time and they play zone defense (which is a big no-no in the US pick-up basketball games). Also, not being able to ask what defense we are playing hurts. At one point, Cheng was on the sideline and I pleaded with him to find out from the guy I subbed in for, what defense we were playing. It took him 5 minutes to convey this and answer me.

Friday was a pretty lackadaisical day. We spent some time just wandering around this area. Got groceries, dropped off and picked up laundry. We spent most of the day inside as the weather was pretty dreary and drizzly for most of the day. I watched a good deal of Lost. We also watched the movie Capote. I can’t say I recommend it. For dinner we went to Pizza Hut : ) Pizza is good no matter where you go. They even have an "Atlantic Salmon Pizza" on the menu here.... No thanks. The Atlantic Ocean is a pretty far way-away. I remember that much from geography. If memory also serves me, Salmon is a freshwater fish which wouldn't be found in the Atlantic. Maybe the Chinese in their group-think mindset, know something the free world doesn't. Cheng had fries from McDonald's with his pizza. I had a frightening run-in with an ATM while waiting for out food. Every ATM I've come in contact with has given the option of Chinese or English. Well, this genie didn't grant me such wishes. It automatically started displaying everything in Chinese. For an instance, I panicked and thought I should step outside and yell for Cheng. But that would leave my ATM in Chinese, in China, with my card in it, unattended. I quickly decided that at best- it would eat my card as a result. So, thanks to this memory I have, I was able to remember the typical location and sequence of buttons that gave the card back. That panic soon subsided and we returned home.

Saturday we got going around 10. Picked up some laundry and then ate lunch. We then caught a taxi to Yaxiu Market. It was pretty similar to the Silk Market but with more clothes, less sunglasses and other accessories. The booth workers were far less invasive. My first buy of the day was a 65% linen/35% cotton European/Asian styled shirt. 4 or 5 buttons down the front that don't go much lower than the sternum. No collar. I bought it for 175RMB ( like $27 US). I feel as if the woman took me, but I guess I'll find out soon enough. I then bought a pair of Raybans for Dad and a pair of Oakleys for Cody. I felt like I got taken again, paying a whopping 125RMB (about $25 US). I felt as if they were harder to bargain, but they also seemed less needy. I need to be needed. I paid 50 RMB for a pair of Oakleys for Kyle (less than $8 US). I then bough Derek a birthday present (can't spoil it). Cheng bought a backpack on a whim.

While I was waiting for him I got continually heckled about getting another bag. I kept saying "I have one!" and I'd point to it on my back. Then the sales lady would respond "You need more than one!" to which my rebuttal was "Why!? I can only wear one at a time!" Gotcha there! He almost made a purchase when he pointed out to the lady that the straps had 0 padding in them. I began to flaunt my heavily rubber-cushioned backpack straps and continually encouraged her to feel them. To my dismay, she didn't : (

As we were making our exit, the lady in a different booth was pitching a bag to some European man saying "Here, here. If you were American I'd give you this price. But I'll give you this one instead!" I wheeled around stuck my head in their little pow-wow circle and over-embellished my offense and told her I would never come shop in her stall. The European men laughed and the women, laughing, beckoned me back. I walked past a belt stall and was asked if I needed a belt. I lifted my shirt and pointed to the one I was wearing. Had I been thinking I would've showed her it has 2 sides and it’s really like having a whole 'nother belt entirely.

We left and wondered the area. We were back in the SoHo district. We meandered through the 4 story tall Adidas store (with 7 ft tall Buzz Lightyear plastic statue- I still don't know how he fit in), the 2 story Nike store, the 2 story Levi's store selling Chinese for nearly $150, North Face, Oakley and Quicksilver. The Apple store was packed to the gills- it’s a good thing I could care less about Apple products, with the exception of my trusty iPod. We came home and rested up before dinner.

Sunday I woke up to get ready for church to find out that our toilet wasn't running and Cheng said the maintenance man was "supposed to be here within the hour." We waited for awhile. I waited in bed. By the time he showed up and got us back in operation it was too late to walk down the street to catch the taxi to make the 20 minute drive to get to church. I downloaded a lot of the Village Church's podcasts. Those will have to suffice. We spent the better part of Sunday straightening up a little, errands and TV watching. Maybe we'll go figure out the subway system to give us a little more mobility around the city.

I had some Wasabi Fried Squid today and it was absolutely delicious. I accompanied that with a Coke Float... The ice cream tasted like vanilla protein powder (which has always been my least favorite). The squid was utterly delicious though.

Oh, I forgot, on Thursday we had a bill slipped under our door for July's rent. We were told by someone, somewhere along the way that we would be reimbursing the company $300 of the rent. According to the bill, this 2 bed 1 bath + Kitchen is over RMB8600 which is something like $1200. I'm hoping we only pay $300 of that! Cheng is taking the bill in tomorrow to the lady that set everything up for us, with $300 or RMB2050. Hopefully that will quiet the masses. They changed the keys today and Cheng thinks the lady tried to say it has something to do with the rent... Ruh roh Rastro!

Hopefully this week will garner a little more interest. Shanghai should be a good time. Everyone is telling Cheng its hotter there than here (and it was 106 at one point last week). The train ride should be exciting. I think it will be a night flight and as Lam says at least we'll "be able to smell the countryside and see how the rest travel." Our/My Great Wall adventure planning is starting to build a little steam. We have really only 3 more things we're being told/it’s recommended that we see. The Summer Palace, The Great Wall and the Temple of Heaven. 4 weeks is plenty of time to sort that out. We're also working out what gifts to give to whom and when.

Until next time. Keep your TVs tuned to the same Bat-Channel.