I've slept in and done a bunch of work for my internship and am working on Chinese now (well, taking a break I guess...) but I have rehearsal later when all I want to do is curl up with a mug of tea and a fireplace and read a book. Speaking of books, I'm currently reading My Life in France by Julia Child, which I bought from my bookseller-on-the-street friend. She now recognizes me because I stop by every time I pass her and see if she has anything new in. She'll pull out books she thinks I'll like which is often hilarious-- she tries to get me to buy all these chick-lit books by Sophie Kinsella and gets irked when I pass them up for more substantial fare (not that My Life in France or any of the Stieg Larsson books I've been reading are by any means substantial).
Yesterday was not productive in terms of work at all but in terms of life experiences it was great. I got up and puttered around the apartment for a while, then went out to the gym. On the way I realized I still hadn't really explored my neighborhood park at all, so I entered Zhongshan park and walked around for about half an hour. To my surprise, it was really beautiful and kind of massive for a green space in the middle of a city. It has beautiful Chinese landscaping, with lots of trees and rock gardens, and pavilions and bridges, some of them hundreds of years old and moved into the park about half a century ago. Then I did my obligatory time at the gym.
A little later I went out exploring again. I wanted to visit a mall I'd seen and so I took a bus on Changning Lu to get there. (Lu is the Chinese word for road.) I thought it would take me to the mall but it took an unforseen turn down a smaller street. I got off there and walked around the area and strolled all the way home. The area turned out to be much better than any mall could ever be. There was a vegetable market with brilliant, beautiful produce and fresh fish. I bought some apples and delicious, soft persimmons. I've been munching on them ever since. I also went down this cute road with tons of street stands selling noodles, skewers, fruit, DVDS, and knickknacks. I picked up a copy of the last season of one of my favorite TV shows for 8 kuai (about $1.25 US). It works, but instead of being the whole season, two discs are missing. Eh, I paid less for it than for a latte in the US so I feel I can't complain.
All in all it was a beautiful day. Later that night at an NYU event I got bitten by loads of mosquitos, though. I have seven on one leg and six on the other, and one on each arm. YUCK.
Hope this finds you well, that your weather is better than mine, that you are bug-bite free, and that you are as infected by the exploring spirit as I am! Much love xo
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