silk market, houhai, nanlouguxiang

---

20:00

Exhausted. Absolutely exhausted. Arielle and I have been shopping and shopping and walking and walking the dog and eating and shopping... and she's only been here like 36 hours....

Watching "Da Vinci Code" now. Will add more laaaaaater.


****

thurdsday
july 3
8:51

Last night we watched "Beauty and the Beast" afterward. One should never be too old to enjoy Disney. The day that I no longer love Disney movies is the day that it will become apparent that all of my dreams have ceased to exist and I'm living a mediocre existence.

I just took Chloe for a walk. Abeyta's still sleeping. AND GUESS WHAT?! THERE'S BLUE SKY! And like SUN and SHADOWS! yesterday started out sunny, too. Not sure what the plan is today, but it will include SUNGLASSES! This is the first time in a month that I will've needed them.

Yesterday we went to the Silk Market to do some shopping. We bought purses and Arielle got a skirt and sweater. It can be sooo much fun bargainging - if you're in the mood for it and if you like the vendor. They're so damn pushy, grabbing your hand as you walk by. Anyone who knows me knows that it took all of my inner strength not to automatically react by yanking my arm away and yelling "NO TOUCHY!" But I would've been yelling that all day, and it would've made for an unpleasant morning. So I sucked it up, refrained from spazzing out, blocked out all of the "lady you want some prada/suitcases/shirts/bags/shoes?" and tried to look beyond the desperate vendors into their stalls.

We shopped for a few hours, and then decided to hell with it, we should go chill out. So we went to Houhai.

You know, that's something strange about Beijing. We always say we're going to Houhai. But I've actually never been to a bar ON Houhai; we ACTUALLY are going to Qianhai. Which is where No Name Bar and East Shore Jazz Cafe are. Just a strange Beijing idiosyncracy.

At any rate, we went and had a few beers at No Name Bar and chilled out. Then we walked to NanLouGuXiang and had more beer and food and got into an existential conversation that was rather depressing, so we imposed on two guys who were sitting at a table behind us so we could talk about something other than the meaning of life and how we need pretty stories.

Not sure what the plan is today. Something relaxing, as we PICK UP BEN AT THE AIRPORT TOMORROW MORNING AT 8:30!

okay time for some food and to see if the news is on in english somewhere...

this morning's soundtrack: red hot chili peppers


"Some have great stories, pretty stories that take place at lakes with boats and friends and noodle salad. Just no one in this car. But, a lot of people, that's their story. Good times, noodle salad." -as good as it gets

---

Photos

beijing bible
reading in our 140sqmeter highrise apt with chloe

no name bar
qianhai lake

Comments

[Cassi]

haha!
ahahahaha! AHAHAHAHAHA! She really is your wife! That's funny.

[Guillermo J. Rodríguez]

Hi There
Just to say Poor teacher, and take advantage of the time...