Same old same old.

Not to sound too boring, but being back in school for a couple days has me in a bit of a routine. There's not much adventuring to be had when you're in class for 4 hours and then spent most of the rest of your time studying.

Yesterday I did do a little shopping with a classmate. I invested in an electronic dictionary, which means I have also made the decision that this is not the end of my Chinese study. I'm not necessarily taking 301 in the fall, but I will try to at least maintain what I learn here by doing language exchange and keeping up a correspondence with all the new 朋友 (friends) I am making here. And there's the thesis work, which I have every reason to believe I will be able to complete.

The dictionary kiosk was in yet another HaiDian mega-bookstore mall. Neither one of us wanted to bargain, so we were aiming for a chain bookstore when we ducked into this other building. Wow--4 floors of books, videos, and software. We may have paid a few bucks extra, but I can't find one of these online for less than $300.

Tonight it was back to the same area to help another classmate try to pick one out. We tried the Carrefours (which I believe is a British WalMart clone), but the clerks there couldn't even help up get a 'ni hao' out of the selection there. We gave up, but I did by some underwear, plaid shorts, and a Hawaiian shirt. I have promised to wear the plaid with the floral tomorrow, because I am trying to assimilate.

Speaking of assimilating, some of my studying on Sunday night was over in Wudaokou with my roommate and Lisa, who was my dictionary-buying partner. The roommate couldn't bring himself to drink a beer after a long weekend in Shanghai, and Lisa did not want to take a cab back by herself. So in a moment that made me feel like a real Chinese, she rode all the way to the compound on the back of my Flying Pigeon.

Finally, just so you don't think I've gone totally native, this afternoon I tried the Indian restaurant that is halfway down Chengfu Lu. It turns out to be run by a Nepalese manager and an Indian cook. The manager greeted me in English and struck up a conversation. He turns out not to speak Chinese, except for 'kitchen Chinese' and he feels a bit lonely. He speaks only Hindi with the chef. The other staff only Mandarin. He complained that those Chinese that do speak English choose not to speak to him too much. I think his primary clientele are the engineers from Google, Microsoft, and Sun, which all have offices directly across the street.

The food was excellent. And the TV was playing the exact sort of Indian musicals that you find in any Indian restaurant in the US. I guess it's just another example of globalization.