YuYuan Gardens and Bazaar

So, I came to Shanghai expecting to see the whole city covered with pagodas, but who knew they would actually build 2,000 skyscrapers over the past 10 years? This was my favorite part of the trip. Walking the gardens, exploring the pagodas of the Ming Dynasty and then shopping in the Bazaar and haggling my way to successful victories. It's great to shop in China because everything cost "about a buck" and then you go to DHL and FedEx to mail things back to the States and everything you saved during the negotiations goes out the window. Who knew?

I'll be writing more on my experiences of China when I get back to Paris. I've been sick for the past 2 days, but am starting to feel much better after seeing the local pharmacist. She used an abacus to find the tally of my purchase. Who uses those things?

Life in China has been a 10-day game of charades, I challenge anyone when I get home. You see how you'd convey sore throat, running nose...I need cough drops, please for the love of god will someone speak freaking english! As I am always amused at there dyer need to speak Mandarin to me, they in turn are always amused by my 1 Scene Acts. Really, I think all thespians should give it a go here.

Have to run.

Cheers, Laura (I hope I don't have Bird Flu)