Attempts At Being Adventurous

So Pete, Stu and I ended up meeting for lunch instead. Having Pete here made me a lot braver. If I was here by myself I would have walked around in bigger and bigger circles around the school until things got familiar. I would have tried to find a map in English or in Chinese and then translate it. It probably would have taken me a while to get up the nerve to use public transportation. Instead, Pete calls, tells me to get on bus 987 and we’ll meet up on Century Ave. So I did. J

I ended up getting off at the wrong end of Century Ave. Alas. After much confusion on both ends and lots of walking in the wrong direction, we finally met up. We walked to a stadium/mall but it was closed. We then took a taxi to another HUGE HUGE HUGE shopping center. I felt like I was in an Escher painting...there were so many escalators, walkways and stairways. And it was PACKED. We ended up having very yummy sushi. The boys treated me to lunch. Pete then gave me a map of Shanghai which is in both English and Chinese and it shows subway lines! SCORE! He also gave me a metro card that I can use for buses, taxies, subways, and even the ferries that cross the river the goes through Shanghai. I wasn’t expecting such kindness. I feel very prepared and calmer now that I have this knowledge and tools. Of course, I’m sad to mention that Pete very likely may be coming back to the states in a week. At least Stu will still be here, and he is very nice and said I can call him if I have any problems. (Pete joked that I could call him when I run out of toilet paper).

After lunch we walked along the river, then took the ferry across to PuXi, Shanghai(I think that’s what it’s called, I live in PuDong, Shanghai). We walked to a huge foreign book store. I bought some postcards. Then we took the subway back (under the river!). We all waited for a while for the bus I needed to take back, but it took a long time and they had to go. I gave them each a hug, and Pete the Drew sweatshirt I had bought for him months ago. I took a very crowded bus back and got off at the Carrefour. I bought some apartment-y things (hand soap, dish soap, all purpose cleaner, garbage bags, etc). I then walked back to the apartment, took a shower and here I am now!

I was going to go to the Coffee Beanery or someplace else with Wifi so I could open a journal and such, but after all the walking today and yesterday, my feet and legs feel like they are going to fall off. Besides, the IT guy should be here tomorrow to put internet in my apartment.

The closing ceremony for the Olympics should be on in about an hour, but I don’t know if any of the 6 or so channels I get will be showing it. I would walk to the nearby bar, but again, I feel a bit broken from the waist down.