Last work week was tolerable being that it was only three days! Friday wasn’t much of a work day at all because I spent the entire afternoon in a studio. My boss asked me to record the narration for our newest children’s story app. It was a neat experience, though strange hearing my voice after. I’m not sure if they’ll ask me to record for the other stories or not, but I wouldn’t mind – it’s a day out of the office!
The weekend was great. Saturday afternoon, I met up with Chris and our new friend Yana at Zhongshan Park (I shared pictures of this park in my previous post). The weather was beautiful, although a bit more humid than I’d like, and the park was packed. We walked around for a little, grabbed some lunch, and then ventured to the Qipu Market, also known as, the “fake” market. This place is five floors of pure chaos. It was late afternoon when we arrived, which is when it supposedly winds down, so I would hate to see it at its busiest. We only managed to browse two floors, clothing and accessories – the most important two anyway 😉 There are so many shops that sell the same products or items, but different variations, so I found myself walking back and forth several times before actually deciding on something to purchase. I ended up with a pair of Ray Bans, chunky summer heels, and a maxi dress – totaled under $20 🙂 It was extremely easy to bargain since we were with Yana, a Shanghai native, who translated everything for us.
Afterwards, Chris and I went to dinner in the French Concession and ended up at the Cantina for some Cinco De Mayo celebrations. It was a vibrant crowd, mainly all foreigners, which made it easy to mingle. I probably had one too many margaritas, but it was not nearly as bad as last year’s festivities in Philly – when my purse was stolen! We finally met some people closer in age to us – every one we have met thus far is in their late twenties or older. I always enjoy meeting new people, especially here though. It’s such a diverse crowd, in that everyone has their own story of how they came to live in Shanghai, yet we all form a large community to share our experiences here – I love it!
Sunday, after sleeping in, I went to the fabric market with Chris. I hadn’t planned on having anything made, but the stall across from the one Chris was in had awesome summer fabrics that I just had to check out. I have been wanting a long, light and airy skirt. So, after choosing the fabric I liked, I described to the tailor the style I was looking for and he gave me a good price. They normally like to take a week to make things, so I will pick it up this Sunday.
Good news, my boss gave the OK to Chris and I for taking a couple of days off to travel. So, now I am just looking into places to go – if anyone has suggestions, please let me know!
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