Lots of Shopping, and some Wandering

The 'monsoon' came Friday night, but wasn't as bad as the first one. It kept up from our French café for the evening, but not from Salsa Caribe. I went with Sarah, Katie, and Tomas. We were later joined by Max. The boys proved useful, twirling us away from creepy guys we didn't want to dance with. We girls also employed what I think of as the Triceratops' method of defense, closing a tight protective circle and watching each others' backs.

We got home at 4 am and proceeded to sleep away the morning. After we all woke and sat, we went shopping at a several-story mass of stall-style shopping, then for massages, manicures, and pedicures, although I skipped out on the last two to go back to the apartment and skype with Kevin. I'm sure I'll have many chances for $5 manicures and pedicures before I leave. I'll have to stop shopping anyways, to conserve suitcase space. So I can just spend all my money on pampering.

Of course, there does seem to be some intersection between shopping and pampering here.On Sunday I (surprise) went shopping again, though this time at a more upscale place, with Lepac. The ladies in the above picture were helping me try on jewelry that cost tens of thousands of dollars (that's an opal) and admiring the purse I bought earlier in another store.

We also found dogs. They're very well behaved. Lepac says this is one way in which Beijing has changed in the last 10 years; now people have pets.
We also found and walked through a beautiful, peaceful area of the city.
And these workers.
And Wangfujing, a big area with malls, shops, restaurants... even DDR, as I hear it.
Then we headed for home. I had a quiet evening, started reading a new book, talked with Aviv and Kevin, and rewatched Kung Fu Panda, this time with my roommates. Sarah and Katie liked Kung Fu Panda much less than their usual fare of Sex and the City, Gossip Girls, Big Love, Sex and Lucia, and the like. But Tomas and I enjoyed it. Oh, I also went for a walk and found a nearby aquaduct with a handful of old women hanging out and chatting. I may go back to this place.