And number 3... called "Dispatch 3 from the other side of the world"

Ni hao! And apologies to those of you who are just now in my little e-journal loop. I just recently had time to sit down and create a "group" for these emails. It's 10:37am right now and I'm sitting in my friends' apartment sponging off their kindness yet again. (They're internet connection is WAY better than anywhere else I've found.) They are busy getting ready for our trip today to Shanghai. I should be doing the same, but those of you who have lived with me know that I always put things off to the last minute. :)

The past few days have been pretty tame, but, since everything is new to me here, I have lots to report:

1) Contrary to popular belief, the Chinese do not just find dogs to be tasty additions to dinner, but also find them to be lovable. I have seen a lot of people on the street with pet dogs. Now, I have noticed that most people favor the smaller breeds... the little toy dogs... and I haven't really made up my mind about this preference. Is it because most people live in apartments and have little space to keep a big dog? Or... is it because these animals are so small they're just not worth the effort of stir-frying them?

2) Okay, I admonished of few of you for having dirty minds (you know who you are!!) when I wrote about having my first massage over here. I take it back. You were right. There ARE those kind of massages here. Apparently, you can go to a massage place and request either a "therapeutic" massage or one for "entertainment." Basically, if you ask for an entertainment massage, you're asking for a prostitute. And while prostitution is basically illegal here, it's not really. The authorities look the other way. And no... for those of you imagining some funny scenario where Angela walks into a massage place and accidentally requests an entertainment massage, let me just tell you that didn't happen. I was just told about them.

3) For those of you with "potty" issues, don't come here EVER unless you plan to only stay in 5-star hotels and dash back there everytime you have to go. There aren't many places that have western-style toilets. What most people use here -- in the office buildings, restaurants, etc -- is basically a hole in the ground. Now, it's a tiled and porcelain hole in the ground, but still you have to squat over it. AND you can't throw toilet paper into it. You have to put it into the trashcan next to the hole. I'll say no more.

4) Neon is big here. At night, there are a lot of buildings and signs lit up here in technicolor neon. It's loud and gaudy and I love it. Makes me feel like I'm always in Vegas. :)

5) At night, Chinese people are outside, socializing with each other, walking through the park, playing chess, etc. You can also see little old ladies dancing in groups for exercise. I love that eveyone seems to be connected to each other here... It's like Chengdu is a little neighborhood of 14 million. I don't feel like I'm in a big city at all.

6) The notion of status is still very much a reality here. Now, of course, we recognize status in the States, but I think it's a little more pronounced In China. For example, Tao and Lisa drive a BMW and you don't see many of those here. And basically, a BMW means you can go anywhere. You can park on the sidewalk, you can make u-turns in the middle of the street, you have the best parking spots reserved for you. And you never open your own door... wherever you are someone is there to open your door for you. I gotta get me a beemer... :)

Okay, that's it for now. I'm off to Shanghai to get into some shenanigans. :)

Miss you...
Angela