Time Files So Fast In Busy Daily Life…

Its been a great few days. After more than a month of loner-living in the biggest city in the world, I’m transitioning back into the familiar. Tracey(mom) arrived on Thursday, remarkably chipper after a 14 hour flight. Our meet-up went smoothly. We packed onto the subway, and were both kind of shell-shocked during the ride realizing that she had actually made it to China.

Indeed, Mom is hilarious in China. People here aren’t exactly rude to each other, but they sure aren’t as polite as she is. She’ll give an emphatic “thank you!” to our waiters and doormen, who usually grin and nod back. I’ve found that I’ve built up a more callous attitude to people that are selling me things than at home, which helps when I’m trying to negotiate for a price. We were buying jewelry the other day, and the saleswoman and I were going head-to-head. Mom kind of blew my cover by saying, “oh, but she’s been very helpful and it is lovely,” right when I was using the “we can buy it somewhere else and it’s not that special” bluff.

Mom gets a particular kick out of the Chinglish that is everywhere. One of her favorites came to be the title of this blog-Time Files So Fast In Busy Daily Life-that she saw on a backpack while window shopping.

Its been fun being able to be the “director” of this visit, as I’ve accumulated a list of sights and places over the summer that I get to experience with someone other than myself. We’ve made our way to the Bund, People’s Square, Jade Budda Temple, the art district, and the French Concession. Every place has been enjoyable, and we pepper our excursions with rests in art-deco cafes(there are a lot of them here) to escape the heat.

Tonight, we are going to the famous acrobatics show. We’re both excited to see the talent on display, but we’re equally excited about the AC in the auditorium. Tomorrow, we’ll head to Hangzhou to visit “West Lake.” The last days of my internship are this week, and it’s shaping up to be an excellent conclusion to my summer.