okay, can somebody please tell me why in guilin, a small town surrounded by terraced rice fields and farmland, there is an abundance of friendly internet cafes, but in a cosmopolitan city like shanghai, internet cafes are impossible to find?!?! it confounds me, yet it makes sense.

S I G H.

i was really looking forward to photo blogging more about guilin, as well as my first two days here in shanghai, but this scary internet cafe won’t let me use the USB port. they even scanned my passport at the reception desk.

my photo-laden entries are getting backed up. i have so much to share!

right now, my feet are soaking in sweat and rain water. it’s been sprinkling all day. being the stubborn fool that i am, i refused to carry my umbrella or buy a new one from the many umbrella hawkers on the street. with the constant vacillation between humidity, dampness, an uncomfortable wet/cold, and indoor air conditioning, i probably am growing susceptible to a cold.

since i can’t post any pictures here, i thought i’d list some more inane random bits:

* as i’ve already mentioned a bizillion times, things are cheap! a few examples:
water bottle (you need a lot of these)= 1-3 RMB ($.10 to $.40)
milk tea = 3-5 RMB ($.40 to $.67)
street snacks = 1-5 RMB ($.10 to $.67)
mcdonald’s meal (double cheeseburger with large fries, drink) = 19 RMB ($2.50)
an order of xiao long bao plus appetizer (very filling) = 28 RMB ($3.75)
green onion pancake off the street = 1 RMB ($.10)
a decent ride (15, 20 min) on the beijing subway = 5 RMB ($.67)
a 30 minute cab ride in beijing = 30 RMB ($4)
small room in a shanghai “business hotel” = 198 RMB/night ($27)
cool long sleeve, thick high-collar henley = 115 RMB ($15…okay, so this isn’t THAT cheap by forever 21 standards, but it’s still good!)
admission to famous scenic attractions, like a huge garden or park = $30-50 RMB ($4-$8)

* hocking loogies. it’s part of the ambient landscape.

* this is a given, but if/when the sun’s out, the parasols pop open. on two separate occasions chinese women have commented on my “white” skin, which is funny, b/c i always try to tan when possible. in guilin, the women have figured out a clever way to mount open umbrellas on their bicycles.

* i’ve seen more than my share of men and women hanging out in the streets wearing jammies, sometimes while working. it’s cute.

* little tots wear pants with the butt part cut out. like a donut, i guess, but with wee legs.

* the majority of internet cafe regulars watch movies or play games (quite violently – i hear some serious keyboard slapping). it’s a comfy atmosphere. some guys kick back topless with a cig.

* when people discover i’m from america, they immediately comment on how much money we have and how little they have.

* so many varieties of loafers on so many middle aged men. it’s worn with everything, including pajamas, shorts, wife beaters, track suits, etc. it’s the national shoe.

* another new favorite thing of mine: fresh kiwi juice. i had it at the guilin nightmarket and it was a revelation. the acidity of the fruit tickles tickles my throat in a tingling and satisfying way. the one at the nightmarket, though very small, was only 1 RMB ($.10). i got one in the basement of a shanghai supermall and it cost 18 RMB ($2.40). granted, it was a bit bigger, but still not as good.

i guess i better trudge back to the hotel now. my goal is to avoid using a cab at all costs, which is pretty silly considering how cheap they are, especially considering how much i’m willing to stupidly drop on one meal. i did a naughty thing last night, something no traveler on a budget should do…i ate on the bund…at jean georges. let’s just say it’s housed in the same building as emporio armani.

the good news: it’s only my second “fancy” meal since arriving in china. i indulged my desire for upscale cuisine, the food was good, and i can finally cross a jean-georges vongerichten establishment off my life restaurant list (score!).

the bad news: funds are depleting at a worrisome breakneck pace. though i’ve been cheap on every single front and it’s affordable here, things add up. it’s only in china that i can fiscally manage (if that) vacationing for an extravagant length of time.

THANKS EVERYONE for all your comments. i know i say this all the time, but they’re like little nuggets of goodness that i truly relish.

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 22nd, 2007 at 10:28 am and is filed under asia, travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.