Feel the love generation

While Lizzie packs, I'm going to take advantage of the opportunity to use a computer that is connected both to the internet and a power source! (The two do not come in such proximity at the Far East Youth Hostel.)

Saturday ended up MUCH better than it started out. Woke up around 8 and was kinda cold, so I headed back to the hostel, which the taxi driver got lost trying to find. Decided I was going to have to look into the suitcase situation before I could feel at peace, so I asked the hostel people how to call Shanghai's post office, and they sent me across to a service station place on the other side of the street. The guy there made a bunch of calls, none of which led to any contact with anyone helpful, but he did recommend that I go to the post office at Hepingli. It was seeming fairly likely I wasn't going to get it in time for my flight on Tuesday, which was pretty stressful and upsetting after all I'd done to try to do what made the most sense for dealing with having stuff and traveling, so I decided to eat brunch and see if I felt better. I did, but only in that I was less hungry, so I called home and panicked and made an action plan.

Took a 2-hour nap, after which I still felt fairly fragile but better. Took a taxi to the Hepingli post office, where they had no idea why I was told to go them, but did make a lot of calls, and when I didn't leave after they told me to go back to Lizzie's school and look for it, they eventually contacted the post office near the dorm- where it had arrived! I'm trying not to count my chickens before I actually have it in my own hands, but what a surprise and relief.

Had some time before evening, so I went to the Temple of Heaven, which was pretty incredible. I have trouble seeing these sites as real places and not just iconic images of China; I drive past the big Tian'anmen gate (I think? You know, the thing with Mao's picture on it.) on my way to Lizzie's dorm and it's so weird just to see it out the window.

Chilled at the hostel and did some dinnering, then met Lizzie and friends (one of whom sang a cappella with Daniel Herriges) to go out and about. The first place, Hou Hai, was a really pretty, decent-sized lake with lights and stores and bars and restaurants all around. There were people releasing lantern things into the sky, and it was really cool. Anyway, we had a good time, mostly just talking, and got back to the dorm. We were a group of 2 Swatties, 2 Yalies, and a Stanford student (Stannie? Stanfordie?) and conversation went from lip gloss to the SAT 2 Writing test to cross-cultural relationships in the blink of an eye. I enjoy my peers very much.