48 hours after landing, I am already blending in as a native Han Chinese. Today we bused over to Lujiazui Road where we ascended the world's fourth-highest tower, the "Oriental Pearl TV Tower". If they had built it any higher, smog would have prevented seeing anything at all below. We then crossed the Huangpu River via tunnel and emerged in the 1920's architecture of "the Bund," Shanghai's former European financial district, looking across at the TV Tower and a dozen other skyscrapers. I engaged in my first haggling session with a man peddling roller wheels that can be strapped to sneakers. He started at 30 kuai (about $4) and I got him to 15. This served as an introduction to the feeling of heartless Western exploitation which marks every such transaction. In the end, I still got taken, as one girl got them for 10 kuai.

After lunching in the terribly tourist-ridden Yu Gardens of Old Town, we returned to the special foreign student accomodations at East China Normal University. Apparently we live quite well here, with fresh towels every day and a small air conditioning unit, although UVA's first-year dormitories are seeming luxuriously spacious. I then struck out successfully with a buddy on a bike-purchasing mission. For the mere price of $40 I now have the ability to be flattened by Shanghai's lawless "drivers" while I try merely to locate a cup of coffee in this land of tea drinkers.

One must always pay attention to what one is drinking over here. Last night, for example, my bubble tea turned out to be a snow cone covered with red beans and split peas. Delicious.

There is much to be shared, but I will keep things as brief as possible.