Long time no blog. Well, not really but I know how much you rely on your dose of Ellen. Chinese Ellen at that!
On Friday I really needed to get my Halloween costume so a group of us went to Qipu Lu (Cheapo Road, haha) to shop. This is an insane market with thousands of stalls. In addition, there is a thriving black market of fake designer goods so every 8.2 seconds some hustler comes up saying "Bag, shoose, Rorex?" I wasn't in the mood though so I just purchased what I needed. It's unfortunate though because I'm always thinking "Wow, China has everything, even the most random items," but when I was specifically looking for a mirrored headdress, it just could not be found. That said, my wig was fantastic!
That night, CIEE took us all on a cruise down the Huangpu River, which bisects Shanghai. It was a beautiful night and very shiny. I even saw some fireworks. My roommate and the host families came. Since I am the talk of the host family circuit, I had to make the rounds. I went up in Travis's mom's esteem because I "did my hair and look much prettier this time." Ah, China.
The next day, the big one, was Halloween. Our challege: to find Matilda, my roomie, a costume. We searched high and low, but settled on the basic cowgirl, for which my regular wardrobe actually has all the ingredients. She looked adorable.
As Lady Gaga, I needed to look like a space Barbie, which I think I accomplished pretty well. Our group also included a sexy PLA officer, a panda, Batgirl, and the petty bourgeoisie (see girl with lace gloves).
We leave campus via a side gate, around which many migrant workers congregate. They sell IP phone cards, snacks, and the like. They watched our mad parade pass by with great amusement. Because I looked like a raging lunatic, I counted on the wig to disguise me. Little did I know, these people have a keen eye because when I left this morning to find food, they all asked how my night was. My favorite lady who sells pork sandwiches said I looked "very pretty." I asked whether she recognized me and she promptly said, "Yes...with the hair!" To which I replied, "How embarrassing" and she said, "No you looked skinny and tall."
So, lesson learned, a wig doesn't disguise you very well.
I came home before everyone else and went to sleep so I missed my roommate returning along with all the drama that drunken foreign-exchange students bring back to dormitories. This morning was filled with stories and laughter and was one of the best I have had here.
Who would have thought that an American holiday could be so fun in not-America-land?
looovve,
ellen
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