No matter how cheap/expensive things are in China, I spent a lot of time finding stuff I need to buy. Price for things certainly differ a lot from the ones in the States based on availability and the subject's appeal.
For example, can you believe this nice-looking glass of (non-alcoholic) beverage is served in Pizza Hut? (And the nice pot of fruit tea behind it too.)
Pizza Hut is considered a very nice restaurant in China. When I went that Sunday, I had to wait for my named to be called outside in order to go in and have lunch. Not only was there 10 more groups of people before me, but also one of the groups is a 10-kids B-day pack. The food there are...expensively priced as well. I believe this glass of fruit punch cost above 20 yuan, which is about 3 bucks. This sounds at least reasonable in US. However, Chinese people, in average, earn at least 1/4 as much money as people here, I believe. So...do you still want a glass of fruit punch now? It was really delicious though.
I also got a really nice Swarovski necklace (ha, I think that was the cheapest I saw in the store?) It cost like $100. It looks great with casual and more formal outfits. And the strings that came with it are adjustable in length. :) Too bad this picture definitely does not do it justice.
Anyway. There ARE cheap stuffs in China too! :D I bought these cute tiny purses and the basket underneath as well. Those pouches cost like $1.50 and the basket cost $6. :)) They look quite chic and lovely to me.
I also got some REALLY cute pens! They can tots be accessories on desks. Esp. the red one has Priya's funny eyelashes. :P
I went shoes shopping as well. I totally needed some wedges and I got them. :) Sandal wedges are the best! They are actually quite comfy and are in a more nude/milky color than the white color in the picture.
I also got oxfords!!! Those are nice-looking at any time. I LOVE the studs on the back. As soon as I saw them I bought them hahaha. I saw this pair of really nice pumps on sale the other day but I didn't bring any money with me at the time. :\ They were also nude and has really nice cheetah detail on the back and the heels! I also went to other places mentioned in a previous post. But I will put up a picture of the dress I bought in the next post!
It's always been interesting to see how my hometown has changed through the past few years. I still remember two years ago when I visited, one of the malls have "upgraded" and housed all these expensive brands like Versace and Louis Vuitton. This time, not only does that mall expanded, but also another one of the very popular malls upgraded and now there are like...two Salvatore Ferragamo boutiques 15 minutes apart in one city. There is also another new mall with these world-class brands like Burberry opened up in another part of the city where I visited. It's situated in a new popular living community far from the old center of the city (because many more people have cars to drive to more distant places now). And the mall itself should count as the largest in Suzhou (even though many spaces are still empty yet.) It has plenty of in-door and out-door spaces. And the facilities around it are amazing. There is also another mall closer to the city center that is more "American". It is one of those giant building with "everything" - Walmart, food places, clothing boutiques, Sephora, car sales, real estates, etc - in it. It is quite awesome because I actually found H&M, Mango, and Zara there. I went there a couple of times because the clothes I can buy there are actually acceptable in the States! :D I bought a halter summer dress at H&M after all. Those were some great shopping experiences since G-ville does not have H&M, or Mango, or Zara.
Another observation of mine was how college entrance exam is so nerve-wrecking for Chinese parents and students. After I arrived in the evening of June 3rd, I couldn't really hang out with most of the people I know because they were in their last days of preparing for that exam which took place on the 7th, 8th, and 9th. I didn't make an appearance on the morning of the 7th at the exam sites to say good-luck to them as I felt they would not want to see me. But I did go in the afternoon on the 9th. Since it was the last day of the exams, there were many TV people ready to interview the parents and the college-freshman-to-bes. I went with a friend who went back to Suzhou 3 months before me from Canada. I also met other friends there who weren't taking the exam. But mostly, there were parents and grandparents waiting nervously outside the gate. It was a very warm day. I'd say it was above 95 degrees and it was a very sunny day. I felt slightly...wrong as I pushed through the crowd to get to the front of the people. I mean, I wasn't really there for anyone. I was just there for fun, for the sake of being there. But anyway, I thought I just came along with a friend. It wasn't my idea at first after all. I saw a couple of people I know including two of my very good friends. They looked relieved.
After a couple of weeks, the results came back. Some of my friend did really well. Some of them got into the schools they wanted to go to. Some of them were angry. Some of them were sad. However, at a time like this, most of their feelings whether positive or negative, were toward themselves. No one but the system should be blamed. Yet nothing can change the system. It is quiet pathetic. The only thing I figured out in this situation was to be optimistic no matter what happens.
There are yet other observations. But they will seek their way out into the world in more posts.
I still regret forgetting to bring my camera with me when I went to the Ferris Wheel in Suzhou (my hometown and where I stayed the whole time when I was in China.) But I captured some other pretty scenery in Suzhou Gardens.
There's a saying that "Suzhou and Hangzhou are like heaven in the real world." Suzhou Gardens are nationally well-known tourist attractions. I used to play around in all these Gardens a lot when I was little. But since I only go back once every two years, I felt I should go visit once again especially after I got a slightly better camera than the one I had last time. You can click the picture to see it larger. (It will refresh the whole page, so the music will restart once you return to the page...just saying.) Also, I made some of the blurry stuff in some simple programs that my laptop actually allows to install. (*cough cough* photoshop *cough cough*) Enjoy.
So..I've been watching this Korean drama called World's Within (그들이 사는 세상). :) It is really awesome! PLUS Hyun Bin and Song Hye Kyo <333. They are the cutest couple ever!! The drama is about this guy and girl who are both drama directors. Yeah..basically dramas in a drama. :) It is really cute cuz the two actually will be in a relationship at the beginning of the drama instead of eventually lives happily ever after at the end. Well...I mean it is more realistic than a lot of other dramas. :) Here's a poster.
Ahh..they are my fav. Korean actors!!! <333>
sry there are supposed to be some new year goals that i typed up but somehow they are gone! :'( sry im too lazy to write again haha
Heya, I just came back from China a few days ago. =] Great food over there. I miss it. Sorry I couldn't write blogs while I was there because blogger was blocked. -.-
7 days 'til George Mason. Isn't that exciting??? :D
Oh, Jacob mailed me a postcard while he was at Cornell. =]
I am spending my days memorizing SAT vocabs. -.- But most of the time I am procrastinating.
I changed my blogger layout. Don't you love it? I thought it was very cute.
I got a haircut when I was in China. I have short hair now. :) I'm gonna donate my hair.
I got Nikon Coolpix L100 from dad!
I'm getting a new phone. :D
I finally got my black forensics shoes!!! with the right height of heels!!!
I didn't get a chance to learn any Italian while spending my time in China. What a shame.
I will be volunteering at upstate surgery center tomorrow! :D
I watched Wimbledon Men's Single Final this morning (and afternoon). It was amazing.
It was really nice to have Papa Jones and Pizza Hut in China. They were...kinda expensive...But I had a lot of cash in hand...no worries :)
I saw my amazing friends in China. :D I bought many cute stuff...AND my friends gave me lots of cute dolls! ^^
Too much to say. Hope you are loving my new layout. :)
P.S. I love penguins. My fav color is green (but my fav meebo appearance is black) I really like the last harry potter book. I think eminem's mockingbird/crack a bottle/beautiful are pretty amazing but mockingbird is the first eminem song I really liked. ;)
My ipod is full today after my friend sent me all the songs I wanted for a long time. Jay Chou is finally not my artist-with-the-most-songs on my ipod. =] Eminem just took over and DBSK just went [hooch] passing by Jay Chou's songs as well.
18 days until I go back to China! =D I can't believe time passed by so fast. :) Now I got a little white board in my room and I wrote all those 'important' things on there, such as how many days til I go back. And I also put the picture of me and my classmates in middle school on there. =] I miss them very much...so, I'm gotta be busy as hell from now on! I'm going shopping all weekend starts tomorrow to buy stuff for my old friends. =] Since APs are over I don't have to worry about anything any more. Finals are going to be so easy. =]]
YAY KRIS WON AMERICAN IDOL!!!! =D Everyone please listen to Kris Allen's songs in my player on the right.
I have to mention that DBSK is not gay, guys. Thanks to plastic sergeries.
I just realized I haven't written any blog post since riverside tournament. So it's time for writing a new one.
My brain felt deadly blank about blogging for the past few weeks. I guess it's just too noisy inside, too much thinking about both useful and useless stuff. I would curled myself on the little couch and gaming on iminlikewithyou for 2 hours just to get one level up. And once I also felt full of accomplishment after getting all the javadox done for my science fair write up at 5:00 o'clock in the morning [IN BED!]. lawlz. That was awful. But I DID do it in my bed because I don't want to wake my dear mom downstairs. And the night before States I was working on my oratory for districts until 3:00 and both Reina and Gary were like AIM-ing me "Go to sleep". But I don't regret any of those time.
Arghh...and I passed out last Wednesday night so I skipped Thursday morning to do my calc ratio test hw. What a good IB kid!
I was seriously lack of sleep for a long time. And magically I got all of them made up last week. But apparently this week is another non-sleeping week. But I'll get used to it eventually, I believe. I'm just a sophomore. Next year will be more fun, right?
It snowed, very heavily. I remember I was doing my computer science project and I suddenly saw really heavy snow out of my windows. And I shouted that to Amit who lives in Greer. And half an hour later, it snowed over there, too. And then 3 days later, we were finally able to go to school again. I definately did not miss school at all. I was in a dreadful time with my dear computer science project. The thought of it almost killed me once appeared in my mind. But aren't we all proud of ourselves for staying up late and working on stuff that we liked and would like to get it done? I'm not that in love with computer science unlike the other four people in my class. But I'm still a good programmer, I think. I like to write a little program which could do something that is fun. And I found it's a lot easier to program once I got this huge more-than-3000-line program working. So I am looking for a summer internship of programming little applications for companies or websites. But unfortunately I don't think I found anyone who wants ME to contribute a bit of my brain cells...and get paid back. But I'm still looking, one should never give up what they want, right?
One of the main reasons for lack-of-sleep of this week, if my dear love forensics. I got so excited for districts before and a few days after States. But...I got scared and jumped backwards this week when I heard how it is going to work. I just don't feel like retelling it again. But it is really, really scary. But States was a pretty amazing experience for me. =] I'm glad I got into semi's + SOUTHSIDE IS THE STATE CHAMPION!!! I am so proud of us all. =]
WATCHMEN. I loved that movie. So intense. Who watches the watchmen? No one is perfect. And don't expect superheroes are going to save you. There's no ideal things in democracy, or, in the world. Watchmen need people to watch 'em, too.
*Sigh*...my brain is still deadly blank for blogging. I was talking to a friend while practising for oratory on Monday afternoon, and she told me she just loves writing English essays. But I, just always have no desire to write what so ever. Since I came to United States, I totally lost my desire of writing. Now I really want to know how I could write such beautiful poems when I was back in Suzhou. I could always write beautiful poems/ballads/sonnets/essays, although I always need to think about it for a while. But now I'm too busy with life instead of those meaningful and enjoyable moments. One live a life, not just on one's life, but one should work on the little details. I don't know why I changed. I am more like a science-loving person. I mean, I am just not good at humanity, although my feeling still changes and is still alive. It got frozen and drawn into the deepest part of my body, and apparently, was never going to wake up.
