July update

Went to moganshan, roughly 2 hrs outside shanghai.

About 20 of us (friends and friends of friends of friends) all took the train from shanghai to hangzhou, then took a bus up to Moganshan, where we stayed at Naked Retreats . The purple ridge lodge was our home for 3 days and two nights- we cooked our own meals, ate together, talked and devised plans for hiking, which were then detoured by a saturday of night. The weekend was chock full of relaxation, rejuvenation, and refreshment. Clean air! tons of tall green trees! crazy caterpillars, and a water reservoir we couldn't swim in b/c it was their drinking water. The photo you see above is over a little lake next to the reservoir. It was beautiful at nighttime. We also BBQ'd (yesss) played with the 4 dogs that roamed the house, play'd board games, read, etc. The house was beautiful in a modern rustic way, decorated with wall hangings, curvy tree trunks, and loaded with ikea glassware and dishes. There was an antique barber chair, as well as a "pit" area outfitted with cushions, and pillows in front of a, you guessed it, flat screen TV and DVD player. (we watched Beijing bicycle)

Last weekend we hit the fabric/textile market, where I submitted a sketch in hopes of having a dress made. Its a casual dress for work and whatev, and we'll see if its turns out, when I go back to pick it up this saturday! The fabric market is typically where you get clothes custom made- but in style and fit. For a sweet price. We're talking $11 for custom men's dress shirt. My dress fully lined, will be roughly $25, i think.

Oh yeah, and we're also having a typhoon right now. I got caught in the rain yesterday and it was immensely - raining. Raining elephants and whales. Stupendously windy, and surprisingly not hot!

Can't remember anything else. Playing in cardboard boxes a lot. Peace!