Ok so today was one of the funniest days ever. But first, I have to say it started with a really good jumping session at the track. I'm starting to get excited to compete in a couple weeks... well 12 days to be exact.
Ok, now onto the funny stuff. So we took a shopping excursion downtown. First let me start by the picture of everyone lining up and staring at us as we got off the bus.
   Anyways, the bus drops us off and we are all thinking we are going to be able to just walk around downtown and kind of do our own thing right? Wrong. Our security (130 of them, 30 of us) usher us into this department store and when we tried to leave we were "stopped" by our security. They would not budge. Let me also mention, that we have to be here for 3 HOURS! There is no way we can stay in this department store for that long. So then we broke off into small groups and proceeded to attempt to sneak out. We failed a few times, but eventually my friend (and staff member) Sharifa and I finally got away. Check out this crazy mall that we were in!
  We were officially on the run!... in the city havin a ball.... until, all of a sudden I started feeling like we were being followed... and like we kept seeing the same men in every store we walked into. Eventually we realized that the "plain clothed" security had been ordered to "find" and "follow" our small groups that had escaped. So the two of us had 3 people following us around all day. It was pretty funny.
 (ok, so I can't figure out how to turn the pictures... but this was the point that I looked at Sharifa and said "I think we're being followed."
 (After we let our bodyguards know that they were no longer incognito... they posed for a picture for us)
 (Sharifa tried to escape... so they had to grab her..haha) On our excursion we decided to get manicures and pedicures. It was a very different experience than getting a manicure and pedicure at home. First of all, it cost only $7 for both! Also, they didn't have the machines that you put your hands/feet under to dry them, instead they FAN your hands and feet until they are totally dry. And when I say FAN, I don't mean that they plug in a fan in front of you. I mean they actually WAVED fans over your hands and feet! And we didn't get to put our feet in the hot water tub... but they DID spray our feet with a water sprayer! It was very different, but very fun. And did I mention it only cost $7?!
  So, the $7 mani/pedi and Sharifa and I feeling like we were living in the Bourne Identity was so much fun and the highlight of my day. We laughed about us "breaking out" and "escaping" and then being "caught" all day long. Oh, and did I also mention that we have a medical staff here of about 10 people for the track team... and I have been getting massages every night. I am getting way too spoiled over here in China ;-)
That's it for now... catch up with you all later!
|