10K – Diet Coke – CNN – Sand Fleas

By 8:30am this morning I felt that I had accomplished quiet a lot.

I woke up and headed to the gym. I had run 10k (with only a 3min stop at the 5k mark for a potty break), had showered, had eaten breakfast and was settling down on my couch with a Diet Coke to watch some of the Presidential Debate on CNN.

The debate could only hold my interest for so long. I actually found the programming on HBO more captivating. Not sure what that says about me or the election process.

My Saturday was pretty much routine. However, I did have a Chinese lesson with Bella. I’m struggling with all of the different tones. You may be wondering what I mean by tones – let me explain a bit.

If you say the word “cup” in English – depending only on the context – it means the same thing no matter how it is said. So if I say “May I have a cup of water” or “Give me a cup of water or else!” no matter the tone (pleasant or harsh) it means the same thing. Not so in Chinese.

Basically there are four tones in Mandarin. Depending on the tone the same word could mean four different things. AHHH! No wondering I’m struggling. Even in Russian they didn’t have the concept of tones.

After my lesson I wasted away the afternoon at the fabric market and at a local Starbucks.

This evening I headed out to grab a bite with my neighbor Pat at a German restaurant. Unfortunately, on the way to dinner or at the restaurant itself I was attacked by some sort of bug. This is the third attack I’ve had in Shanghai. I’ve decided that it must be some sort of flea or chigger or something that like how I taste. During dinner I wound up getting 15 bites (yes, I counted them) on my lower legs. The itch and hurt worse than any mosquito bite I’ve ever had.

I’m now safely back in my bug free apartment and I am looking forward to a good night’s sleep as it has eluded me for the past few nights