Lucy had her day off from work today and so we hopped in the car and she showed us the weekend market. At this point we've seen almost everything, but it was still very unique. There was a block or two of small shops and stalls beneath a tall roof. We wound up and down the aisles, scanning the pottery, bronze status, and jade jewelry with trained and experienced eyes. We both found a few small things right away, and after an hour or so of more browsing, the cold forced our frozen fingers to seek the car. It was not only cold, but windy today.
Next Lucy was going to treat us to foot massages at her regular neighborhood parlor, but first we had to make a quick stop at the Silk Market. This five story building is infamous for its annoying and loud vendors and for its extensive collection of fake brand name purses, shoes, and clothes. Being surrounded by copyright lawyers and daughters of intellectual property lawyers, we all quickly tired of riding the escalator and finding nothing worth pretending to buy. Although I'm sure that there were some interesting purchases to be made, we had done enough shopping by that point.
The foot massage was overall spectacular. We had been walking a lot this past week so it was just what we needed. They definitely knew what they were doing, but unfortunately Alicia had the luck of getting the sleeper. Apparently Lucy has learned to stay away from this guy because she's been there enough times to know better. It was a little annoying and a little funny, but more than that it was sad to see that this man was working so hard that he was just simply not able to keep his eyes open while he was working. He's clearly not sleeping enough.
All that massaging made us hungary. Lucy we suggested we stop at the Starbucks by the grocery store. We were slightly skeptical about this, but soon decided that their turkey sandwiches were delicious, and that the hot chocolate and coffee (guess who got what) was the perfect thing for a day like today. After eating we went downstairs to load up on some groceries to get us through the week. Lucy surprised us by getting them for us. We were grateful but both thinking that she shouldn't be so thoughtful. Is it possible to be too nice and generous?
We jumped in the car and swung by home to make a pit stop and let Lucy go before heading to Jingshan Park. This park was just north of the Forbidden City and provided amazing views of the city from the hill at its center. We stayed there until sunset, observing the park life and the communities of people talking, playing cards, or playing musical instruments. It's hard not to fall in love with a Chinese park after even just walking through. You find a sense of community not found in many places in the world. We were impressed with the number of people out in the waning winter sun to be with their community and enjoy each other's company outdoors!
On the way back from the park we wanted to drop off some postcards. It was a little challenging as the driver cannot speak or understand any English. We pointed to the word post office in the guidebook, but thankfully realized after he'd starting making a phone call that he had thought we were pointing to the world police. OOPS.
We returned home in time to have some tea and get ready for dinner. We were going to Lucy's favorite restaurant in the entire world, Pure Lotus. Lucy's friend and translator Karen (and husband) met us there. The menus were insane as the restaurant was vegetarian and had to come up with creative ways to make shark fin, chicken, and Peking duck a vegan dish. Thankfully Lucy and Karen ordered and we enjoyed every morsel we tried. The endless supply of tea was delightful and was great for washing down the rich food.
We arrived home exhausted. We planned out our day for tomorrow and passed out.
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