The Wandering Monkey

10am: in cab, receive incoming phone call. It's my former dance partner and friend from America. Surprised, I greet her and we exchange news. She gives me the latest information and asks for some life advice for a friend of hers.
10:15am: Enter a local English-teaching school. They have seen Shanghai Swings on TV and want to hire us for a class. Everything looks good but their initial pay offer is about 30% of our initial asking price. Can't drop that low; it costs more to live here than the income generated. Will respond with very firm counter offer.
11:30am: I am really quite upset leaving the school. I don't know why I am so upset. It's not personal, but they did know roughly our price beforehand. I go for coffee and lunch.
12:30pm: Walking about the old neighborhood where I first lived in Shanghai, Xu Jia Hui ("shoo jyah hway"). I stop in a barber shop and ask for a massage. Barber shops here all contain a massage room. Every single one. I thought it odd when I first arrived.
1:45pm: That massage was awful. The girl was apparently sick and kept sniffing all the time. Why she didn't break to blow her nose I know not. Cost was good, though: 28rmb, or about $US 3.50.
2:15pm: Go for second massage at another place. This time the girl is qualified. Finally my back and leg muscules are relaxed a bit. This is becoming more important since I am dancing so much... and, admittedly, I am aging a touch.
3:15pm: Pay them 60rmb (about $US 6.80). That's the nice thing about this place. I am holding some of the dancing brochures and I tell the girl behind the counter I am a tiao wu lao shi (dancing teacher). Immediately, the three masseusse girls waiting behind me all jump up to look at the brochure. I got a kick out of that.
3:30pm: Wander about and go to a Internet cafe. I decided today is definitely my day off (minus the morning meeting).
5:15pm: A young lady friend calls and wants to drop off some DVD's and get dinnner.
6:00pm: Dinner, walking about town.
9:00pm: Go grocery shopping with ladyfriend. I hate shopping alone, and my bachelor fridge is out of all food except Ramen noodles.
11:00pm: Walk her back to her place. On the way we talk about life and the philosophy of those types of people who settle down and those others who do not, like ourselves.
11:45pm: Drop her off and go to another rather nice Internet cafe. Start blogging.