shanghai shopping

so far, I feel like I have been sent to shanghai to shop.

sunday being my first real day, and the almost-last-day of two gals who have been here for a while, we did some shopping. DVDs. then clothes. (I got none, but did get the business cards of a couple of places to return to.)

then we went to lunch, the hotel "spa" (hot tub, sauna, pool) and then went out for foot massages. we went to a no-frills local place and got an adidas-clad team of massagers: two young pretty girls and a blind man in his forties. they chatted with each other the entire time we were there (they do it for an HOUR, although some places do it for even longer). the man was occasionally very animated when he spoke and I like to think he was telling some good stories or that they were gossiping about a co-worker. they were nothing but pleasant, even when one of them was clearly talking about me for god-knows whatever reason. I think it was something like this:
young pretty girl #1: "this girl has some seriously crazy calouses. like has she ever heard of a file?"
young pretty girl #2, giggling and looking at me: "funny. where's she from do you think?"
young pretty girl #1 (in english): "where you from?"
me: "united states"
young pretty girl #1 (in english): "uh? where?"
my two companions and myself, simultaneously: "america"
young pretty girl #1: "ah"
she switches back to chinese: "ya, she should know what a foot file is. poor thing."

I have decided that china will be nothing but good for my mutant grandma feet. if I can manage to get a foot massage at least three times a week while I am here, I should be plantar faciitis free by the time I leave. of course, I may have an ulcer by then... one of the gals I was with asked what part of her foot signified her stomach health (she's been having some stomach issues), and the massage girl told her she had felt problems with her small intestines and told her she had trouble sleeping (which she had told me earlier in that day she had). the other gal had stomach problems according to her massage-ist, and I had problems with my duodenum. whatever that is. I looked it up online and found a site talking about duodenal ulcers which I decided I should avoid reading, but has nevertheless convinced me I have one.

I am also convinced I need to find chris's magic red trumpet stomach pills PRONTO; I am bound to get a stomach bug of some sort eventually. (everyone's doing it. )