Wo ai Shanghai Yin Yue Xue Yuan

Wow. (Oh...the subject heading means: I love the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in Mandarin) So I'm sorry that I haven't been able to write anything at all. We're still working on getting an internet connection going in the dorm rooms upstairs (it's now taken about two weeks...it was only supposed to take three days. Go figure). Things started out pretty crazy, but I think finally now entering my third week here in Shanghai everything is falling into place. 

Every morning Monday-Friday, I take three hours of Chinese. I have one 1.5 hour lesson per week, though more if I request it from my teacher He Xuan. I am working on forming a string quartet with myself, a German cellist who just arrived and I guess two students from the Conservatory. And if they ever contact me about the orchestra, then that will take place twice a week. 

The food, if you were wondering, is delicious. Joanna, my Polish friend, and I have decided to try out all of the tiny street eateries around the school. We are right in the middle of the French Concession area, so there is a lot really closeby. I think though, we've been to Lawson's the most of all (it's like 7-11 only Chinese, which is both cool and kind of weird. For instance, they sell like fastfood meals in little cartons you put in the microwave, but it's like dumplings or chow mein or a rice dish). Our other favorite place is a little stand about six blocks away from the Conservatory on Fuxing Rd. that sells all kinds of baozi (the dough balls with a savory or sweet filling)...now those are delicious and only cost 1 RMB each!!!

Tonight we are going to the Peking opera...though it might actually be Cantonese, we aren't sure...but we'll find out when we get there. So I need to go finish practicing and get ready for that. I am going to try to update here as often as possible, but until I have internet in my room, it's a little shady as to when I will actually be online.

Hopefully there will be pictures soon as well...but we'll see.