I feel sick to my stomach, I just got scammed.

I was walking around one of the public parks when a smiling, chubby girl asked if I could take a picture of her and her two male cousins. Sure. I then asked if she would take a picture of me. She happily obliged and was surprised that I wasn’t Chinese. Then we got to talking about where I was from, why I didn’t look American, blah and blah. She said she was a student in Beijing and that she and her cousin were visiting their other cousin who was studying in Shanghai. Her two male cousins both spoke English, but she did a lot of translating between what I was saying and her two cousins. Her English was superb.

They gave me tips on where to go, including the Shanghai Museum, and dissuaded me from going to the Museum of Contemporary Art which was where I was headed. They were so friendly and totally genuine. Very smooth. They said they were on their way to a traditional tea ceremony and if I wanted to join. Sure, why not. Hanging out with the locals is always great, right.

We went to the second floor of a mall where we entered a small tea room. The tea person explained the process, passed around the price list, and the girl told me that the total for the tasting would be 30 yuan per person. After a lovely tasting, we each picked out a canister of tea to purchase in addition to the tasting fee.

When the tea person came back, the bill totaled over 1,200 yuan which is more than $300. I started freaking out. Then one of the male cousins said, you and I will split the bill since these other two are just students. Red flag on several fronts. First, they had told me they were all students. Second, I only agreed to 30 yuan. Third, I wasn’t going to fucking foot the bill for these fuckers.

I asked if they took credit card which they did not. I managed a squeamish smile and told them I did not have enough cash and that I needed to go to an ATM. No problem. I grabbed all my belongings sorta nonchalantly even though my heart was p-o-u-n-d-i-n-g. I knew I’d just been taken for a ride and I had to get out of there. The tea person and the girl escorted me to an ATM where I retrieved 1,000 yuan to cover this terrible mistake.

As we made our way up the escalator and walked toward the tea room, I held back. This is not right. They were both in front of me at this point. I said to the girl, “You lied to me. I’m not going back in there.”

Then I turned around and ran as she screamed, “What about your tea? Fuck you! Fuck you!” Damn good English for a Beijing girl.

I ran so fast that I actually slipped (as in the whole side of my body was down on the floor) when I descended the escalator. I got up quickly and sprinted two blocks toward a line of waiting cabs. I handed the hotel card to the cabbie as I shrunk down in my seat. “Please, hurry, please.” I am still shaken from the incident and had the hotel book me a spa treatment.

I’ve always felt it’s important to hang out with locals when traveling to really understand the people and culture. China, tea ceremony, how dangerous can that be? Very! Need more time to digest what happened and shake the jitters off.

What’s most important is that I’m safe. The other silver lining? I got a free canister of premium tea. I didn’t realize I’d put it in my purse until after I was home safe.

As a treat to myself for dodging the aggressive vendors around Yu Gardens, I had lunch at M on the Bund which is probably the most famous restaurant in Shanghai. The service was impeccable. I sat outside and my waiter brought me a shawl since he thought it was a little chilly. I’m from San Francisco and the weather in Shanghai is currently in the mid-60s, so this feels like summer to me. While the view was stunning, the food was so bad, I had to return my shrimp appetizer. The coq au vin drowning in gravy was even worse, but I didn’t have the heart to return that too. I’m a proud member of the clean plate club so when I didn’t finish half the chicken, that should be an indicator that the food undoubtedly sucks.

Sitting to my left was a table of six–two Americans and four Shanghainese including a translator. Maybe they thought I was an innocent kid. Maybe they figured I was harmless, even though I spoke American English to the wait staff. But I swear to God, they inadvertently disclosed to me a very highly confidential international growth strategy for one of the top pharmaceutical companies in the world. I even have names of executives who are carrying out these plans! The woman leading the conversation started out talking about Chicago, her prestigious gym the East Bank (Shanghainese don’t even work out, what does your gym have to do with anything?), University of Chicago, the Lab School, then she prefaced the rest of her comments by saying what she was about to say was not to be repeated and was very very confidential. Little did she know that a Chicago grad was sitting at the next table with perked-up ears on her pharmacy’s trade secrets! What a retard. She’s lucky I’m not naming her company.

Same scenario as that Apple employee who accidentally left renderings of the new iPhone at a Silicon Valley restaurant. I can sell this intelligence!

Considering life has been picture-perfect here in Shanghai, I finally frustrated a taxi driver so badly that he pounded his fist on the roof of the cab and cursed me in Mandarin. It wasn’t even my fault. But I wasn’t going to stick around and wait for him to strangle me, so I threw my money at him and hauled my booty outta there. Looks like I flagged him right at the peak of rush hour and when he finally turned on Nanjing Road where my hotel is located, he got caught in creepy-crawly gridlock. He screamed, then turned around and yelled at me. Yo, not my problem, dude!

I’ve come to realize that there isn’t anything I find more enjoyable when traveling than eating, drinking, and shopping. I went to the Yu Gardens this morning, another highly recommended tourist trap, and I really didn’t like it. The Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate Park is better manicured, more serene, and doesn’t smell like urine. So I’ve decided I’m not going to diligently follow my list of attractions, I’ll see whatever I see, but I want to spend my time walking around at my own pace, eating great food, and drinking great wine. What more can a girl ask for?

The more time I spend trekking this city, the more I love it! The people are very friendly and kind. They smile when I say, “Ni hao” for hello or “Xie xie” for thank you which is all I know for now. But soon I will need to master, “How much is this?” I’m saving all my shopping for the latter part of the trip.

I’m very proud of myself because this morning I did tasks that any local would do. I found a pharmacy, pointed at my head and frowned, and got me some ibuprofen – I slept so well, but woke up with a little headache. Then I walked several blocks until I found a bank and an ATM to withdraw a hefty amount of yuan. I don’t think I’ll ever get to the metro during this trip. Taking cabs for $2 is so easy and convenient. All I have to do is point at the Chinese characters for the place I want to go in my travel book or show them the hotel business card. It’s so simple, I feel spoiled.

My first big attraction was the four-story Shanghai Museum. It kinda reminds me of Nordstrom’s at the San Francisco center the way that it’s completely open with escalators going up and down for each floor. My travel book and several people told me the museum was a must-see. I’m sorry, but it wasn’t that great – more like mediocre. I expected something similar to the Hong Kong Museum which has mind-blowing, thought-provoking art. I left extremely disappointed, but later on Marc and I strolled for several hours through the Moganshan neighborhood with all the art galleries and we saw some good stuff, including an epic art installation that I discreetly took pictures of.

We had a late lunch at 3 on the Bund at Jean Georges who apparently is a famous French chef with restaurants in New York. I know nothing about the guy, but it was a lovely fixed price meal with a to-die-for foie gras. We took pictures of every dish.

Marc went into the office while I continued to walk along the Bund which reminds me of Michigan Avenue. Hells yeah, I used to live in Chicago. I’ve had so much fun exploring and the day is not yet finished. The plan calls for a fun lounge apres dinner tonight!

I’m finally here in China and I am loving it! I kept telling Marc tonight during dinner, “I could live here. This is so cute!” We had late night drinks and super yummy food in Xintiandi Square which is a fun, lively, hip area. Reminds me of the Marais district in Paris. Crowded lounges and restaurants at every turn. There were a lot of non-Chinese people walking around, too.

Getting to Shanghai couldn’t have been easier. I flew United from San Francisco to Los Angeles, then China Eastern from LAX to Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Although the flight was a very long 14 hours, I got to stretch out and sleep because I had a row to myself. Doesn’t get better than that! I slept well, ate some pretty good airplane food, and read our book club book which wasn’t so great, but kept me entertained.

The first thing someone said to me in Shanghai was that I looked very young. Thank you, customs!

Marc and the hotel driver were waiting for me as soon as I exited baggage claim, then we quickly drove off for the ride downtown. My first impression through a car window is that Shanghai reminds me of Burning Man or Vegas. There are scattered neon lights in the distance, tall buildings, interesting architecture–often times I felt like I was in Europe. Even at 9pm, there were still people shopping.

I made Marc promise to take us back to Xintiandi. I could spend hours walking along the cobblestone streets, eating Shanghainese food, and people watching.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Turkey Day! You know what made this year different for me? I cooked! I made four appetizers: shredded brussels sprouts with lemon and poppy seeds, parmesan cheese artichoke dip, spicy shrimp cucumber boats, and mango and radish salad with lime dressing. I learned that if I had a food processor, my prep time would have been cut down significantly. I only used the stove to saute the brussels sprouts so not sure if that was really cooking, but I think my family was pretty impressed. Everything turned out yummy and Dean’s been eating the leftovers. Hooray! I can’t wait for my new show on the Food Network.

Anyhow, instead of thinking how thankful I am once a year, I actually make it a daily habit. Every morning when I get into work, I write down in a pretty notebook what I’m thankful for. It usually has something to do with the previous day (i.e., I’m thankful for my awesome book club or I’m thankful for my business school friends who come from all over the world). Below that, I write three things that I expect to accomplish that day. This is a tactic I read in a blog (that she got from the book the 4-Hour Workweek) because it’s so easy to get carried away with responding to emails or voicemails that you forget about the things you really need to accomplish. For example, I’ll write, “1. Blog, 2. Return the Anthropologie blouse, 3. Research Shanghai hotspots.”

I can’t believe the year is almost over. It’s scary how fast time flies. It’s scary that I leave for China in one day. Very excited

Do me a favor and spend all that money you’ve been saving up! I own Target (TGT) and Urban Outfitters (URBN) stock so make sure to patronize those stores. My child’s private school education fund thanks you!

As a sidenote, the CEO of Urban Outfitters is a Chicago alum. They featured him in one of our alumni magazines and how he had the foresight and business know-how to rebrand Anthropologie which was so successful it was run separately as its own business entity before he became CEO of all Urban Outfitters. He believes so much in creativity that he builds in time and the budget for employees to drum up innovative solutions.

Back to the shopping topic, I was flabbergasted when I passed by Banana Republic on my way into work to read a sign posted on their front door that said they’d be open on Thanksgiving. Briskly walking to work, I figured the sign said Thanksgiving weekend, but I made a mental note to look into the matter. I read correctly. Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Walmart, Toys ‘R Us, Kmart, and Sears are open on Turkey Day. Unbelievable. Does overtime for the employees working that day cover the sales you’re projecting? More importantly, what does that say about the cultural environment that it doesn’t respect its employees enough to spend time with their families on this very important holiday.

Now for my shopping rediscovery. I’ve been eyeing Ugg boots because I need really comfortable, warm shoes for my trip to China. Up until high school, I shopped at the Children’s Place. I always found clothing there that fit and that I liked. There’s a Children’s Place store that I pass by sometimes on my way home from work. I decided to pop in there, maybe they would have some cheap boots in the largest kid size. OMIGOD! I found Ugg-looking boots in Size 4. Maybe they would fit? They were big! So I walked out of the store with soft, fur-lined boots in a Size 3 for $24 including the tax. I rediscovered my new shopping spot!

Isn’t it funny how the whole world seems to be excited about William and Kate? Not only are they from a different country, but also a different continent. What is the big hoopla, people? Speaking of Brits, I find it highly irritating that the masses think it’s such a refined accent, that TV and radio shows choose British commentators over Americans. Why?! These are American shows! Geico commercials have British speakers, yet Geico is an American-based company that had its first headquarters in Chevy Chase, MD. We hire Brits over Americans and that seems to be ok, but as soon as someone with a Latino accent gets hired over an American, then they’re taking jobs away from the American people! It’s such flawed thinking. Brits have cute accents, but Asian or Latino accents are vulgar. It’s so racist. I don’t like accents of any kind so I don’t have a preference either way.

One thing I do like about the royal wedding is the date, April 29th, which is the feast of Saint Catherine of Siena who Kate was named after. My mother named me after the very same saint.

Mark Aragon from my from high school was killed earlier this month as an innocent bystander during a car chase between the police and a speeding teenager. Here’s a link to the SFGate article. He leaves behind a wife and three daughters.

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I am so grateful for my health, my family, and my job. I have everything that I need and want.

Stories like these really shake me up. Mark leaves behind a wife and three daughters. His friends have setup a memorial fund in support of the family. Here is a link where you can easily make a contribution via PayPal.

I haven’t even watched the finale, but I’m going to go ahead and vote for Kyle Massey because he and Lacey are so fun to watch! More so than Jennifer “plastic surgery” Grey, Bristol “all nerves” Palin, and even Brandy because of her egotistical partner Max. They were both total cry-babies.

Kyle and Lacey have this fun-tastic vibe that makes you want to get up and dance along with them. They actually look like they’re having a lot of fun together during practice, unlike some of the other pairs, and their routines are full of energy. Love them! I hope they win!

As for the big brouhaha over Bristol Palin making it into the finals. Yeah, I thought Brandy was a better dancer, but it’s not all about that. It’s about your audience, the votes, and the appeal. It’s not so unthinkable that Bristol has a lot of appeal with a huge contingent of those who watch the show. Brandy was famous years ago. Bristol is famous now–as in 2009-2010. I can’t remember the last time before DWTS that Brandy was in the news.

So get over it, people. The voting was not rigged. If you don’t vote, then don’t friggin complain.