One week and I'm developing love handles.

This is gross. Tomorrow morning I'm going to get up early and go swimming or something.

Today, slept in until 11:30am, then met up with the dudes to go to lunch. We just walked to the Zhongguancun Shopping Plaza and ate at Ajisen ramen shop, which I've had in San Gabriel in California. Except here, a solid fried udon could be had for 25 yuan ($3.25):

Plus, we could splurge on extras like marinated cucumbers and fresh kiwi juice:

Or gyoza:

And Japanese fried chicken. Yum.

Afterwards we headed to Silk Alley Market, which is also like Canal Street, except indoors and more selection. We spend the entire afternoon there. I was aiming to buy a lighter weight autumn jacket, but instead I got roped into buying a dress for too much--200 Yuan ($28). But I guess I got a decent price for a pair of hiking boots and Pumas (450 Yuan for both--$60). Hmm now that I do the math, it seems I got ripped off. And then some underwear, 6 pairs for 60 Yuan. Good lord, I am terrible at bargaining! I think I need to lay off on the shopping. Or get better at simple arithmatic. * sigh * I am much better at eating.

Afterwards we went to the Sanlitun area and sought out this chilled out pizza joint called The Tree. It was expat central, man. I think I saw one group of locals. But no matter, I enjoyed the thin-crust cheese, pepperoni and roma chicken pizzas we got:

And just outside was a very cheerful-looking poster encouraging tourism to the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea. Oh the irony.

Down the street was a very cool DVD shop (legal? bootleg? who knows?) where I scored:

• Before Sunset (10 Yuan - $1.33)
• Becoming Jane (10 Yuan)
  
• The Science of Sleep (15 Yuan)
  
• The Namesake (15 Yuan)
  
• A cd album called Just Me by Tiffany--yes, of "I think We're Alone Now" fame. Several years ago she had released a comeback album that I really liked, where the music was now moody almost like Sarah Maclachlan. So I figured, what the heck, for 20 Yuan it was worth a listen.
• The Revenge Trilogy by Chang-Wook Park. There was a very beautiful, elegant boxed set for 60 Yuan, and I was on the fence about it, until I asked if it had English subtitles. When I discovered it didn't, I was sorely disappointed. But I ended up getting all three films boxed separately for 10-15 Yuan each.
• Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
• Oldboy (hands down the most intensely screwed up movie I have ever seen in my life. You think you're inured to violence and then this just takes it to a whole new level. Beyond violence of astounding creativity, it has enough craziness going on thematically that it leaves you feeling pretty tainted in spirit. But, of course, the director's cinematic virtuosity is so impressive that it leaves you mulling over it for days afterwards.)
• Lady Vengeance

Liked the stage-y lighting inside The Tree.