update from the SEZ

This is a short update while I'm killing some time in 深圳/Shenzhen waiting for the bus to 厦门/Xiamen. First, I got into the graduate programs at Berkeley and University of Chicago. It's hard to describe how stressful was the week after Ariel heard from Columbia and before I heard from anyone. I didn't exactly prepare any back-up plans if I hadn't gotten accepted anywhere.

Still no word from Harvard, Columbia, or NYU. It's getting kind of late in the process for getting an acceptance from them, but all hope is not yet gone. In 2 weeks I'll know for sure, one way or the other. If they all reject me, it'll be pretty clear that the East Coast thinks it's too good for me.

I've spent the last week in 广州/Guangzhou, Shenzhen, 香港/Hongkong, and 澳门/Macau. These are some of the things I learned:
1) dim sum is not just for meat eaters;
2) the ferry back to Hongkong from Macau when the waves are bad is terrifying! (it's a good thing I wasn't drinking at casinos like most people there, or I would have joined half the people aboard in throwing up);
3) the "vegetarian" section for Shenzhen restaurants in that's Guangzhou is unreliable, unless it was just a misprint and they meant to put "fish torture" where they printed "vegetarian";
4) the two key products that form the basis of the street retail trade in Hongkong are watches and hash

And much more, but that'll have to wait for when I get back to 北京/Beijing.