Fleaing the Rain

Shiree, a fabulous former colleague up in the Bay Area, put me in touch with her sister, Judy, and Judy's partner, James, who have a home in town as they spend a few months out of the year here. They treated me to a lovely brunch in their swanky neighborhood and generously provided me with a wealth of tips and information, everything from their favorite tailor to their electronics, jade, DVDs and you-name-it folks. Just be sure to ask for "Judy's prices!" Later, in the rain, we went to kickass Panjiayuan, where you can find antiques, jewelry, art, used books as well as a whole lot of little plastic toys found in your nearest gumball machine.