Hello Harry!

I went to the Xidan bookstore (the one we went to together) and it was somobbed you would not believe it. Even by Chinese standards it was packed!Outside they were packed and pushing their way in, and once inside thebookstore it wasn't much better. Throngs up the escalators, a crowd aroundthe cashiers -- picture it, lines twenty people wide and forty people longtrying to pay for their books, and the policemen trying to keep the crowdsin line with megaphones saying "for your convenience, please go to the(other three floors) to pay. The lines are shorter there. Thank you." Goup one floor and it's the same thing.I had found three books I wanted and decided it was ridiculous to stand inline just to ask if I could pay with a credit card. So I went into thebasement where the English books are and -- aah! nobody there! I wentright up to the cash register, paid with my card, and was out the doorwithin ten minutes (it took a while to push my way through the crowds onceI came back upstairs).The funny thing is, it wasn't anything to do with Harry Potter! TheChinese copy hasn't come out yet, so there were only a few people millingaround the English copies, but they didn't have the determinedI'm-going-to-be-the-first-in-the-world-to-read-this-book crazed look intheir eyes -- they were picking up the English copies as you might a newbrand of toothpaste you weren't so sure about.Sure, there were dummies of Harry, Ron, and Hermione and lots of postersand stuff up, but the clearest sign of HP was actually the tall foreignguy with brown hair, round glasses, and an Oxbridge gown standing outside.He was doing the Clairsey thing, passing himself off as a celebrity andhanding out fake signatures! I think if anyone from Shanghai saw him theywould reject this imposter...they've met the *real* Harry! :)Have a great day!Love, Leah