Bursting my bubble

Greetings again from the land of $4 ice cream, $11 fried rice and $3.50 bubble tea. I was walking down beautiful and booming Main Street in Greenville. I passed by a new store called O-Cha that advertised that it had "Bubble Tea". Now those of you in China and Thailand will be familar with this drink that is a favorite with the kids (and the kids at heart). I was amazed to think that Bubble Tea had come to the Upstate, especially since it's not exactly teeming with Asians. So I walked upstairs into the shop (which was being used as a political candidate's office the last time was there), to check it out.
It was really artsy- oil and acrylic pantings everywhere- some avante garde, some pop art, some... unclothed. Anyway, the lady that owned the shop was talking with some guy about what bands she was trying to bring to sing at the "hi-so" beverage booth. I looked over the menu of potables and fancy sandwiches and then I found it... $3.49 for a glass of Bubble Tea. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! For those who haven't spent the past 2 years in Asia, that is about $3-3.20 more than you would pay across the pond. I about flipped. Before the horrific discovery, I was thinking, "great, maybe I can get a glass of strawberry bubble tea for about $1" (I had anticipated some price hike) and have a little moment of nogstalgia that helps the process of acclimation a bit easier. No such luck.

On another note, I recently visited Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, NC (just north of Raleigh). Here are some shots from the beatiful and historic campus (the original site of Wake Forest College/University- now located in Winston-Salem).