Leaving Jinan

Quite a couple days here in Jinan. I saw a few things I don't understand, but can guess at. I think there was some flooding here in recent days. There was news about floods, but I didn't see any about here. (That's part of the reason I came.)

Jinan is definitely not a tourist destination. I was stared at pretty openly in a number of places, and I did not see a single other non-Asian both days. It's healthy though, because it's closer to a real immersion experience. It inspires me to study my characters even harder and to re-double my efforts in speaking class. L has encouraged me to make up a reference question every day and to go to the library. I think that going to the cafe to do my lessons might be more effective (if not more expensive) because the waitresses are much more patient with my Chinese than the librarians are. Perhaps it is the financial nature of the transaction?

Must feed myself before getting on the train. It's been a challenging couple of days, but very rewarding. If the netword is up when I get back to Beijing, and I'm not too exhausted, I will spend time getting photos (AND VIDEO!) up for your enjoyment.