Answers to questions.

On the monastery: Just to be clear, the photo of me in front of a sculpture is in a gallery where everything is made out of yak butter. It's heavily air conditioned, and each new year the monks make new ones. They say that in the old days the sculptures would melt as the year went on, but now they can keep them pretty well.

On the Fat Little Sheep: a commenter said in Chinese: Fat Little Sheep are everywhere. The owner is very rich.

On presents: I got a teapot and tea from Gu (and a big bag of snacks for the train that took me several days to finish. I think I still have a mooncake in my backpack). From 刘芳 I got a jade bracelet.

On violinists: 'Had breakfast with' means that the two sisters were at the next table and struck up a conversation. For those of you who haven't known me for 20 years: the spring and summer of my high school graduation was spent as an Andy Frain usher at Orchestra Hall and Comiskey Park. I think I was the only usher under 50 who was actually into the music. When the CSO went on summer hiatus, I moved to the airport and worked security (early evidence of a lack of aviation safety in America). So the 'it's a small world' header on that article required a bit of insider information as our connection went beyond just being visiting Chicagoans. There is also the oddity of meeting world-class musicians who grew up near Lanzhou. (And actually, now that I look at their bios more carefully, they grew up elsewhere in China--but their not Beijing or Shanghai girls.) Undeveloped country my foot.

On results: yes, I am getting results from my library visits, but I haven't been writing much on the other blog. I don't have anything very formal to say, and I can't really post my field notes. My conversations with the librarians have been very productive, and I think that I can actually do the project I've been talking about for 18 months now.

And a question that still rattles around my own skull: What is the name of the festival that took place in Lanzhou Monday night? I saw many people burning paper money and baijiu in the street. Some folks also left incense and fruit. I know it's a commemoration of the dead, but what was the name of the day? At first I thought it was in one specific location, but as the evening went on, I saw it in a whole bunch of places.