Back in the saddle.

So the biggest adjustment to being back in the States after a week? It seems empty. Where are all the people? Maybe it's just because we live in a small town, but spaces here seem very uncrowded.

I don't have much detail to add about the final days in Beijing. I think the photos really tell the story well. Visiting with Zhang Li, Ben, and Ryan was fun, and my last night was like a microcosm of my whole trip: wandering through a park, having a snack, sneaking photos of other people taking photos, and witnessing a wacky public gathering (a Japanese culture parade?!?).

So here's a link to the last album:

Last week in Beijing

On the language front, I've really got to start doing some self-study here. Last Friday I found myself slowing down as three recently arrived Chinese-speaking students walked behind me. The sound of a tonal language sounded crystal clear to me as they described how boring Eugene is. I wanted to turn around and say "但是你们只在这儿三个天！" (But you have only been here 3 days!)

Can you say that?