The first of many for the year to come

Well, after cruising over Siberia to the tune of a 135 mph headwind, I arrived in China yesterday evening. This time all my bags came with me; though for a time there, standing and staring at the baggage turnstile, I was afraid that once again I had arrived in China minus my total of wordly goods. However, finally the little machine spit out my suitcase and I was on my merry way.

I can't explain the feeling I had getting off of the plane and glancing around at the buildings surrounding the airport. It was a sort of euphoria really, like I was back to some place familiar. It is just as I remembered it from last summer, though I suspect there are more construction cranes dotting the skyline, as the impending 2008 Olympics requires quite the building necessity.

I am staying at the Beida Yixiao bu (Beijing U. Health Center) ....so not actually the main Beida campus itself. The group I am in China with all went to the Summer Palace today...it was sweet to go back and see it; esp. since today was a blue-sky day, owing thanks to the storms of the previous evening.

The one difference of being in China this time is that people are relying on me for translations and aide getting around, versus last summer where I had no qualms about letting someone else figure things out for me. For the most part my fellow teachers-to-be don't speak Chinese and are feeling on quite unfamiliar territory here in China. Hopefully that all will change. I've clued many into the subtle nuances of Beijing life...for example: despite the fact that we're staying in 'luxury' university accomodations (translation: shower curtain, sit-down toilet and AC) there are still things that foreigners don't understand. The toilets, even though they've got running water in them cannot handle toilet paper, the pipes here aren't made for that. So that is why there is a little basket next to the toilet to toss away the TP when done. Well my roommate learned that from me, and some others learned by walking in our room....but many came to breakfast this morning with stories of clogged toilets. haha, welcome to china. It's always something.

Classes start tomorrow, yes on a Saturday!