Note from Beijing

We're in Beijing right now, and we're having a great time in a fantastic fun city. This place is so much more fun than I remember it, most likely because I was too timid to just walk around in the city and get lost the last time I was here. It's nice to have cool weather, see naked trees, decipher that rolling-r Beijing accent, and escort my family around town like I know what I'm doing. Lonely Planet, you're the best friend a guy could have on this trip.

Not enough time to really go into detail about what's up at the moment, other than to say the trip is truly an amazing once-in-a-lifetime deal. Most of the in-the-city stuff is off the checklist, with only the Great Wall left. I'm not even put out after having discovered the Belgian bar I was pining for months ago has been torn down (well, the whole block has been demololished). For now, enjoy an email I received right as we left for Beijing, from my student Joy:

"It's the first time for me to meet four Americans in a classroom in
person,and i think the whole class as well as i felt great and excited
about it.we had a good time talking and learing from your sisters and
brother.It's a kind of good experience too.Thanks for bringing them in with
us.

On the other hand,i am quite impressed by the way you and your brother
and sister get along.You are geting along very well and eveyone who see you
together wil have a feeling of family.That really give me a clearerr idea
of American family.I used to think that American didn't stick to their
family members the way we chinese do.But you just proved that i was
wrong.you are more sticky than i with my sisters and brother. And you seem to be the one who have the greatest power over your sisters and brother.when
your brother was going to start to talk to us,he was kind of nervious and
kept staring at you.It seemed to me that he was afraid of telling the things
that he was not expected to coz you were there.It made all the other
students in my group laugh by seeing the fidgety expression on your
brother's face.Truely,you have a great family.

Hope you will have a wonderful trip in China in the following
days.Take more pictures and show them to us when you are back."