It finally rained, for two days in a row now. Reportedly, this is because "magical pellets" were shot into the air to make the rain come and help wash away the ick-factor. Slight improvement noted. This is my last morning here at the Ritz. I have to move to another hotel in just a few hours, as do many of the staff, and it is for the best since my program operates on what is currently the other side of town. But I will be sad to go, and even warned the concierge (Echo) that I was going to buy my [View Full Entry]

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Saturday morning I stumbled right into the toilet stall by mistake, ready to take a shower. That’s how tired I am. (But in my defense, the two stall doors are identical from the outside!) To help find relief from this difficult and exhausting work schedule, I have discovered that Beijing offers up a number of inexpensive foot massage parlors all over town. And thankfully, they stay open very, very late. So my first experience in one of these massage joints was a trip indeed. I went with Christina - who I should add has gone back every night this week - [View Full Entry]

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I am getting super spoiled by my 5-star lifestyle here at the Ritz. Every morning, a cup of piping hot coffee is delivered to my door, complimentary as part of the hotel's Wake Up service. Every night, I come "home" to a clean room, fresh towels, fluffed pillows - and a chocolate truffle on the nightstand. I could get used to this! It's definitely a warped sense of reality I am living in, but I promise not to complain about it too much. I have braved the subway twice now. It’s actually a great system - clean, efficient, comprehensible - with [View Full Entry]

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I am quickly learning that Beijing is basically New York City, but with cheaper cabs. And it’s a lot, lot bigger. This city is massive! A two block walk can take 30 minutes. Subway stops are miles away from one another. A cross-town cab ride can take up to an hour. Walking the city is fun but exhausting - glad I brought all my most comfy shoes. The past few days have mostly been long work days, relieved by fun evenings out around Beijing. On Wednesday a group of us went out to Houhai, a large, beautiful lake surrounded by an [View Full Entry]

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The Angel of Peanut Butter arrived this evening (also known as Chris, my lovely friend from Texas) and delivered a jar of all-natural chunky peanut butter direct to my hotel door, all the way from Target (said with a French accent, of course). How happy am I? More good news, Beijing's traffic control plan went into effect today: the Games-time mandate that drivers alternate which days they can be on the road, in a effort to cut down on pollution and traffic. Today, only cars with license plates ending in odd numbers were permitted within the city center; tomorrow will be [View Full Entry]

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Two mornings in a row now I have woken up, opened the blinds in my hotel room, and the first thing I see is a handful of men hanging precariously by a rope many, many stories high, nauseatingly bouncing around as they clean windows on the office building across the street. This makes me a little sick to my stomach. I have to wonder how many window washers have met their death in this way... The good news is, my sleep patterns are finally nearing normalcy and I am feeling fine. The bad news is, work is seriously getting in the [View Full Entry]

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It is now 4:00 AM, and once again I am wide awake, ready to start another long day of training and program preparation. I can’t seem to get on the right sleep schedule, but I feel fine otherwise. Lots of vitamins and coffee seem to do the trick. Yesterday we spent the day in a bus touring Beijing and the various Olympic venues. It was exciting to see the Olympic Green, the massively-sized National Stadium and Aquatic Center, the tower where the torch will be lit, the baseball fields and basketball arena, all in place and ready for the onslaught. We [View Full Entry]

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I learned today that all of the licensed taxi cabs are equipped with microphones. I have to wonder, who is listening? The government? China's version of the CIA? It kind of reminds me of Cuba, where it was soon realized that the American student group I was traveling with was being followed everywhere by government officials. Creepy? Yeah, a little. (But of course, not one official person was present when I was brutally mugged in Havana!!!) Now I notice the intensity of the traffic. Traveling the short distance between the Ritz and the program operations hotel (the Marriott) actually takes [View Full Entry]

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This is the extent of my Mandarin: Hello. Nee-How. Or, How are you? Nee-How Ma. I am deathly afraid to actually say these phrases, however, considering that the language is very tonal, and the slightest error in pronunciation could result in serious, unintended offense. Better to remain silent, and smile profusely. I have just arrived, and the first thing I notice is that an inordinate number of Chinese wear eye-glasses. My dad should open an office here. He could do well fitting some of the 16 million people of Beijing with eyewear. The air is incredibly heavy. I feel as though [View Full Entry]

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