A whole slew of new teachers arrived today and an old one too. Mel's back for a goodbye tour of Beijing - she's been travelling around Asia since she finished teaching and felt that she had to say goodbye to all of her friends here one more time (real reason: she left most of her possessions here. It is good to know that she cares enough to
lie.) She ended up hanging around my apartment and we caught up on the happenings and managed to watch 6 episodes of 24. Yes, I am aware how sad that sounds, but I'm still a little jet-lagged and Mel was really tired and out of it.

I also replaced my crappy, plastic, dribbler showerhead with a nice and powerful brushed stainless steel model. I also replaced the flexible hose that connects the pipe to the showerhead - I now have a hose long enough that I could easily shower in the middle of my living room. Not that I would, of course, but it is nice to have that option.

I've been hearing rumors that my classes might not start until Sept. 13, but they are just rumors . I wouldn't be terribly surprised to find out that my classes start Tuesday. I'll keep y'all posted.

I just returned from IKEA with a really comfy faux-leather recliner and footstool. I just thought I'd let y'all know. (My couch with its rock-like feel managed to offend my mother's sensibilities, and I know that she was concerned about my seating arrangements.) This afternoon I'll be heading out to the Underground Market - it's a fun mixture of antiques, souvenirs, everyday essentials and crap. It's a great time, and I highly recommend it.

I’m back in Beijing. I arrived last night. I suffered through the longest and most painful set of flights possible. I flew with the main airline of the Great White North (I’d mention the name, but I’d rather not get sued for libel) and it sucked. Here’s why:

1. No food from Vancouver to Beijing – GWN air is having a contract dispute with its caterer, so no food for me (they did have drinks)

2. A 7 hour delay in Vancouver – I can understand this, but no explanation was given and we were strung along – just fifteen minutes more, just thirty minutes more

3. I ended up sitting next to an older lady who could hardly hear and seemed a little disoriented. During each movie she would elbow me viciously every five minutes or so and then ask me to explain what had just happened. She also gave two long monologues – one about UFOs and aliens and one on the different types of demons and angels (according to tradition.) It was fantastic.

4. The movies sucked. We saw Man on Fire, Fantasia (a crappy Hong Kong movie, not the Walt Disney classic) and Hellboy. Feeling a little depressed and abandoned? Try watching Hellboy while listening to an incoherent monologue on demons after 10 hours of a 14 hour flight.

But I’m back in Beijing now – I’ve been cleaning and rearranging furniture today. Not much else is happening around here - most of the teachers are arriving over the weekend.

Most of you are aware of this, but for the few who aren't in the know - I'm back in the sleepy town of Holland, Michigan. I left Beijing three weeks ago and have been dividing my time between the beach, friends, and relatives. I head back to Beijing in three weeks, and I'm ready to go... adjusting to life in the USA has been a little rough.

As I'm sure you've noticed, I've taken the time to overhaul my blog. I'd been unable to view my blog in Beijing (I can see the text but not the look & feel) and these changes are long overdue.