First I am remembering to let you know there are some new picturesup on the site (http://www.imagestation.com/member/?name=adamlane);a new album from my second trip to the great wall and one from mytrip to Yuanmingyuan (ruins of famous palace) and some others havebeen updated too.
There will be more photos uploaded next week -these onese shouldactually be interesting, as this weekend I am going on a weekendtrip to the best preserved old city in China, called Pingyao.
Things about Beijing/China:
-the huge number of security guards at entrances and exits to mostdecent size shops, all Universities, most appartment buildingcomplexes, most car parks .... everywhere. no wonder Beijing is safe(well it certainly seems so anyway)
-the ridiculous number of food selling places (street vendors,small, medium and big restaurants). So spoilt for choice -so manydifferent types of chinese restaurants (xinjian, cantonese,shanghainese, sichuanese, hotpots etc), and each one with menus of15 or 20 pages -even the restaurants with only seats for 20 people(and a kitchen the size of a large wardrobe!).
-the construction; i read that half of all the cranes in the worldare in china right now (or something close). things are just alwaysbeing built, altered, knocked down or something. it all happens,literally overnight. within 1 weekend, near the university, a wallwent up. no hints of anything; but now there is a square wall (withtrees within it, so not sure what it will turn into -maybe acourtyard or something).
-end of this year =120 million internet users in china and 25% ofpopulation currently own a mobile phone (of a population of 1.3bn,thats a lot!)
the second trip to great wall was nice; it was pretty warm, greatviews and no pollution! however there was not much greenery (time ofyear), and we saw some pictures of what it looked like covered insnow :( i'll have to go back next winter.
so its defintely warmer. Although there is sometimes a harsh wind;without it, in the afternoons there is no need for a jacket, andwhen i played table tennis with my room mate (and her sister), istripped down to t-shirts! Did i mention the room-mate's sister? shedoesnt speak more than 5 words of english and is here for a (long)while, not working, so always around for me to try and talk to.
having said that, my roommate skipped work today (cause sheis 'lazy' or something), so that makes me feel better. normally thechinese are very diligent and hard working (relatively). she helpsme a lot with my bad attempts to create sentences; i just need totalk to her more!
the exciting china-news developments were Rice's visit here, and thesubsequent Europeans decision to probably not lift their armsembargo on China (I think the fact that China just passed the 'anti-succession' law allowing for force to be used against any part ofchina that might do something beijing doesn't like, played a part init). The law is intentionally very vague about what is an offence -it just says that force should be used if an offence occurs!
I also just read that: "The CPC is currently launching a nationwideimage building campaign to show as a ruling party, it is "open-minded, progressive, responsible and democratic and competent" tolead the nation." (CPC is Communist Party)
finally, i have been reading up on RSS, and thus spending more timeon the internet, but reading and learning much more, much moreefficiently; including getting all the People's Daily's articles; sonow I am very much in touch with the chinese government's propoganda.
no more to write just now really, although we went to a fantasticindian restuarant last night for Rohit's birthday (indian friend, ex-AIESEC), not cheap but i hadn't had a tikka massala or curry sincejuly probably!
Adam
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