beijing okay

**Plans**

As some of you may have read, China is experiencing a huge visa crackdown before the Olympics. It doesn't look like this will be changing anytime soon, which means we'll have to leave China for a short time.

This is more or less what's happening: Ariel, Silvia and I are going to travel to Southeast Asia, mostly focusing on Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, for around two months. There are a lot of variables at the moment, but this seems certain.

Ariel is applying for a work visa which, as of now, means he has to go back home and apply there. (Even though I got my work visa in China, the rules have changed or at least temporarily changed.) He'll probably go back to Miami for a few weeks. Silvia and I, in the meanwhile, will be traveling and meet Ariel in Hanoi after he gets back from Miami.

Even though I have a work visa, I've resigned from my job. It's not much of a loss at all because I don't feel much attached to it. I'd like to return to China to concentrate on studying Chinese and earning enough money to live on by private tutoring. I need to improve my Chinese, for sure, and focus on learning rather than money.

Right now, money is not a big issue because we've saved a large amount in China. We have plenty of money to travel cheap for quite some time.

So this is what's happening. We're trying to figure out what to do with all of our things and how best to plan this. Absoluetely nothing is certain, including easily coming back into China, and we're all limbo. Anyway, it'll be great to get away from the coal-grey air and long workdays.