beijing okay

My work is teaching company management my language and culture so that a Chinese video game company can understand how to sell their product to hyper-violent, hyper-sexualized Americans. My company, called 完美时空， or "Perfect World," makes an online role-playing game of the same name that is possibly the most popular online game in China, the 2nd most popular in Japan (the first being an American game, maybe signaling the end of Japanese video game dominance) and the most popular in Korea. "Perfect World" is an RPG based completely in traditional Chinese myth, language and culture, possibly the first of it's kind. The game has also been translated into Vietnamese, Thai, Tagalog and, most recently, Portuguese for a new Brazilian market. The English version is nearly done, and three foreigners (2 Americans and 1 Brit) with excellent Chinese had been hired to assist translation. Two years ago, this was a small company with a tight staff, but now it's exploded to a tremendous operation with a staff of over one thousand and a listing on NASDAQ. Besides teaching the management I also hold night classes for regular staff that wish to attend. I'm also the CEO's personal tutor.

Getting to work is easy. I take the crowded line 13 metro everyday from right outside my apartment complex at Dongzhimen. There is a little security guard, probably 16 years old, that helps wedge the morning and then wedge the evening commuters into subway cars. It's all a little funny if you don't get uptight about it. People are usually good natured, laughing nervously and trying not to crush anyone, but occasionally there are some people that must force their way on at all costs, for some reason. I got elbowed in the eye getting out of my seat this morning.

Beijing is not so dusty or tired anymore. The leaves are turning red. It's very cool now, windy and misty and the air is nicer than it's ever been. It's times like these that Beijing doesn't seem to have a pollution problem. That is, until winter rolls around and all the old neighborhood homes will rely on coal stoves, blackening the sky.