beijing okay

Recent developments: I cook nearly everyday, the weather's been lovely, leaves are turning red, I'm addicted to LOST on tvlinks, NPR and Savage Love podcasts. I've been painting still life, I'm trying to save money, I'm drinking too much barley tea and diet coke, I offically love Chinese food again, I'm working constantly.

Irritating things I've noticed about the locals: Chinese slurp when they eat noodles and chew with their mouth open. Lots of them don't brush their teeth in the morning, or possibly ever. They shove in the subway and cannot form lines. People from villages stare and talk about me in indecipherable dialects. I guess it all barely bothers me anymore.

Oh, and to answer Marie's question, fan dancing is an ancient ritual dance commonly performed at Mid-Autumn festivals and on national day that either pays homage to emperors or is like a prayer for harvest. It's moved to Korea and developed strongly there. In contemporary China, it's mostly a form of exercise or just something for older people to do in the morning with their friends.