Hello from China

Readers,

Hello! I missed you. I don't actually know if you can miss readers over the internet, but I sure did.

I am in my fifth day in Beijing and three days of Chinese lessons (Ni hao!). Discoveries: China is BIG. I am terrible at Chinese. Cleanliness is not so much of a thing here. I can get the New York Times online but not Huffington Post or YouTube (no videos for a while).

Here's something else: Chinese people r-e-a-l-l-y love to take photos with Westerners. African-Americans especially, but pale brunette girls with light-colored eyes will do as well. The photo is of Hana Nobel and me at the Great Wall (hell yes) and a random man who wanted our photo. This is not a one-time event.

Today we went to an old old old Buddhist monastery where we took a tour given by the Great Monk (read: the head honcho). He gave us prayer beads and bananas and let us participate in
one of their services. I never really felt spiritual before, but it really did move me.

Anyway, have to go, having borrowed someone else's computer, but I'll update when I can.

Divine enlightenment

So in slightly less than six weeks, I'm going to be heading to China.

The PRC is one of my greatest obsessions, so I'm preeeetty pumped about it.

This extra large dude to my right is one reason why. It's the Leshan giant buddha in Chendu and he's, well, giant. He was carved into a cliff face in 713 by the Tang Dynasty. 

I wonder how, exactly, you rub his belly for luck?