This is Jack, my Chinese teacher. Each day at lunchtime he determinedly teaches me Chinese and, in exchange, I teach him sardonic retorts.


Older women and a few men gather daily for some exercise. I don't know why they wear colorful, matching clothing, but it does make for a lovely sight. Live musicians stand aside and play the tunes to which they perform/exercise in synch. Something to still get excited over when I witness it.


Evidently Pepsi is in the business of covering up the naughty bits in China. I wonder if you buy them in aluminum or plastic.

Some of the girls after they embarrassed themselves singing a song about Beijing to teach me about their culture. A moving moment, for sure.


This is a proud papa of a Little Emperor. He and his family were just a few of the hundreds of people watching me and Daniel at the XingCheng train station as we tried to purchase train tickets and find a 25-yuan cab into Huludao. The entire train depot was watching us. Another time when you're not sure if you're an extra-terrestrial alien or a celebrity. After prolonged moments of this you start to feel like Sean Penn with paparazzi.