There are far better writers out there... a Chinese LOTD

Another housekeeping note, but as you might have noticed, I've added a new Blogger feature on the right-hand toolbar. It's a self-updating blogroll featuring the latest posts from my China comrades. So, if you're looking for more insight into what it's like to be in Beijing for the Olympics, and not just posts about pooping, you might want to check out my friends. It'll be worth it, trust me.

Also, Emerson has started a collective blog, where all of us are required to post at least once a week. There's some enlightening stuff on there, if you want to sift through it.

Just trying to keep y'all entertained at work!

Also, pictures are up from The Temple of Heaven, 7-9-8 Art District (more on that later) and see the random city shots for additions from Beijing's first Apple Store and Hooters.

"Hey, everybody... come see how good I look."

Yup, you guessed it. I've got more photos up on Flickr. There are about 150 shots (Too many? Probably.) up which you can look through at your leisure by visiting my China Collection.

Hmm... "China Collection." That either makes me sound like Kenneth Cole or Hannibal Lechter. I can't decide. Judging from what I've been eating lately (mule, scorpion, sea snake, silk worm, McDonalds soft serve), it just may be the latter.

If you're too lazy to click through to another webpage or if you're suffering from horrible finger cramps, I'll put up a few fun ones here for your perusal.

But all the naked ones are on Flickr.

I'm kidding.

Or am I?

Here's that link again, you curious perv.

Lamb skewers at Wangfujing Snack Street

Buddha in the Temple of Heavenly Incense, New Summer Palace

Peeps at the Summer Palace

Me, standing on history at the Great Wall (Badaling)

Housekeeping...

Just a couple notes...

For all my Facebook compadres: I'm having a tough time getting on to respond to comments and emails. Sorry, but the Great Cyber Wall of China isn't helping me enjoy my Facebook addiction and I haven't been able to post any pictures. Sad day.... so don't feel offended if I don't respond to you right away (or quickly) (or at all). It's not personal, I'm just blocked for some reason.

For people checking out my Flickr site, the best way to view shots is to view my collections. I've organized everything (or am in the process of arranging, anyway) into Japan and China collections with sub-sets in each of those. Fun, fun, fun...

That's all, folks. Now, back to the fun and your regularly scheduled programming...

Photos are up...

So I'm doing really well in Beijing. After a bit of culture shock, I feel like I'm fitting in nicely. BOCOG (the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games) has done nothing but make all of us volunteers feel welcomed.

I've been AWOL because there hasn't been much down time with the tourist schedule they set up for us... for three days, they sent us around to: a waste treatment plant, a "future of China" type planned village, the Great Wall (at Badaling), the Ming Tombs, a crafts center, Peking Opera, Peking Duck, the "new" Summer Palace and the "old" Summer palace as well as spread after spread of delicious food. I swear, I will gain 40 pounds by the time I come home.

I've been trying to digest everything I've taken in (both literally and in the tourist sense), but I don't feel like I'm quite ready to break down everything for you. It's all a little new and overwhelming... and I don't want to trivialize anything by a little premature posting. So, I'm going to hold back for now, but I will tell you that I FINALLY have Japan photos posted.

They're here on my Flickr site. I really wanted to get them onto Facebook, but I believe the Great Firewall is preventing me from accessing it. Either that or the application I use has a glitch (also a possibility). Anyways, if I figure out a way, I'll get them there, but for now they're on Flickr.

I will have more blogs - whether writing, videos or pictures - for you tomorrow, I promise.

In the meantime, here's that link again.

Enjoy, friends!

Ceremonial, pre-temple cleansing


Downtown Peeps


Owabi on the grill

Note on pictures...

Right now, I don’t have WiFi or Ethernet access, so I don’t have any way of transferring pictures from my laptop to Facebook and Flickr. Once I get it set up, though, I’ll let you all know and post as much as possible. However, I might have to wait until I get to China and spend some QT uploading photos… I know you’re all desperately waiting.

"Do you want to take my picture? Because I won't remember."

About a month ago, I bought a Kodak Easysharek 8.2MP camera. If you want to check out all the technical specs that I don't understand, here's the camera's page on Best Buy's site, although I actually got it at Sam's Club for about $100 less (whoohoo!).

I don't know much about photography, except that my previous camera was a piece of crap that was closer to a Barbie toy than an actual camera. But I bought this one because it seemed to have all the right bells and whistles - 8.2 megapixels, 12x zoom, image stabilizer, nice screen, video/audio capability, etc. - at the right price ($179 - wow!).

I need it for traveling, as I'm planning on video blogging as well as posting lots and lots of photos for you on my upcoming summer journey/work experience overseas.

I took it out last weekend for the first time at my friend Anthony's Art Deco Birthday Extravaganza, so head on over to my Flickr page if you want to see more of this kind of dressed-up goodness:





(That's me and my gorgeous girlfriend.)

(I'm on the left.)

iCamera

In case any of you are wondering what I do in my free time or, better yet, how good the camera on the iPhone is, I present to you my hot-off-the-press, just updated Flickr site.

Check it out. I had a few minutes to kill, so I uploaded about 20 random shots taken from my iPhone over the past couple months.

Enjoy!