Idiocrity

Just leaving a super smart college town, it sometimes slips my mind that the average 20-something Joe is really stupid.

For example, sometimes I tell stories to illustrate a point. I was telling my friend, JW, how it is impolite to ask someone to hang out only if they bring someone else along as "eye candy." It's almost like saying, "I want someone pretty to come, but if they're coming with you, you can join too." After hearing my story he obviously did not grasp the issue at hand. Then I tried a more direct method, which also failed.

I stared at him and gave up. I can't decide if it's stupidity or if China removed any concept of politeness from this sad boy's mind.

Fortnight

I've been here for two weeks now. A lot has happened. My computer crashed, I figured out where the gays hang in Beijing, and I converted all the money I brought with me to Chinese Renminbi. After that, I thought I was getting the hang of things here, but as I thought that I sprayed hand sanitizer all over my glasses. Maybe I need a couple more weeks.

This is the final week in Beijing before the program leaves for the villages--to teach children topics from math to music appreciation, to present to teachers on education in the US, and to chat with local experts on education in Chinese villages. I'm actually looking forward to it, but I'm afraid that the time I'm there will be wasting valuable time I could spend in Beijing searching for a job and a place to live.

Good news is that I will actually bring a camera along with me during the village trip, so I will have some photos to share.