COUNTDOWN: 10 Hours
Wow, it's been a while. Kudos to anybody still reading this Diary! I've been keeping myself busy with last-minute preparations and hangouts and the like.
So! With 10 hours to go, I am as prepared as I'm ever going to be. I've got a full suitcase, a well-stocked backpack (newly-repaired by the inestimable Cousin Grace!) and a pocket full of dreams. In the past few days I've crossed 3 state lines, spent 2 nights in Philadelphia, and bought 1 digital camera. I've done other stuff too, but I do so like a countdown. It's been somewhat hectic, but I'm ready to get on that plane.
But am I ready to get off it? Here's an interesting scenario: I arrive at the Beijing airport and end up spending the entire month there because I can't get a cab driver to take me to my hostel. Or I do find a cab driver, but he ends up fleecing me for everything I have and dumps me in some alleyway, penniless and confused. Or I arrive at my hostel, and they claim I haven't paid in full yet and turn me away. What I'm getting at is, I have no idea how well - if at all - I'm going to be able to function in this city. Am I going to find myself utterly out of my depth?
Well, only one way to find out! Stay tuned, because the daily updates begin tomorrow. GET EXCITED, GUYS!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Questions!
COUNTDOWN: 6 Days
Before we begin, I just want to say that Hellboy 2 is utterly ridiculous and utterly entertaining. Guiellmo Del Toro apparently wanted to show people that he had variety, that he could do other stuff than, you know... sublime cinematic poetry. Wait for the part where Hellboy and Abe start singing 'Can't Smile Without You'. No, I'm not kidding.
Ok, so it's time to knuckle down and start preparing! I'm going to be sitting down with the parentals and discussing various logistical things tomorrow. Things like:
What is the Dollar-RMB exchange rate? (I heard that 10 kuai = $1.40, but I'll have to double-check that).
How do I go about getting a local cell phone?
How am I getting from the airport to my hostel?
What do I need to pack, and how much of it?
Those, and a million others that I can't think of right now. Well, that's the point of discussing these things! I'm sure there's something extremely important and extremely fundamental that I'm simply not paying attention to. Cannot. Wait. To find out. What it is. You guys.
Oh, and I got an email from my BBC contact, checking in on me. Apparently I'll want to get over jetlag within two (2) days so that I'll be ready to join the team on the 3rd. That'll be an interesting feat to accomplish. From the sounds of things, I'm going to be a caffeine-zombie for the first week.
But I'll be an OLYMPIC caffeine-zombie.
Before we begin, I just want to say that Hellboy 2 is utterly ridiculous and utterly entertaining. Guiellmo Del Toro apparently wanted to show people that he had variety, that he could do other stuff than, you know... sublime cinematic poetry. Wait for the part where Hellboy and Abe start singing 'Can't Smile Without You'. No, I'm not kidding.
Ok, so it's time to knuckle down and start preparing! I'm going to be sitting down with the parentals and discussing various logistical things tomorrow. Things like:
What is the Dollar-RMB exchange rate? (I heard that 10 kuai = $1.40, but I'll have to double-check that).
How do I go about getting a local cell phone?
How am I getting from the airport to my hostel?
What do I need to pack, and how much of it?
Those, and a million others that I can't think of right now. Well, that's the point of discussing these things! I'm sure there's something extremely important and extremely fundamental that I'm simply not paying attention to. Cannot. Wait. To find out. What it is. You guys.
Oh, and I got an email from my BBC contact, checking in on me. Apparently I'll want to get over jetlag within two (2) days so that I'll be ready to join the team on the 3rd. That'll be an interesting feat to accomplish. From the sounds of things, I'm going to be a caffeine-zombie for the first week.
But I'll be an OLYMPIC caffeine-zombie.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Introductions!
Welcome, people! Welcome to my new abode!
We begin our tale with a little backstory: I have far more luck than I deserve, and as a result I'm going to be spending a month in Beijing covering the Olympic Games with the BBC in an unofficial capacity.
A fantastic opportunity, but also a month spent away from my dearest and nearest. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE. So in lieu of actual physical interaction, I've decided to keep you updated on the mundane details of my everyday life in the traditional way of the modern recluse: a blog. But I hate that word, so we're calling it a Diary. With a capital D (and that rhymes with P, and that stands for... Peking! Oh stop rolling your eyes, you know you'll miss me).
Into this Diary will go photos, eyewitness accounts, random musings and details of every single meal I eat. The plan is to update this daily, but that's a lofty goal so we'll see how it goes. Please, I encourage anyone reading this to check back every now and then. Maybe even bookmark me? Comments are always welcome! In all seriousness, if I've invited you to read this, it means that you're either a loved one, a dear friend, or someone whose face I want to rub this in, and I'd love to have some kinda support group while I'm out there.
I leave for Beijing in exactly one week's time. The updates will begin in earnest when I arrive, though I'll probably scribble in some stuff to keep people's attention until then. The countdown has begun, ladies and gents!
再见!
We begin our tale with a little backstory: I have far more luck than I deserve, and as a result I'm going to be spending a month in Beijing covering the Olympic Games with the BBC in an unofficial capacity.
A fantastic opportunity, but also a month spent away from my dearest and nearest. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE. So in lieu of actual physical interaction, I've decided to keep you updated on the mundane details of my everyday life in the traditional way of the modern recluse: a blog. But I hate that word, so we're calling it a Diary. With a capital D (and that rhymes with P, and that stands for... Peking! Oh stop rolling your eyes, you know you'll miss me).
Into this Diary will go photos, eyewitness accounts, random musings and details of every single meal I eat. The plan is to update this daily, but that's a lofty goal so we'll see how it goes. Please, I encourage anyone reading this to check back every now and then. Maybe even bookmark me? Comments are always welcome! In all seriousness, if I've invited you to read this, it means that you're either a loved one, a dear friend, or someone whose face I want to rub this in, and I'd love to have some kinda support group while I'm out there.
I leave for Beijing in exactly one week's time. The updates will begin in earnest when I arrive, though I'll probably scribble in some stuff to keep people's attention until then. The countdown has begun, ladies and gents!
再见!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
1st Post Lawlz
Disregard that title. This is basically a test to see how things run around these parts. I'll be playing around with these settings and layouts, maybe getting a nice new picture up at the top if Mary wants to help me out with that.
Oh, um, welcome to anybody reading this! More to follow.
ETA: Mad props to cousin Mary for the kickass new header, and because she is a classy lady!
Oh, um, welcome to anybody reading this! More to follow.
ETA: Mad props to cousin Mary for the kickass new header, and because she is a classy lady!
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