Epilogue

I woke up at 3:30 this morning. I finally got up at about 4:45. Time for a quick shower and some eggs and baky (bacy just doesn't look right)! Guess what? Apparently the pipe between my bathtub faucet (which works fine) and my shower burst! Wooooo! I eventually got the water main shut off (apparently there's no cold shutoff, or at least the one I tried didn't do anything). So I have one or two (thousand) other things to do today now. I'm pretty sure I will need a nap later. But my eggs and baky were good. My first food in almost 24 hours (Thanks, Northwest for not even giving me a packet of peanuts!). The guy sitting two people over from me is a riot. The total for my breakfast? $6.66.

I'm home!

(why the heck won't this thing post??)

Well I'm in the airport! And because of my new earlier flight I just barely made it to the currency exchange! Then on to baggage, Ma & Pa (not necessarily in that order) and home.

Fwd: I'm on the ground in L.A.

(weird, this never showed up-was it too long?)
Although I'm sort of writing this in real-time, as things happen. I apologize for it being such a long post, but it seems better this way since I never got to post the stuff I wrote on the trip over. I will put that together and post it sometime in the next week. Qingdao customs was funny. I filled out the form, checking "yes" for a camera as a "necessary item" and then wrote in the space provided the make and medel of my camera, with a value of 8,000 RMB. But they didn't like that so they gave me a new form. I filled it out and checked "no" this time but they didn't like that either. The guy kept talking to me in chinese but I didn't understand, obviously. Finally he took a pen and crossed out my "no" and checked "yes" without wring anything about my camera below the check marks. Then they proceded to stamp my original form instead! After that My bags were all x-rayed and then a woman at the next desk asked to see the camera and that was it. I then checked my bag and of cour
se got a

The plane boarded late in Qingdao (ten minutes after we were supposed to take off) so that didn't really help my trip nervousness any. I hate not being able to ask what is going on. We took off 50 minutes late. Still I've done that flying to Chicago and still landed early and that flight was about the same length. According to the estimate, we will only land 20 minutes late.

Ok I wondered why we were flying around in circles. Apparently the airport is busy. Don't they know I have a connecting flight to make???

Whew! Travel excitement!

So we landed 45 minutes late and I rushed off the plane. Luckily no one was in the transfer security point and I made it through quickly. Then I rushed up to the Asiana transfer desk and I think (although I'm not sure how it was supposed to work) a bunch of people behind me got served first while I panted and looked worried. Finally I made it up and after waiting to get my boarding pass. Of course I could only get window seat on the wrong side of the plane (I wanted to be able to see land if we fly along the Alaskan coast or down the U.S. Coast. Or the mountains if we fly farther in. Anyway, after all that worrying it turns out my flight was delayed one hour due to a foggy winter morning. I guess that is why the airport was too busy for us to land immediately. So now I can relax a bit. I was very happy to finally have time to go to the bathroom. VERY happy!

So I just had a little time to send an internet through the series of tubes. Of course it did that crazy thing where just when I was almost done it started giving me crazy Korean characters. On Annie's advice I kept on typing but that didn't help. She had said that it may recognize a pinion spelling (I hope that's how it's spelled) and try to predict what I was typing but I don't think that was what it was it was doing. After that anything I typed was a Korean character, even if I want back into the middle of a previous word. So I finished my post on the half-worn keyboard and we'll see what it shows up as on a western computer.

I also had time to buy Yoonie a quick stupid present that cost wayyy too much at the duty-free shop. But I bought it with good old American dollars! I hope that duty-free crap doesn't cause me a problem in customs when I forget to declare it. Yoonie is making out like a bandit on this trip (ew! Makining out!)! I really don't know where all my money got spent. Unless I counted wrong, I spent about $500. I don't even want to know how much I cost Annie! So already my left little toe is starting to feel rubbed. That's the opposite foot that was a problem last time. I'm sure that was at least half because I walked around Incheon Airport for 4 hours on the way over. So I figured I'd better stop walking for now. My plane should board in 15 minutes anyway.

I just figured out why my camera started highlighting all the blown-out areas. It has a bunch of different ways you can display the information and I must've accidentally pushed the up or down button. I had pushed it once and gotten the histogram overlay, which I immediately got rid of, and that's probably when I swiched views, going forwared instead of backward in the various possibilities. Ok enough boring talk, my plane should really be boarding any minute now (it's 5:06pm). Oops I just spelled "bord." Must be Börd Erik influencing me. Ok enough overly-esoteric inside jokes.

I guess I spoke too soon. They just announced that the departure has been delayed but they don't have a time yet. I guess we are waiting for a connecting flight.

I am finally on the flight. It's an hour after our original new boarding time (so that means it's 6pm local time-the original boarding time was 4pm). There was additional security getting on the plane for some reason. I can't say it was that thorough. They wanded me and searched my baggage (and did the same to everyone else, as well as checking passports again), although only the main part of my duffel bag, not the two end compartments. They took my water though, so they'd better keep me well-hydrated. I'm parched and hungry.

I shoulda taken a Korean newspaper on the flight from Qingdao. There were none this time that I saw and no one was there to find one for me. I guess it's racial profiling when they just look at you and suddenly dig out an english-language newspaper. Works for me! I've been glad I speak english, of all possible languages, on this trip! I was also glad, in the four or so real Chinese bathrooms that I was in, that I am a boy! Speaking of racial profiling, I noticed in Chicago on the way over that it seems like Koreans have no sense of personal space. Now the guy in the seat next to me is sitting totally askew and leaning right on me. I hope that's not a harbinger of things to come. It's like when I thought German kids were rude, but I realized that it is just a cultural difference. Ok enough of my racist ass (ew! Now he has his shoes and socks off! I'm so prudish and midwestern!).

On a funny note, it's going to be fun watching the movie in the dark with my sunglasses on!

Wow, they will even give you wine for free on Asiana! I went with water. I also went with steak. I'm ready for Western food. I kinda wish they gave you chopsticks with it though! The Korean dude next to me also had steak. He has to have his son or grandson or whoever the dude in the seat in front of him is trasnlate. He knew how to say Coke though! Heeee!!

Wow, they even refill your wine! I'm not full after a meal for the first time in weeks! I hope I survive! We're over a city now, I assume in Japan. I have to say this flight really takes the cake for turbulence! My customs form looks like a 1st-grader wrote it! Just now the waitress (oops, I mean stewardess) barely was able to pour me more water without spilling. Kudos to her!

I don't understand how I can cross the international date line (call now, sexy girls are waiting for you! Sorry, nevermind...) and not have the date change.Oh nevermind, I just figured it out. It was getting later as I went farther east until it hit midnight, then it became the day before. Now it will get later on Thursday all over again. Anyway, I just watched Flushed Away. Of course the only movie I saw in its entirety was the last one I wanted to see. But it was way funnier than I remember the previews being. Plus it had a brief "Rupert" segment! Oh goody, The Prestige is on again! I can try to watch it this time. Maybe it's good I'm not tired. Man, I wonder if the front of a plane shows the turbulence more than the back??

Well I slept a whole 45 minutes before they woke us up. For some reason I got Korean hot pepper paste with my omlette. I think I got the last omlette too. Good, cuz I don't think I was ready to have kimchi for breakfast.

Jesus I just had to wait 20 freakin' minutes to go to the bathroom! And there were only two people waiting in front of me! While I was in there we switched flew over land. It was still ocean while I was waiting. The other freaky think was that there was what looked like dried blood all over the inside of the door and I don't remember seeing that last night. We should be landing shortly. I don't understand how we didn't make up any time at all on the flight. I hope I have enough time for customs.

Straight Outta Compton (almost)

I got changed to a direct flight on NWA. Immigration and customs went amazingly fast but they switched my plane anyway. I still don't know when it gets in but it leaves in an hour so maybe my hope of a direct flight that gets in the same time or earlier will be realized. I forgot to ask for a window seat though. I guess I should be glad to make my flight! Immigration was simple. Getting my baggage took awhile but there were a lot of people on that flight. And of course there were three other people with the same Swiss Army luggage. I should have put something really bright and easy to see on it. Customs didn't really ask me anything. No one even looked at my list of declared items. The guy in front of me got asked if he had food. Maybe if you're an american citizen they go easy on you. Re-checking my bag was a little less clear. I almost put my bag in the wrong place. She said something about going to San Diego but I don't know why they wouldn't just sent my luggage straight
to MSP.

I got singled out for a special check and swab tests but I made it through and now I am waiting for the plane to board in a few minutes! I'm on NWA flight 320 and it gets in at 8:24 for all of you who I know will be waiting at the gate!

I'm on the ground in L.A.

Although I'm sort of writing this in real-time, as things happen. I apologize for it being such a long post, but it seems better this way since I never got to post the stuff I wrote on the trip over. I will put that together and post it sometime in the next week. Qingdao customs was funny. I filled out the form, checking "yes" for a camera as a "necessary item" and then wrote in the space provided the make and medel of my camera, with a value of 8,000 RMB. But they didn't like that so they gave me a new form. I filled it out and checked "no" this time but they didn't like that either. The guy kept talking to me in chinese but I didn't understand, obviously. Finally he took a pen and crossed out my "no" and checked "yes" without wring anything about my camera below the check marks. Then they proceded to stamp my original form instead! After that My bags were all x-rayed and then a woman at the next desk asked to see the camera and that was it. I then checked my bag and of cour
se got a

The plane boarded late in Qingdao (ten minutes after we were supposed to take off) so that didn't really help my trip nervousness any. I hate not being able to ask what is going on. We took off 50 minutes late. Still I've done that flying to Chicago and still landed early and that flight was about the same length. According to the estimate, we will only land 20 minutes late.

Ok I wondered why we were flying around in circles. Apparently the airport is busy. Don't they know I have a connecting flight to make???

Whew! Travel excitement!

So we landed 45 minutes late and I rushed off the plane. Luckily no one was in the transfer security point and I made it through quickly. Then I rushed up to the Asiana transfer desk and I think (although I'm not sure how it was supposed to work) a bunch of people behind me got served first while I panted and looked worried. Finally I made it up and after waiting to get my boarding pass. Of course I could only get window seat on the wrong side of the plane (I wanted to be able to see land if we fly along the Alaskan coast or down the U.S. Coast. Or the mountains if we fly farther in. Anyway, after all that worrying it turns out my flight was delayed one hour due to a foggy winter morning. I guess that is why the airport was too busy for us to land immediately. So now I can relax a bit. I was very happy to finally have time to go to the bathroom. VERY happy!

So I just had a little time to send an internet through the series of tubes. Of course it did that crazy thing where just when I was almost done it started giving me crazy Korean characters. On Annie's advice I kept on typing but that didn't help. She had said that it may recognize a pinion spelling (I hope that's how it's spelled) and try to predict what I was typing but I don't think that was what it was it was doing. After that anything I typed was a Korean character, even if I want back into the middle of a previous word. So I finished my post on the half-worn keyboard and we'll see what it shows up as on a western computer.

I also had time to buy Yoonie a quick stupid present that cost wayyy too much at the duty-free shop. But I bought it with good old American dollars! I hope that duty-free crap doesn't cause me a problem in customs when I forget to declare it. Yoonie is making out like a bandit on this trip (ew! Makining out!)! I really don't know where all my money got spent. Unless I counted wrong, I spent about $500. I don't even want to know how much I cost Annie! So already my left little toe is starting to feel rubbed. That's the opposite foot that was a problem last time. I'm sure that was at least half because I walked around Incheon Airport for 4 hours on the way over. So I figured I'd better stop walking for now. My plane should board in 15 minutes anyway.

I just figured out why my camera started highlighting all the blown-out areas. It has a bunch of different ways you can display the information and I must've accidentally pushed the up or down button. I had pushed it once and gotten the histogram overlay, which I immediately got rid of, and that's probably when I swiched views, going forwared instead of backward in the various possibilities. Ok enough boring talk, my plane should really be boarding any minute now (it's 5:06pm). Oops I just spelled "bord." Must be Börd Erik influencing me. Ok enough overly-esoteric inside jokes.

I guess I spoke too soon. They just announced that the departure has been delayed but they don't have a time yet. I guess we are waiting for a connecting flight.

I am finally on the flight. It's an hour after our original new boarding time (so that means it's 6pm local time-the original boarding time was 4pm). There was additional security getting on the plane for some reason. I can't say it was that thorough. They wanded me and searched my baggage (and did the same to everyone else, as well as checking passports again), although only the main part of my duffel bag, not the two end compartments. They took my water though, so they'd better keep me well-hydrated. I'm parched and hungry.

I shoulda taken a Korean newspaper on the flight from Qingdao. There were none this time that I saw and no one was there to find one for me. I guess it's racial profiling when they just look at you and suddenly dig out an english-language newspaper. Works for me! I've been glad I speak english, of all possible languages, on this trip! I was also glad, in the four or so real Chinese bathrooms that I was in, that I am a boy! Speaking of racial profiling, I noticed in Chicago on the way over that it seems like Koreans have no sense of personal space. Now the guy in the seat next to me is sitting totally askew and leaning right on me. I hope that's not a harbinger of things to come. It's like when I thought German kids were rude, but I realized that it is just a cultural difference. Ok enough of my racist ass (ew! Now he has his shoes and socks off! I'm so prudish and midwestern!).

On a funny note, it's going to be fun watching the movie in the dark with my sunglasses on!

Wow, they will even give you wine for free on Asiana! I went with water. I also went with steak. I'm ready for Western food. I kinda wish they gave you chopsticks with it though! The Korean dude next to me also had steak. He has to have his son or grandson or whoever the dude in the seat in front of him is trasnlate. He knew how to say Coke though! Heeee!!

Wow, they even refill your wine! I'm not full after a meal for the first time in weeks! I hope I survive! We're over a city now, I assume in Japan. I have to say this flight really takes the cake for turbulence! My customs form looks like a 1st-grader wrote it! Just now the waitress (oops, I mean stewardess) barely was able to pour me more water without spilling. Kudos to her!

I don't understand how I can cross the international date line (call now, sexy girls are waiting for you! Sorry, nevermind...) and not have the date change.Oh nevermind, I just figured it out. It was getting later as I went farther east until it hit midnight, then it became the day before. Now it will get later on Thursday all over again. Anyway, I just watched Flushed Away. Of course the only movie I saw in its entirety was the last one I wanted to see. But it was way funnier than I remember the previews being. Plus it had a brief "Rupert" segment! Oh goody, The Prestige is on again! I can try to watch it this time. Maybe it's good I'm not tired. Man, I wonder if the front of a plane shows the turbulence more than the back??

Well I slept a whole 45 minutes before they woke us up. For some reason I got Korean hot pepper paste with my omlette. I think I got the last omlette too. Good, cuz I don't think I was ready to have kimchi for breakfast.

Jesus I just had to wait 20 freakin' minutes to go to the bathroom! And there were only two people waiting in front of me! While I was in there we switched flew over land. It was still ocean while I was waiting. The other freaky think was that there was what looked like dried blood all over the inside of the door and I don't remember seeing that last night. We should be landing shortly. I don't understand how we didn't make up any time at all on the flight. I hope I have enough time for customs.

I'm in Korea

And I have to deal with the dang kanji characters again. My flight got in late but my connecting flight was delayed an hour anyway. I assume they can make that hour up in the air. When I get to L.A. I 쟈ㅣㅣ ㅔㅐㄴㅅ ㅡㅐㄱㄷ. ㅑ ㅓㅕㄴㅅ ㄴㅅㅁㄳㄷㅇ ㅎㄷㅅ샤ㅜㅎ ㅊㄱㅁ쿄 촘ㄱㅁㅊㅅㄷㄱㄴ ㅁㅎ먀ㅜ 내 ㅑ 쟈ㅣㅣ ㄴ새ㅔ ㅜㅐㅈ!

I DID NOT COME HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD TO HEAR THAT DAMN "WHAT'S UP?" SONG!!!

I mean, really. I guess it's good I'm going home tomorrow. I am tired. I think I will go to bed early tonight. By the way that giant beer costed a buck twenty-five.

Just for Yoonie

OK I never got time to post these last week until it was too late, but what trip to China would be complete without pandas?? I can't believe tonight is my last night!

My camera battery ran out today

Luckily the only picture I really missed was the poo-like sea creature at Wal-Mart. I also dropped my camera on the street but I think it's ok. It managed to pull the corner of the screen protector loose somehow, but I knew that was barely going to make it anyway. I managed to trick my camera into taking quite a few pictures by taking the battery out and then putting it back in. We went to Mrs. Zhang's house for lunch today. They made Thanksgicing look like a light snack. They also gave me three kinds of alcohol (shut-up, Rupert relatives!). One of them was the local white liquor, the name of which escapes me. I also had Laoshan beer (I still haven't had any Tsingdao beer here yet), which apparently is "quite different" than Tsingdao beer, even though I't looks like it's made by the same company. It reminded me a little of Pfeiffer's. I also had Great Wall wine and one other kind of wine. WOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Yeah I'm still feeling that. The second (actually, maybe third, total) glass that Mr. (I don't know how to spell his last name-It sounds similar to Zhang, but it's actually different-okay, it's Jiang) pured me was huge. It was also in a Wild Turkey glass, which I found amusing. Tonight we are finally going to Pizza Qing.

I wear my sunglasses at night

My glasses broke this morning so that was kind of inconvenient. As a result I wore my sunglasses all day and all evening. Maybe people thought I was a rock star but I felt a bit foolish. Ahh well, better dark and in focus than brighter and blurry. Tonight we went to a really good restaurant. Well, I guess they've all been pretty good, but this one was fun. The staff absolutely adored the kids. Once again it's bedtime! Tomorrow we go to Mrs. Zhang's for lunch. In the morning I am finally going to walk to the ocean! It's about freakin' time (I love how I edit posts to add one freakin' apostrophe-oops, or correct the spelling of "add")!

How come you sound like a Chinese person?

I think all the kids have said that to me at some point when I have to clear my throat. Apparently lots of Chinese people are allergic to citric acid, msg, some specific kind of mold that I don't recall, as well as being fructose and lactose intolerant! Small world, eh? I added two pictures to the ones from the 18th, nothing too special. And there are two more days of pictures (hopefully). I finally had to switch memory cards on my camera today. Today we had a crazy weird problem with the car, so that was interesting. Again, I'm not sure how much time I have so I will have to let the pictures tell the story. I will have many double happy tales to tell upon return to my fine day home. Sorry, I'm getting into bizarre translation fun-time. My brother (I assume) asked about the thousand-year-old eggs (or century eggs). Did I write about them at all? I don't remember. Mrs. Zhang bought some (six, I think). I dutifully finished one so if anyone wants one there are some left. It tasted like fish and eggs and mold. I don't know what else to say. I forced myself to finish it so as not to be rude and spit it out, but Annie said after the fact that I wouldn't have had to finish it.

I found out today from Lea (Yang, Mark's former secretary-now she has a better position) that since we are Pigs (we were both born in 1971, mostly-you could have been born in 1972 up until the Chinese New Year and still be a pig) this year is a golden pig year for us. Someone else had said it would be bad luck. She also asked me why I wasn't married, but it was in a less perjorative way. She said when a guy is cool looking like me, they usually figure that they are too picky, or something along those lines. I do have high standards and I always tell girls that they should understand how much I think of them when I actually like them and deem them worthy.

Anyway, there is a lot to report but Mark just made me a margherita (am I even spelling that right) and I think they get stronger every day!

So today, among other things we went to a local buddhist temple. A lot of people were there, I think because of the chinese new year. It was cool, I got to sit in the building (are they all temples? I don't know! Shrines?) where they were chanting right in the same chairs as the monks! Annie was too shy to do it.

Mmmmmmmmm...

That's the dum sum they brought to our table as soon as we sat down. I really ended up stuffing myself. Although now I'm kinda hungry for some reason. I can also totally feel the margarita Mark made me, even though I was totally full when I ate it. We went to Brunch with Douglas and his wife Su Mei and their son Kye.

I am sorry I haven't had time to write more. It takes a lot of time. I wish I could put captions on the pictures. I guess when I get back I will have a slide show where I can explain things, if anyone is interested.

MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

That was me with my "treasures." My precious! They cost me $75 total and I probably still got ripped off. But they were pretty fun. I added some photos to the pictures from the 17th, in case you happened to have looked at those already. Some were of us playing Mahjong last night. One of the owners of the Big Apple Preschool, Kirk, came over, along with his son, Samuel. Unfortunately Joseph and the rest of the kids were fast asleep. I'm not sure how anyone could be fast asleep during that ruckus. I really can't begin to describe the cacaphony of all the fireworks. I got up at midnight because I wasn't asleep yet and I took some more pictures when things went only slightly crazier. My brother-in-law Mark commented that if Qingdao has six million people, probably half of them buy some sort of firework. I added that if each of those three million fireworks even averages ten things shot up, that's 30 million fireworks that you can see or hear. It was constant. I recorded some audio on my phone but I'm not sure it recorded well. I will see if I can post it (I couldn't). I've had a heck of a time getting the stuff from the 15th posted, so hopefully that will appear eventually as well.

Does this look familiar?

I keep forgetting to post this picture. THis is just for Mark. Apparently there were straight-line winds and a tree got knocked down. Right now we are off to have dim sum at 10am on a Sunday morning!

Happy New Year!

I think this is one of my fireworks. I didn't get a chance to post the pic of me with my treasures yet.

I'm still alive

No, that's not a freakin' Pearl Jam quote. I am back from the land of the dead. Or at least the Great Wall. I was back last night but I haven't been able to get online. I don't know how long I'll have to write right now. I am trying to at least get one batch of pictures uploaded now and then start another big one overnight. In fact I think I will have to stop for now. Hopefully I can actually get some time tomorrow to add some descriptions before I forget what happened. There are so many little things to tell. Oh by the way that picture above is from a fast-food (sort of)noodle place in the Beijing airport. I assume it's a chain. Anyway, there are new photo links on the sidebar.

"If you don't want the corn ice cream bar you can have the mung bean"

That's a quote from my sister. It's true. I didn't have either. I don't have much time for a post. The Maria just remembered it was Valentine's Day. I certainly wasn't going to bring it up. Don't want to cause trouble in the home, ya know. I'll have to try to compose my description of yesterday on the plain. That much typing on my PP is going to kill me. Gotta go, it's bus time then off to Beijing!

I'm ready for bed, and yes, it's only 7:30pm

Christopher has to go bed and the computer is in his room, so I can't write much right now, plus I'm really tired. I have to pack because we are going to Beijing tomorrow. I uploaded the pictures of the journey here and right now I am uploading my first day's photos as well but that is going to take awhile so I will leave the computer on tonight and let that go.

Good morning!

Would anyone believe I got up this morning at 5:30 of my own accord? Maria and Christopher were already up which is sort of what woke me up, but I was really awake. So I got up and took a shower and all that. M & C were quite interested in my shaving, since I was using a shaving brush to lather my face. I can't imagine getting up three hours before I had to leave for school. I maybe got up 30 minutes before I had to leave. Maybe a little more since I remember having time to watch The Great Space Coaster. I do actually remember getting up early enough to watch test patterns on TV (remember those??) but I don't remember what age I was.

Anyway, my problem with everything in the browser being in Chinese is apparently Blogger's problem. I tried to google it to find out last night but I was too groggy. So if anyone has any clues, please clue me in! It's going to be kind of difficult when I need to add a new link to pictures! So I think I am going to go through the stuff I wrote on the trip here and edit it into the appropriate posts so the timeline is right. Today we are going to go to the big market where I can buy fake designer handbags and stuff. Speaking of gay, I really need my cuticle oil! My skin is really dry from the trip and the skin around one of my fingernails is shredded worse than it's ever been. I also had to put some "liquid bandage" on my toe. I've never used the stuff before. You just paint it on. I put some insoles in my boots because I figured it would help since I'll be doing a lot of walking, but on one foot it totally rubbed me until I bled. Part of my sock became part of my skin! So I took the insoles out and hopefully it'll heal and then I'll just keep a Band-Aid on. You know, I remember in journalism making a big deal about having to say in-line skates, and not Roller-Blade, but what silly thing do you say instead of Band-Aid? plastic bandage??

Oh, so last night, the maid, Mrs. Zhang (pronounced like sorta like "jong"), made jiaozi (you'll have to look up that pronunciation yourself, they are what pot stickers are before they are fried, I think). They were very excellent. I made one retarded one, although she said it was good. It probably was pretty good for a first try. They were a million times better than anything I've ever had in a restaurant. Oh and Maria asked me again why I wasn't married. She claimed Mrs. Zhang wanted to know and claims she didn't aske me that same thing last summer. I know better though!

What else did we do yesterday? We went from the airport straigt to my brother-in-law Mark's new factory. They just built it and they have already pretty much filled it to capacity. For a new building I cannot say I was impressed. The craftsmanship here is just not what we are used to in the states. Nothing is built very well it seems. Even in my sister's bougey (is that how you spell that "word?) aparetment (on the "gold coast," as she says) there's a lot of stuff that makes my crap shack look downright Frank Lloydish. Although I guess my house was built back when things were built a little better, and you had to walk up hill both ways to school. But maybe if I lived in a McMansion I'd feel more at home with the quality. OK so then we went home quick and then we went out to get groceries. I got yelled at for taking pictures in the store but I just played dumb american. And can you believe I didn't take a picture of the fireworks place?? I took a ton of pictures that I still need to go through so I can erase a bunch of them. A lot of them were taken out the car window so they probably aren't all that good. Also, if anyone knows an easy way I can edit the discriptions of my pictures while they are still on the card let me know. I want to only have to do the descriptions once and I'd like them to stay with the pics. I'm sure on a Mac it would be simple. Maybe i'll try to quick upload all the pics anyway, just so people can see them, even if I have to erase them later.

Anyway (I apologize for using that word so much), look for updates in the old posts!

I'm here!

I've actually been here all day. The last two (?) days have seemed like one very long day. Today, even after I got here, the day moved really slow. That's good though, because it means that the time here won't be over too soon. Well it will be over too soon but... Or it could just be that I'm kind of the walking dead today. I will work on getting pictures uploaded along with the stuff I wrote while I was in transit. And of course I will write an overly-wordy diatribe about my first day in Qingdao. But first I have to make it so this browser stops showing me everything in Chinese.

I'm in Korea. I just discovered the free internet lounge. This keyboard is kind of worn and most of the browser is in Korean so I'm lucky I made it this far. So a couple more hours and then I leave.

Thanks, Trash!

Thanks, Mr. White Trash, for sitting around waiting for me to post to my blog and then quickly emailing me and telling me I should go back out and get a hot dog! It wasn't quite a Chicago dog because I had them leave off the "sport peppers" but I think it was the best hot dog I've ever had! I really want something sweet to drink now or at least a candy bar but I'm going to force myself to stick with water. Now there is a crazy long line at the security gate for some reason. Oh well, I have an hour to go anyway. This time I'll assure them doubly (insert Spinal Tap joke here) that my camera can indeed go through the X-ray machine.

I'm in Chicago

Well here I am in Chicago. Actually that's a lie, I started writing this while still in flight over WI. Or at least I think that's where I was. I had the most turbulence I've ever had on an airplane of that size (a 737). The Big Dipper was my companion. I will never understand people who aren't enraptured with takeoffs. I absolutely love that feeling while you are still on the ground and you can feel how fast you are moving! How you can sleep or read instead of staring, enraptured, out the window is beyond me.

Crazy! We just barely got up to cruising altititude and they announced that we would soon be beginning our descent to Chicago! I figured I'd better take their advice and go to the bathroom. One whole wall in the bathroom from the waist up was mirror! I wonder if that is for mile-high club members? Sexy! Anyway I got back to my seat and hadn't even finished the half a can of ginger ale they gave me before they came around with the garbage bags.

So now I am in O'Hare airport. I saw a security dude and he had what I at first thought was an Israeli flag patch on his jacket and I wondered what was up with that. Then I realized it was that stupid Chicago flag. D'oh! Why the heck do they need a stupid flag, anyway??

So then I rode the driverless tram, which was cool, to the international terminal. I tried to go through security and the woman told me they wouldn't let me through. I said I didn't understand and she told me almost the exact same thing again, "Dey won't let you through. Dey want their own ticket. You need to exchange your ticket." After calmly saying I didn't understand a couple more times, and her continuing to say the same thing, she finally yelled at me to go back to Asiana. At least she told me they didn't open til 9pm. Jeeze, lady, I'm sorry you aren't articulate enough to say, "In the quarter second that I looked at your United Airlines boarding pass, I was able to read the secret code that told me that it was really an Asiana Airlines flight, and even though United already gave you a boarding pass, you need to exchange it for an Asiana one." Sheesh. Maybe I'd be bitchy too if customers were contantly calmly telling them they didn't understand me becuase I was unable t
o get ac

So the international terminal at O'Hare is surprisingly devoid of places to sit down outside of the secured area. Actually all the terminals are. I took the tram back to the previous terminal, since I had an hour to kill and I realized that there were the same number of chairs there (about 30). I had to walk the entire length of the terminal to find a free spot. Even Minneapolis is better than that! And it's a slow Saturday night. There's almost no space between where the lines form and the edge of the terminal. I'd hate to see this place on a busy weekday! So it's about 8:30 now. I am going to call Ma & Pa before heading back. I'm starting to get hungry. At least if I have to eat it will kill some time. I don't know how I am going to make it til 1am when my flight leaves!

An hour and a half later...

Ok, I am finally at the gate for my flight. The Asiana line took about 45 minutes to get through. It was a long line but I didn't think it would take that long! After that I had to discard my tap water and go through security. The Dragon lady greeter was gone, thank goodness. Security was fast but they had to test my camera for some reason. The dude who did it was nice and said something about how they were warned about it because they thought it was a video camera, although I had told them it was not. Obviously they can't take my word for it, but I'm still not sure why they had to test it. I guess maybe they didn't send it through the X-Ray machine? I thought maybe they were doing an explosives test or something. I couldn't really tell what he was doing. I didn't see him open every zippered compartment (and there are quite a few) but I was also busy putting my belt and shoes back on and refilling my pockets with their copious contents.

So Ma made a good suggestion that I have a Chicago dog at the airport but I think maybe that place was outside security? I suppose I could go back through. There are absolutely no stores or vending machines down here. I don't know how O'Hare International can be so sucky. The 'dog place will probably be closed by the time I go back. Although I have plenty of time...

I guess I will sign off now. I will try to attach my one photo although I tested that before and it seems like it didn't accept my gigantic image file, but now I can't remember(ok apparently it was just too big to send). So the next time y'all hear from me will be almost a day from now, and possibly longer. Ciao! Oh wait, that's the wrong language. I'll leave you with a farewell greeting that is truly international: kbye!

OK, here we go

Welcome to my Chinese blog. I will hopefully be able to update this thing from China, along with my Photos. There is also a link to the right for my photos, so feel free to check daily, or not at all. I tweaked the html on this site myself (yayyy, me!) so let me know if anything displays weird for you so I can try to fix it before I go. I will be able to send posts via my cell phone while I am in the US of A so those of you concerned can check on my flight progress both coming and going.

If you are at all interested in background info I will tell you the various things that have happened so far. Well, some of them. There was that incident with the Llama but we don't need to discuss that. I got a new camera, it's a Nikon D40. It's their "cheap" new digital SLR. Six Megapixel. I already need a new lens for it to get decent telephoto (update- I got a 55-200mm lens two nights ago after quite a quest).

As for my choice in blog sites, I chose Blogger.com because it let me email posts without having to pay (you hear that, Livejournal???). I wanted to be able to email status reports from the Chicago airport and when I get back to L.A. Plus, of all the blogs I read , I like the look of the ones here the best. I had a Livejournal account already but Blogger was better.

I ended up going with a site called Bubbleshare for my photos. Yeah I hadn't heard of it either. It was the only place that would let you batch upload files without having to download some crappy software that didn't work anyway (do you hear that, Flickr???). It also lets you download the high resolution files, although you have to use the "Download Album" link on the left side and it downloads them ALL. But no place else would keep the full resolution files anyway (do you hear that, Flickr???). So if you want an individual shot, you'll have to talk to me. I will gladly give anyone (OK, it'll only be Grandpa Jim who wants them) any or all the pictures.

Annie (you know, my sister, the reason for this whole trip) told me her CD burner doesn't work, so I signed up for a free online site that gives me 25 gigs. That one isn't perfect either. It likes to not always upload all the files or not show them all until a day later, by which time, you've re-uploaded them and now have two copies of everything... I still would rather have a backup I can hold in my hand. I also just found out from Annie that since the earthquake about a month ago, their internet has been very slow. I guess that's not surprising considering the severity of the damage to the undersea fiber optic lines, but I hadn't thought of it relating to her. She says email has worked ok so at the very least I should be able to post that way. Assuming I can get to my web mail accounts...

As for pictures, I decided against shooting images in Raw format after reading an excellent article on Ken Rockwell's excellent site (did I mention it's excellent?). So I will be shooting high quality JPEGs. That means I can get almost three times as many shots on a card though.