Here I am in Beijing. Yes, 13 hours really is a long as motherfucking time to sit in a plane. Before I left I was reading this review of Air China and they discussed how they thought the planes seemed really old and I pretty much thought to myself "Well, as long it's not a propellor plane than it's really ok with me.". It's true though: the planes are pretty old. For example, two of the three screens in my cabin were not working which was ok since they showed "Fun with Dick and Jane" and some movie that looked like it took place in China and starred Donald Sutherland. They also played both of the movies TWICE. Air China is kind of a cut rate outfit.

Anyway, I got picked up at the airport and was taken to the hostel which is kind of in the backpacker ghetto part of Beijing. I had some sort of traditional Mongolian dish for dinner and the owners of the restaurant brought out their 15 year old daughter to practice English with me. I tried to learn some Chinese from her and I managed to do so a little bit but my pronounciation is so monstrous that I don't know how much help it will be. Anyway, as I was leaving the girl said "You'll come by again tomorrow?" and her mother said something which she translated as "My mother hopes you'll come by too." I left that one with a pretty firm maybe.

Also, it doesn't appear as though my phone doesn't really work in China. So, I now have a beef with Cingular and with Crunch gym which hasn't canceled my account yet. My work is never done.