Ni-hao (hello)
Wow - we are getting busy. Here are some weird stuff.
Taxis are an adventure in Beijing. Some of the drivers do not know how to read. When we point to our Chinese list you hope you get a driver that can read.
All cars are manual shift, even the big shuttle vans. When they stop at a red light, the car is put in neutral & the emergency brake is used - gotta try that when I get back.
The Taxi drivers wear one glove to shift with & the other hand is bare - I guess Michael Jackson was their influence - gotta try that.
Men grow their left pinky fingernail longer. It is a tool, it points to things on the map, it scratches & it picks - nifty idea - maybe try that too.
U-Turns are a blast. In the USA you U-Turn when your light is green. Here you U-Turn on your red so you drive up the crosswalk and head-on toward traffic; don't worry, the crosswalk is wide enough for the car - I would like to see people's faces if I try this.
I have not heard any music in the taxis, only talk radio & it seems to be the same guy. Must be a Rush Limbaugh of China.

We found a restaurant that serve only donkey meat, the NBC crew was brave to eat there - not us.
One of the things you can order is live shrimp in wine - I guess it's like the tequila worm.
We found a place that serves chicken stomach & also pig intestines - I hope they are empty.

The dried lizard in the photo album is a medicine remedy. The skin is dried on a bamboo holder, then you boil it in water and then drink the broth - yummy yummy.

Most deliveries are done by bike. You will see a three-wheeler loaded with a dozen big water jugs or some boxes of equipment.

2 more weeks to the day & I am heading home - Nathanael cannot wait. He told me one day he wanted me home tomorrow by the time he woke up.

Beijing said the tickets were sold out -no they are not. The scalper or "Ticket Managers" bought them all & are selling them at a huge mark up. A swimming $50 RBM ($8 American) ticket sells for $1000 RBM ($150 American). because of that, the stadiums are empty. The same thing happened in Athens & they did not make a profit.

Time to get back to work