I got voted off the Gobi.
Yesterday around noon one of the people on the Gobi trip called to say that, “Sorry!” there wasn’t enough room for me on the Gobi trip. The max number for a tour is 6, and the guide wanted to treat the kid as a person (fair enough). So the rest [...]
Archive for July, 2009
Change of plan
Posted in Mongolia, tagged Amazing Race, Ger to Ger, Mongolia, Terelj on July 29, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
I’m already in a better mood…
Posted in Mongolia, tagged China, Mongolia, Ulaan Baatar, Great Wall, Gobi Desert on July 28, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Greetings from Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia. HooRAY. Arrived early yesterday afternoon from Beijing, and I already feel the difference. China and I were just not on the same wavelength. We’ll see what happens when I go back in a month or so.
One piece of exciting news is that I’ve published another story – this one about [...]
The shortest longest eclipse
Posted in China, tagged Moscow, Star City, eclipse-chasing, eclipse, China, Mongolia, total solar eclipse, Great Firewall, Shanghai, SEML, Jay Anderson, Al Roker, Al Drew, Rick Brown, eclipse-chaser on July 25, 2009 | 1 Comment »
I haven’t really posted much about China. Yeah, I know. Between the Great Firewall, slooooowwww connection in Shanghai, and a lack of a computer, it’s been painful even to check email.
There’s much to say, but I shant say it now. Because I know what you’re wondering: How was the eclipse? So I’ll postpone more [...]
I’m back, baby!
Posted in Uncategorized on July 24, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
This is my first post written on my brand new Asus Eee 1005HA. I couldn’t bear life without a netbook anymore, so I just took the subway to Beijing’s “e-mall,” found the Asus booth, and said “I one one of those.” Definitely the easiest sale of my sales guy’s career.
Yes yes yes I have much [...]
Hot and sleepy in Shanghai
Posted in Uncategorized on July 19, 2009 | 2 Comments »
This is my second attempt at a post from Shanghai. I hope this one doesn’t get eaten by the Great Firewell as well…
Imagine a spoof on a high-tech sci-fi movie. Above you tower outrageous, flamboyant steel-concrete-and-glass high-rises, all marked by an absurdist flourish – a pincer-like peak, an incongruous swoop of concrete halfway up, a [...]
I need a computer!
Posted in China, Uncategorized, tagged China, Beijing, Shanghai, Forbidden City on July 15, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
I’m sitting here at the Internet-connected computers at my hostel – the Qianmen Hostel in Beijing. I’m by the door out to the noisy, hot street. The air conditioner next to me is leaking, so one of the staff is mopping around me. Behind me, other guests are coming and going through the door, sometimes [...]
Ha HA. Welcome to China (version II)
Posted in China, Planning, tagged scams, China, Beijing, Great Firewall, Forbidden City, Tienanmen Square on July 15, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Greetings! Surprised, some of you? Well, DrC, my dear and clever friend, sent me his proxy info to help me (as he put it) get around the “Great Firewall of China.”
To catch everyone up, a few days ago I sent this note to a few friends and family:
———–
So, I’m spamming all 33 of you [...]
Half a glass of wine
Posted in Russia on July 9, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Half a glass of wine. That is what my clumsy hand spilled into the keyboard of my beloved HP Mini yesterday evening. As I leapt from my chair for a towel to sop up the mess, my little computer made a sad little mewling sound, and died.
All my attempts to revive it have failed. As [...]
For Henry
Posted in Russia, tagged architecture, China, Harbin, Russia, trains, Vladivostok on July 8, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
This morning (yesterday evening, your time!) I was chatting on IM with my friend Henry. The gist of the conversation was, “Where are you? What have you been doing? When the hell are you going to post again, you no-account layabout?”
The short answer is: I’m still in Vladivostok, waiting for my Chinese visa, which should [...]
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