Wow, and the mental energy drain has hit early this semester. As I’ve written before, this is the first time in a very long time that I’m employed by the same employer for more than three months. I’m still stepping carefully only because I’m having trouble believing it myself. Has it really been six years since I left Winnipeg? Did I really visit all of those places? Sometimes I get so caught up in the moment (okay, very often I get caught up in the moment) that it’s hard to see just what is going on in the bigger picture.
Listening to the audio version of In Search of Modern China. I must say that China is the first country that I’ve read a lot about while still in the country. I don’t know why. I know I didn’t read very much about the place before I arrived but now that I’m here I find I’m reading both fiction and non-fiction. This particular book, In Search of Modern China is written by Jonathan D. Spence and basically deals with Chinese history from about the 16th century AD until about 1990, when the books was published. The book has come up in a few conversations with others who’ve been here so I figured I’d give it a go. I’m on chapter four and so far I’ve found the book to be good background information on the country. I can’t say I absorb all the dates and names, but at least I’m getting familiar with them.
And a bit of home has sprung up lately: the Winnipeg Jets have made the NHL playoffs for the first time since returning to the city. It’s been 19 years since that fateful day when the team was sold to Phoenix and, that same year, they lost to the Detroit Red Wings in the first round of the playoffs. Despite a “Save the Jets” campaign, in which my family participated, to raise money to keep the team in the city, it just could not work as the city couldn’t put up enough money. The team had to move. There’s actually some talk that it wasn’t so much the money but the fact that the league commissioner, Gary Betman, didn’t want Winnipeg to have a team and instead wanted to expand into other US markets where there is more money on the table. Well, he couldn’t find any more reasons or excuses to keep a team out of the city and now they’re in the playoffs once again. To mark the occasion of the Winnipeg Jets’ return to the playoffs, the folks over at Virgin Radio in Winnipeg made an “anthem” of sorts to the tune of Eminem’s “Shady’s Back”. Have a look, it’s actually pretty good. On that note, so #GoJetsGo
Finally, spring has sprung in Beijing. The flowers have started bloom and have improved the smell of the air. Sadly, there has been a good amount of smog lately, though with the rain and the wind, it shouldn’t stay long. I’m told that Beijing’s springs are very windy, and that’s the reason it’s also called kite-flying season. It’s odd to see old men, grandfathers without any grandkids around, flying kites in parks and around campus. There is one man who likes to fly a remote-controlled airplane and that amuses him for quite a while. I got caught out in the rain one Saturday night and it ruined my nice suede shoes. I also found out there’s a hole in the right shoe. Is it just me or have shoes dropped in quality as of late?
Ah yes, and I’m celebrating yet another anniversary of this blog. For those of you still following along, it’s been five years since I started my first website in order to keep track of my way through southeast Asia. I remember writing the first blog post at the border of Thailand and Cambodia, just before I got had for $30 for a taxi that never really existed. I didn’t get around to posting until a few days later when I was actually in Cambodia but it was the start of a longer journey than I thought possible. Below is a screenshot of the first post I made or you can read it here. That was April 4, 2010! Just look at how insightful and fulfilling that first post is!
I tried to find a couple of screenshots of my old sites but seem to have misplaced them. Who would’ve thought that a digital desktop and filing system could get as messy as a real life desktop and filing system?
I’ll end it there as this has gone on a little longer than I thought it would. Hopefully I’ll post again soon. We’re entering midterms so that gives me a pause from classes but not from all the extra work that comes with teaching.