One of the few quiet places in cn

Waiting area at the international terminal which has room to grow for
next 50 years!

new view from new place

Moved into new place two weeks ago, during Chinese New Years. I miss the "local-flavor" of the former place (which was several levels above my first place - the group house) but new place is definitely a step above the previous two, in particular how well it's been maintained.

I learned that cheap construction is common here. The first place I stayed in when I arrived in Beijing was called Modern City. Kari and I had stayed at when we visited in 2001. At the time our friends Rob and Klem were living there and let us crash in their guest room. I have a distinct memory looking out their livingroom window overlooking smoggy Beijing and thinking they had arrived.

Eight years later, based on that memory, I sublet an apartment in Modern City from with a couple of other guys. Aside from peeling paint and dirt in public areas, dirty elevators, etc., the apartments were also showing their age. It really looked its age, and worse. And then there were the roaches. Or the drains that oozed stinky air all night. Of course, it was a lot cheaper, too!