china

The bike race was amazing.

The story behind this house is amazing. Originally bought and paid for by Diana's entrepreneurial great-grandparents it was taken over by the Communists during China's cultural revolution. Since that time the family has moved to various parts of the world and are slowly trickling back to their home country. The house sat vacant for decades and it took until the late 1980s for the house to be given back to its original owners.

An unfortunate title.

Throughout China people use recycled glass on the top of their fences and ledges to keep out intruders

Good times in Beijing.

ssshhh.. these things don't happen in China. In fact everyone here is completely content and perfectly happy. Well at least according to their government.

These people are simply pretending that the local government didn't listen to them or care about their protests regarding a new construction project that went up across the street. Due to its immense size the new project will completely block their view of the sky as well as preventing any sunlight from hitting their once sun-drenched apartments.

This video was filmed October 11, 2008.

I probably don't need to write how important it is for every citizen in America to vote. Elections and voting is one of the primary elements that make America great. Even though Diana and I are several thousand miles away from our country it does not stop us from voting. We registered and then cast our ballots using the old-fashioned write in method. Fed-Ex is incredibly awesome and has a program called "Express your vote". American expats living in China are able to send their ballots for free.

Every day I come across something that reminds me that I'm in China and that things are different here. This evening as I was returning home I came across a woman burning a pile of paper on the sidewalk. Just behind her was a teenage girl crouching near the edge of the street consoling an older gentleman whom was doubled over sobbing quietly. I realized that the woman stoking the fire must have been the mother thus completely the family. Each of their faces was somber and you could tell they were in mourning.