Chat Room Open This Morning

Yes, the chat room is open.

Back in Action in Beijing

We arrived in Beijing yesterday and I'm happy to have internet access from home once again. We were in Shanghai the last three weeks and the only internet access I had there was at a local gaming parlor.

Interesting stats about the game parlor: cost 2 million RMB to build (about $240,000), 250 terminals, open 24/7, access cost 3 RMB ($0.36) an hour (quite pricey for China I thought), filled to capacity at peak hours (anytime school is out), 95% of customers were teenage boys, 99% of customers playing some kind of online multi-player game, or watching movies, or chatting (and often doing all three at once), and 95% of customers smoking cigarettes (which meant I could only stand it for a little while to check email).

We had a very smooth trip back to London where we spent one day visiting with friends/saying good-bye, and the next day directing the movers (fingers crossed), before we made the 11 hour flight to China on Virgin (I think Virgin is the only airline that flies direct from London to Shanghai). It was a good flight because the plane was quite empty, baby was very content the entire trip (he has been an angel on all his flights, thank god), and the "Media Center" had about 50 movies I hadn't seen and wanted to watch.

I'm still going to be a bit busy here because we're searching for a house to buy, but I plan to re-start the chat (once again in the morning from 8 AM to 9:30 AM, Eastern Time), and I'm going to upgrade the chat applet so that I can post the transcripts.