Where is Nathan??

So for the past week or so the sky has been hidden by clouds (smog?) and so I haven’t see the sun or the stars. This is not uncommon in Nanjing (or perhaps many cities around the world), but what is uncommon is the effect it has had in reflecting the city lights. The smogcloud cover has been so low that the sky lights up around 7:30 or 8 when the sun disappears completely. I first noticed this last night as I was coming out the gym and suddenly realized it was 9pm and yet looking at the sky it could have been 5:30 or 6. It is a very eerie effect as the twilight haze doesn’t give off shadows, but everything can be seen clearly in the darkest back alley. In fact this my be why I haven’t noticed it sooner is because living in a metropolitan area there are usually so many street lights that night time and darkness aren’t really related subjects.

On a completely separate subject, tomorrow begins one of China’s “Golden Weeks”. It is October holiday or National holiday and we will have a week off from work. As you can see from the wikipedia article, this year the holiday has been altered to start on Oct 1^rst (a Wednesday). But since the holidays were already written into our contract, we get a full 9 day holiday (on work week plus weekends) with a 5 day head start on the rest of China. Score! Elizabeth and I with some friends are returning to a place amongst picturesque hills that we haven’t been to in fours years. I am really really looking forward to it. I will tell you all about it when we return (and I have pictures).

Wow! Ok, I just finished watching Obama’s acceptance speech (yes, I had to download it so I’m a little behind) and I was moved to tears as I always am when I hear him speak. But I’m not moved to tears because he’s talking about really good political ideas. I’m moved to tears when he talks about how great America could be. I could launch off into a total political rant here, but I won’t. I’m in the same boat as many many other people. My voting history calls me a republican, but my time abroad has forced me to revisit those beliefs. I have no idea if I’m a democrat or not. But I know I like what Obama says. Some of it anyway. I like the idea of a president who is apalled by the idea that the United States isn’t a great country. Let me say that again, a GREAT country. Our history tells us we come from the strongest, most rugged adventurers the world had to offer. We pioneered the west! We went to the moon! It was so inspiring the Chinese are trying to repeat the effort 40 years later! We defended freedom in two world wars! Come on people, we are a strong proud capable people, let’s start acting like it. Oops, looks like I ranted a little anyway.

But that’s why I like what Obama says. He’s talking about not how great he is, but how great we all could be.

Anyway, I’m going on vacation in a few days. And I’m going to love it. Happy 59^th birthday China. Please elect Obama USA.

Life Update!

The Olympics are over and nothing terrible happened. Although will the great coming out for China, I think the world did get to see the personality of the Chinese a little clearer. There were also some very telling events, like the fake singing at the opening ceremonies and the 14 year old gymnists whose ages were concealed, that the world probably took as foul play but again shows us the kind of mindset of the country we are all dealing with here. Anyway, I’m glad it’s over. Now we can talk about something else. Or watch re-runs of it for the next four years.

I joined a gym. I joined the Wu Tai Shan fitness club for one year for the low low price of 3700元 with the decision to get back in shape. I haven’t been in terrible shape in a while, but I’ve been slightly overweight for a few years now and with me starting to knock on 30’s door I felt it was time to get back to it. Time to lost the fat and get my former beefy glory back. I’m only 3 weeks in, but so far so good.

I turned 29. I am in the last year of my 20’s and to celebrate this fact (or mourn it) we went to Burger King for dinner. I ate a bacon cheese whopper with a large meal and felt very satisfied, until I saw they were offering a hersey’s chocoloate icecream pie and decided I needed that. When I got to the counter to ask for it they told me it was only available free with the purchase of a chicken cordon bleu sandwich and meal. So I bravely devoured the enourmous sandwich and the delicious chocolate pie. We then went to Lost Pool Bar and played pool and drank beer until the wee hours of the morning. A fine birthday indeed.

I bought a coffee maker. Now I bought a drip coffee maker shortly after arriving in in Nanjing and have been using it happily ever since. But recently an Italian co-worker of mine asked me to try some “real” coffee and proceeded to give me a sample. It was delicious, since Italians have some sort of magical powers over things like coffee, wine, and clothing. But I had assumed he had brought the grounds over from Australia (his current country of residence), when in fact he has taken the coffee grounds I had given him from our local super market (Shanghai coffee, a local coffee grounds producer) and made using an espresso maker he had bought a block from our school. I was intrigued. So I went down and checked it out a few weeks ago and it turned out they had Italian made coffee makers (the metal kind that you screw apart in the middle) on sale for half price. I was a bit worried because we use a gas burner at our apartment, but the lady in the shop said open flame should not affect it. And besides a little discoloration, it was been working well. And as I said, some sort of Italian power is eminated from this machine as it is able to transform lowly Chinese coffee grounds into decent full bodied coffee. Yum.

And last but not least, we have a new shopping center in Nanjing. Now this may not sound like much, but this shopping center has single handedly insured that we no longer have to go to Shanghai to visit certain necessary stores. Enter Aqua City, the most western shopping mall I have ever seen in China (…this might not be true, but I can’t remember seeing one more western). Aqua city is a strange monstrocity made of two bizzarly shaped buildings that are joined by a walkway prominade sort of thing surrounding several pools and waterways that run through the middle. Besides the strange architecture, it’s holds treasures like H&M, Zara, Sephora, Uniqlo, Muji, Steve Madden, not to mention a Starbuck, Costa, Papa John’s, and Dairy Queen. I still haven’t seen all the stores it holds, and truth be told there are many stores that you would find in other Chinese malls like the obligitory San rio store that is packed full of Hello Kitty and the traditional Chinese tea store that sell tea sets for 5000元. But we’ve been there Saturdays in a row and still haven’t seen the half of it.

Well, that’s the end of my life update. I have my phone software working again, so hopefully I can keep posting pictures which I’m never very good at. Peace out. Happy Moon Festival!!!