Countdown to Beijing...

No, I'm not talking about the 2008 Olympics. Thanks to a generous grant from the Harvard-Yenching Institute, I'll be getting my study on for the next ten months in the second city I've ever called home (the first being NYC). I don't know what it is about Beijing that I find so appealing. The architecture is sterile, there's horrible smog for most of the year (you know it's bad when you can see the "fog" rolling into your open window), and most residents have no qualms about staring awestruck as I walk down the street (What? You've never seen a six-and-a-half foot black man before?). I just remember experiencing a long, lingering feeling of comfort returning to Beijing last summer after a month researching and volunteering in Jiangxi. I'm still not quite sure what classes I'm going to take, whether I'll live on campus or find my own apartment, or a host of other things. Still, every other time I've been to China, I've come back with amazing memories and a fresh perspective on life.

I'll try to keep posts brief yet frequent and photos numerous. Tomorrow I'm getting one of those tele-marketer type headsets from RadiaShack so I can Skype like it's hot. If you're not up on Skype, then get with it. The Yenching institute is not that generous and I can't afford to be calling you all. However, all incoming calls are welcome as are other forms of correspondence. I promise to reply in time.