First Working Day

It was a beautiful day in Beijing. It was in the mid-70s and there was no sign of the legendary smog! We went to BOCOG (Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games) to start collecting the tickets. Security was tight, so it took a while to get into the complex. We are hand-counting the tickets for each event to verify that we are receiving the tickets that have been assigned to us. I counted a lot of individual tickets today! We counted from 9am to 5:00pm with a 1.5 hour lunch break. Jessica, a college student who is living here for a year and speaks Chinese, joined us today, and took me to a Japanese restaurant for sushi at lunchtime. A 20 oz. Diet Coke is only 3 RMB ($.043) so I think I'll be drinking a lot of those! They did not have any air-conditioning in the counting room, and we'll be there all week, so I think I'll be dressing a little cooler than I did today.

After the hour taxi ride home from BOCOG (traffic is crazy!) I went down to the supermarket to pick up some food and cleaning supplies. When I went to get cash, I found that I had left my ATM card in the Airport ATM yesterday. What a nightmare working with Citibank to get that replaced! Ole! supermarket is a somewhat "western" supermarket so I was able to get bratwurst, eggs, tomato juice, and some other basics to keep around the house. I even found Tide laundry detergent!

I've learned how to say Hello and Thank You, which isn't much, but let's just learn a few words a day, OK?

Comments

Linda Hurn said…
Hi David- I am enjoying reading your blog. Hope you have a great time. How long will you be there?
June 3, 2008 at 11:10 PM
DavidJosephBaldwin said…
My return flight is currently booked for August 30, though I'll have a visa to stay later, so I may change my flight and stay to travel a little more in Asia!
June 6, 2008 at 9:51 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Three Things Your (Gay) Christian Kid Needs to Hear from You

 Dear Friend Raising Your Child(ren) in the Christian Faith: A friend sent me an article today written by James Clementi, the older brother of Tyler Clementi. Tyler is the Rutgers student who committed suicide in September 2010 after his roommate used a webcam to spy on him. It moved me that poor James had to say things to his little brother that he would never get to say to him in person. I thought of a time in junior high when I thought I might commit suicide. I’d just started to grow uncomfortable with the feelings I was having for boys, I was unpopular and lonely at school, and I faced rejection when I asked girls to “go out” with me (really, where would we go anyway, the mall? “MOM, can you take me to the mall?” Well, yes, I guess that’s what the cool kids did do. Seems silly now.) I remember starting to pen suicide notes in Study Hall. I imagined leaving them unsigned and causing a stir, or I’d imagine actually killing myself at home, and I’d imagine how bad the kid...
Read more

6 Simple Fashion Rules for Men Over 30

Since yesterday was Father's Day, I thought I'd share a few of my thoughts on men's fashion. How we dress ourselves in the morning says so much about us, but many men are saying "I don't care." Men's fashion changes so little (really, when was the last time someone introduced a new neckline for men?) that if we make smart, simple decisions when we buy, our wardrobes can last a long, long time. With basic colors, most of the items in our wardrobes can also go with almost anything else, making it easy to get dressed in the morning, even in the dark! BUY THE RIGHT SIZE. Try it on. It doesn't have to cling, but it certainly shouldn't hang. If your pants won't stay on without a belt, they're not the right size. If they're loose in the waist but tight in the thigh? Not the right fit or not the right brand. Keep looking. Different brands fit differently, and some retailers offer 10 different fits! There's one that will look great ...
Read more