Miscellaneous Photos Page 7 : Final photos from China While in Beijing, I had the chance to catch up with a classmate from my MBA program, Shihong Li. Shihong is now working for an insurance company in downtown Beijing and has an office with a fabulous view. Doesn't Jack look good in that hat? On our first night in China, we experienced authentic Chinese cuisine with Pamela, a British friend of Jenny's. This is the apartment building where Jenny lived last year, in a suburb of Beijing about an hour's drive out of the city. Concrete slab apartments, many with window air conditioners, were home to students, families, and even high-ranking university officials. Some observations: Kitchens were tiny, electricity required pre-paid cards, only state-run programs were on TV (yawn), air conditioners were amazingly effective against the brutal heat, grocery shopping is a whole other experience -- Western food products are almost nonexistent, while Western-style gadgets, appliances, fast food, and clothing are everywhere. My mother in front of Jenny's building. Jenny with friend and former student Cecilia, an adorable woman whose English was amazing and whose sense of humor even more so. Behind them are officials at the university where Jenny spent her first year in China teaching. A typical street in Beijing: Lots of rickshaws. My mother enjoys herself. My stylish sister. On the multi-level altar where royalty prayed for good harvests. Me, I was praying for a cold front. Return to the Introduction Return to Page 6