We're in China!!

Believe it or not this is coming from Beijing. Along with 12 students I arrived in Beijing on Sept. 1. We began in Chicago (one student began in L.A.) and it took us a long time to get here. We arrived at the airport (O'Hare's Terminal 5) good and early - I got there at 7:15 a.m. or so and there were already four students and their families at the Terminal (see, Gary, I wasn't ridiculously early). JAL wasn't even open yet. Fortunately at the International Terminal at O'Hare the food court is before you get to Security, so there is somewhere to hang out with your loved ones until it's time to go. And Security is pretty quick, and the gate we were going to close by. It's the least stressful terminal at O'Hare. The flight to Tokyo Narita was 13 hours, followed by a four-hour layover, and then another four hours to Beijing. Then - when you are at your most exhausted, having traveled 21 hours but having been up for 27 hours, you have to go through Immigration, then get your baggage, then Customs. This is hardly news to anyone who has done this trip, but it is absolutely exhausting.

We're doing okay - everyone has found something to eat; we have been to a few convenience stores; we're waiting patiently for our ID cards so we can get Internet in the rooms. There's an Interet place in the building, which charges, but it inexpensive. We had our first Chinese class today, taught by an energetic young woman, and a Tai Chi class on the patio outside, taught by an equally energetic 74-year old man. For the next class I suggest we not choose something which doubles as a parking lot. Someone's backpack was run over but the camera and watch inside emerged unscathed. The rooms seem to be fine - and we just need to learn how to do everything. We want to meet some Chinese students whom we can speak to and who can show us around. There do seem to be a lot of European students, and we have met some Americans as well.