Lunch today. My living room was turned into card playing foul language hide away for breakaway rebels of the school faculty. Well, not exactly that, but, there are five people huddled around my living room table playing the ever popular Chinese card game Pu Ke. It was fun, and money exchanged hands be grudgingly.

And now as promised: Hangzhou. Jan 21-Feb.10 2003: Hangzhou is famous among the Chinese as place to get away and to revel in tree lined streets and Xi Hu or "West Lake". West Lake is what Hangzhou is most well known for, and it is a really beautiful place. Three islands are in the middle of Xi Hu which contain gardens, pools with large carp, and great scenery throughout. I was to teach English at the Zhejiang Universities library. I lived in some dorms about 5 miles away from campus, and I took a bus to work. Right behind the bus stop was a little store where I bought my beer, shaving utensils, potato chips and other miscellanious items. I became quite friendly with the owners of the store as I went there everyday sometimes twice or three times. The trips to the store and the ensuing conversations with the store owners son are some of the best memories I have of Hangzhou. I visited Xi Hu a couple of times, but seeing as it was winter, the place was dead, I wouldn't see Xi Hu in it's glory until some some six months later when I returned for a quick visit. The most memorable thing that I experienced while in Hanghzou was the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year. The night of the new year, I dined with a family at a restaurant right on the West Lake. Great restaurant, better food. We sang songs, and they were extremely excited when I'd decided that I'd had enough beer to sing an English song solo. I'm sure I messed it up, but it didn't matter. I wouldn't see all of Hangzhou, but I'd see what mattered, and truth be told, I was also anxious to leave this place as well. I knew that my next stop would be Beijing.