We are the Aliens - Blogging in China

Is not easy. I haven't been able to actually view my blog itself (or anyone else's blog for that matter). I have a few minutes while most of the rest of the company is taking their after-lunch nap.

The flight was long but uneventful. The weather upon arrival in Hong Kong was rainy and we took a stomach-lurching hydrofoil ride from Hong Kong to Shenzhen where we picked out our luggage from large shipping containers that were hoisted by crane to the dock in front of us. We then filled out some perfunctory paperwork and handed them first to a very bored young clerk and then to a stern uniformed customs officer who eventually stamped our passports and we were on our way.

One genuinely fun and different experience is being the one who stands out--in the local Wal-Mart we often got stares and interested looks from people in the crowds because we were the aliens.

But I have this strange habit of convincing myself, wherever I go, that nothing is much different. And there are so many things about ChangAn that aren't all that different from Tel Aviv or any decent-sized city. There's traffic, grimy apartment buildings, busy pedestrians, couples with children...

Of course there are differences. But more on that when I have more time.