Moving Extravaganza!

After a few days of staying on our friend Jo's couch, we've finally actually moved in! There was some hijinx involved, which I'll get into later, but now at least we have a place to hang our hats. I'll upload some more pictures and give a little more detailed description of the fun that ensued on moving night once we get the internet hooked up (maybe on wednesday or thursday..)
This week is full of insane registration excercises- getting froms signed in triplicate, taking them from one long line to another for no distinguishable purpose except to provide one more person with a job... I feel so bad for the students on the group flight who just arrived this evening- they've got an uphill battle ahead of them!
Well, I love you all, email me when you get the chance, and I hope we talk soon!
Matt

Apartementissimo!!

Sleeping 孔仁
I can't move in till the 28th, but the living room pictured below is now officially my living room.. Hooray!
Matt arrived today, too! He got off the plane, took a cab to my hotel, and then we went almost immediately into rental negotiations. What a trooper! Maybe that's why he's totally passed out on my bed now. I feel like I'm finally ready to kick back and await the arrival of classes and testing and registration and all that craziness. I've got plenty of room now, for those of you inerested in visitation. Just let me know so I dont plan any trips out of town. Did I mention that I'm relieved?

Apartemente

Where will I live, where will I live? 'You must move in today! Tomorrow, there will be no more places left!' 'The students are coming- they will take your place from you. Carpe Diem!' 'This is close to everything in Beijing.'
I've been to so many apartments in the past week, I just don't know what to do with myself... This is the one that I like the most so far.

东升园

Wandering in Imperial Gardens

Ming Pagoda at Beida
Not realizing that the University (which seems to be the size of east Arlington) had 2 west gates, I ended up walking for 45 minutes trying to find the foreign students center... Sometimes I just hate admitting I don't know where I am, I'm trying to blend in, y'know! Anyways, I ended up stumbling upon this rather tranquil scene while I was lost.

I may be moving...

I may have to move my blog, as I've discovered that I'm unable to view it in Beijing, though it seems that I'm still able to edit it...

If I do decide to move the site, it will most likely be moved to mattdove.blog-city.com as they seem to be accessible from China. Thanks, everbody!
Matt

到达了北京！

Ominous Clouds

On the third attempt to land in a Beijing thunderstorm, our pilot aborted a few hundred feet from the runway straight up into a bucking bronco of turbulence that conducted the entire shrill-voiced female population of the back of the plane into a peircing aria. After my ears regained consciousness, I found that we'd flown 10 minutes and landed in Tianjin, where we spent the next 3 hours or so refueling and figuring out what to do. Finally I'm in my hotel room, I'm not too ashamed of the price I paid for cab fare, and I haven't spoken more than a word or two of English since I arrived! Hooray!
Thanks for all the help from my friends and family, especially Ben and Glaser for you're help with my schlepping this morning. I love you all,
Matt

We went out to Lucky 13 to have my official not-quite-last-night send off jamboree. It was a total blast, yet again proving to me that actual plans are not necessary to creating a great time. After closing time, Glaser and I ended up eating giant, greasy cheeseburgers at Sparky's, then decing to walk home. We finished the last few miles Stand By Me style, along the tracks of the J line. What a great last few days here I've had with my wonderful friends!
We took some sweet polaroids in a booth at the bar, presented here for your viewing pleasure:

No Man's Land

I'm stuck in a pre-departure holding pattern... I can't bring myself to finish packing... I feel like I'm never leaving and I've already left at the same time! I think I'm in the clutches of what my Dad calls the "paradox of choice" - I feel like I can bring everything with me or nothing, as soon as I try to think about anything in-between, the choices multiply and end up paralyzing me. It's easier for me to bring no t-shirts than decide on my 10 favorite, but I've got to have some, haven't I?
Tomorrow, it ends!!

Later, San Francisco!

A Bittersweet Farewell

Matt's leaving today, so we went out to Zeitgeist last night and had a few drinks. After toasts, much rough-housing, and a few lost pool games (actually, I think I may have been the only one losing) we arrived back at Fort Awesome, where Cat took this photo of us in the future Rebholz's moving truck. I wonder we'll all be in the same place again? 一路顺风 future Rebholzs, I'll do everything I can to be in Florida next May.

The Unit

Finally, pretty much everthing is in storage with the exception of my toolbox- and with room to spare! I'll rent out the space above the bikes for $50 a month... you're moving out here pretty soon, right Tim? You could totally fit a twin bed and a hot plate right on top of the bikes, you'd be like a modern-age ascetic monk. Awesome.

My Worldly Belongings

The Rock and Roll

Jenna took me to this rock and roll show in SOMA last night. It was totally awesome! The lead singer was like my first crush and the girl I lost my virginity to all rolled up into one totally awesome stage presence. She signed this EP for me, I wonder what 'hobbit' means...

The Early Bird Catches the Armoir

Jakob was supposed to pick me up at 7 this morning, but apparently he drank a little more than me last night. He showed up at my door at 8:45 and we drove to Cassie and Phil's house to load his Armoir (sp.?) onto the roof of his car. Normally, I don't consider myself to be a particularly self-congradulatory person, however, I must say that the trucker's hitch assembly that I used to secure the fore-aft movement of the armoir was one of the coolest knot setups I've ever made (Jakob does get credit for the kernel that spawned the final design). I get a little giddy just thinking about it right now!
In other news: Everyone pray that either Jenny of James buys the rustwing tonight! I have good a good feeling about both of them making a good owner of the old bike. James offered me a tentative $400 a little while ago, but I'm holding out for 5. oh Jenny! Jennny, Jenny, Jenny... please come through for me on this one- daddy needs a new 1 or 200 lunches in Beijing!

The Rustwing

Emptier and emptier...

My room is getting so bare! No bed, no desk... sleeping on the floor is kind of fun, though! Rebholz and I just got back from what was supposed to be a quick visit to Jakob's barbeque, but which instead turned into us going out to a bar with him, Zoom, Sev and his new gf, and some other folks. I ate a pizza called"mmmmm... meat". I really only ordered so I could say "I'll have the mmmmmm...meat".

DY-NO-MITE!

Went out to sushi at Miyabi with Jakob tonite, after seeing the movie The Island (which was ~10x better than I thought it was going to be). We had quite a feast, and I came to the realization in the middle of chewing on a dynomite roll that I'm really going to miss a great many people while I'm gone. Luckily it was a fleeting thought. I'll let the anxiety of missing people wait until I'm actually missing them!
I talked to Jenna for the first time since before leaving for Boston this afternoon. She put a link to this page on her page, so, being a beginner in blog etiquette myself, I would assume only proper to return the favor. Check her out here and there. She's awesome, and way more prolific and well spoken than I could ever hope to be. Hi Jenna!
Tomorrow, I'm gonna sell the rustwing, I just know it!

.........

Sitting in line at the DMV, watining to pay my overdue motorcycle registration so I can sell it before I leave... the DMV is such a strange place. Nobody wants to be nice to you, but if you lay on the charm, sometimes they can't help it. The lady I talked to this time spoke Mandarin, so I tried to do the whole peration in Chinese. I could tell that she was getting pretty impatient, but for me it was the most fun DMV experience I've had to date!