8/8 and counting

Today marks the one year countdown to the Beijing Olympics. There are festivities this evening (probably at 8 o'clock) in Tian'anmen Square. I will avoid the "Oceans and Mountains of People" and remain near home for this one. Maybe there will be something on TV...

Other recent interesting events:

I finally ate at the "Fusion" restaurant 锣鼓 Luogu. I still don't understand what fusion is. We had one dish with a little bit of cheese in it, but otherwise everything tasted just like typical Beijing Chinese food. I think it's all a marketing scam.

I was given a section of wall in Hutong School on which I can rotate exhibits of my photos--Printing costs covered by the school. It's pretty great because the photos look nice on the web, but they look even nicer when they're printed.

More and more people are leaving Hutong School. It seems like there is a goodbye party every week. Last week Melissa and 2 other Americans left. Friday I will lose my roommates. Next week more of the French girls are out of here. All this has me wondering what I'm still doing in Beijing.

Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz) has written and produced a rock opera based on the Chinese story "Journey To the West" called Monkey: Journey to the West. It has played in England and France. I hear that it will also go to Tokyo and New York. If anyone can come up with information about USA shows (dates etc.) I would appreciate it.